Luna Mission: Secret Pyjamas

So this is pretty major for me. These trousers are a massive departure from an aesthetic that I've been pretty dedicated to for the best part of a decade. The casual retro/Rockabilly-lite tip I've been on may not have always been super evident in all of my personal sewing projects, but they were the vibes I have most identified with and been inspired by for agessss. However, last year I felt something shift and I became less interested in those looks. But because I was pregnant and my body was changing shape and size, I had to put any real experimenting into my new stylistic inspiration on hold.  

I'm a big fan of the designer Rae Hoekstra, AKA Made by Rae, and I'd been sniffing around her Luna pants pattern almost since she released it. I couldn't see myself wearing them, but I'd often suggest the pattern to students in my sewing classes if they were looking for an easy-ish trousers pattern to make. Then, when I was pregnant, a friend lent me a big bag of various maternity trousers and jeans, which contained a pair very similar in style to the Luna pants. When I first saw them I put them straight back in the bag and mentally labelled them 'not me', but in the last few months of my pregnancy I ended up wearing them almost constantly. So having identified during #MMMay17 that light-weight trousers would be a welcome addition to my wardrobe, it was time to go Luna exploring... (sorry, too obvious?!).

(image source: Made by Rae)

Pattern: 

The Luna pants pattern was a welcome respite from my trouser fitting woes. Yet, as per Rae's recommendation, I still made a toile (muslin) to check the fit before chopping into my precious fabric. Partly because the fabric has sold out so I couldn't buy any more if I messed it up, and partly because I've decided that sewing time is too rare and precious to spend it making garments that don't fit well and won't get lots of use. 

My main concern was getting a fit that didn't look too baggy. I prefer the look of the green pair pictured below which seem to have a similar fit to the maternity pair I borrowed, as opposed to the yellow version that you can see here. This pattern has about 4"-5" of ease through the hips, which seems like a lot to me, so I decided to go down a size from what my measurements would suggest to should cut (which Rae suggest if you're using a loosely woven fabric). (BTW, there is also a series of extra-detailed blog posts from the Luna pantsalong, if you require a little extra hand-holding for this make). 

(image source: Made by Rae)

It turned out to be a good call and I'm really pleased that I went for the Small, rather than the Medium, as the fit was pretty much exactly what I was hoping for. The only changes I then had to make to the pattern were to shorten the leg length by about 4cm, and to slash-and-flare through the back rise to add 1cm as it felt a teensy bit tight through the seat. 

Fabric:

Although I was on a self-imposed fabric diet after my then-recent move (nothing like packing up to move house to force you to acknowledge how much fabric you own!), I treated myself to a couple of metres of this light-weight washed anchor print denim from the Village Haberdashery on my last day teaching there before going on maternity leave. Pre-washing revealed its super-soft and slightly drape-y nature, so I had a hunch that it'd be a great match with this pattern. I wish I could link to the fabric, but sadly it's not on their website so I assume they have sold out. 

Thoughts:

I put these on as soon as I finished making them and then wore them for three days on the trot before I accepted they should have a wash. The fit was exactly what I hoped for, and they were pleasingly airy during the roasting hot weather we had last week. The only thing that felt less than pyjamary was the elasticated ankles. Not being used to this style, and not having worn the maternity pair I borrowed for eight months, I felt really conscious of them to start with. However, sensory adaptation did its thing and I didn't notice them at all after an hour or so. 

What is breaking my heart is that the loose weave has resulted in the fabric coming apart a bit at a couple of stress points on the rise. There's a bit on the front but it's more noticeable on the back (see above and below). These appeared after just one wear, and I'm not sure what, if anything, I can do about it now, or how I could prevent that in the future. Thoughts most welcome. 

Cost:

Pattern: available here in PDF form for $12 (approx. £9.44)

Fabric: I can't remember!!! I'm guessing £16 for 2m?

Elastic and thread from my stash

Total: £25.44

A fairly pricey make by my standards, especially if their days are numbers if those weak points rip apart entirely. However, thanks to the the fabric being really wide, I still have a sizeable chunk of it left (enough for a Scout tee or a woven tank of some kind, for sure) and I definitely plan to make more Lunas in the future. In fact I've just pre-washed some more precious fabric with this pattern in mind, watch this space...