Sewing Basics for Everybody Blog Tour: Harper Pants

Seeing as we can't go on any other kind of tour at the moment, let's go on a blog tour! Wendy Ward's latest book, 'Sewing Basics For Everybody', is a collection of patterns designed to produce a capsule wardrobe of simple garments suitable for everyone, regardless of gender, age or body shape. It's a really interesting idea, and firmly in keeping with the growth of inclusivity in the sewing scene, and in society more generally. The book contains graded sewing patterns for five types of garments, with pattern pieces for three-to-five variations of each garment included, along with lots of idea and info on how to create many more styles. 

To be suitable for the widest variety of body shapes, the styles are all pretty loose-fitting and unisex. And if that kind of silhouette and aesthetic are your bag, you're going to want to check this book out. This blog post represents the third stop of six on the tour to see some of the styles made up on a variety of sewing bloggers. Here we go...

Pattern:

I accepted the invitation to make a garment for this blog tour before the UK corona virus lockdown was a thing. Initially, I had big plans for a hack of the Kim jumpsuit project. However, once lockdown became a reality, the space in my brain available for this project narrowed, and the gap in my wardrobe for a nice pair of comfy trousers widened! My attentions and plans therefore switched to the Harper pants pattern.

The Harper pants are a wide legged trouser pattern that Wendy has cleverly developed to be the basis for a number of different looks. The waist can be elasticated, or can have front pleats, a waistband and fly front fastening. The legs can be cropped or full length, and a genius way to form a harem-style with an ankle pleat is offered.

There are three styles of trouser specifically set out in the Harper pants section, but I chose to combine some of the elements in a different combo that would be more suitable to my current needs. I wanted these trousers to be work-from-home and homeschooling friendly, so I chose the comfier, elasticated waist option. (And because lockdowners can't be choosers, I had to alter the width of the waistband to suit the only wide elastic I had in my stash.) I really wanted to try that clever harem-style, tapered ankle detail, so I threw that into the mix as well. 

Like most pattern books, you need to find your chosen pattern pieces on the pattern sheets included and trace them off onto paper before you can begin. My one issue with this was that the trouser pattern pieces aren't all on the same pattern sheet. No doubt the design of the pattern sheets has been done that way to conserve paper, but I was glad that I was only having to locate three pattern pieces for my project. The sizing is based on body measurements and finished garment measurements. If you have a curvier shape, you may find you need to combine and blend between sizes, as the patterns are designed for a waist/hip measurement difference, for example, that isn't as great as most of the women's pattern companies' sizing range you may be used to working with. Wendy gives a TON of information on taking measurements, and masses of additional advice about picking the right size for you.   

As for sewing these pants, as you would expect, they came together quickly. I can really see that the style would suit a variety of fabrics, but I'm very happy with the linen that I picked. Which leads me to...

Fabric:

Wendy's publisher got us a hook up with UK-based, online fabric seller, Fabworks, for this tour. We were able to use the fabric of our choice from their website, providing there was enough in stock to fulfil future orders that may follow from the tour. We were also encouraged to order samples so we could have a good feel before committing to our selection. After having checking out samples of a few options, I went for the Slubby Linen & Cotton in Tawny. Oh my goodness it's lovely! It's got a fine, textured, linen look, yet it doesn't really crumple in the way you'd expect a fabric with linen content to do. 

The colour is a caramel-y brown, a shade or two away from my beloved rust. I wasn't too sure if this colour would be too brown-brown for me, so I made sure to use cotton thread in case I decided to dye them further down the line. Yet I doubt I will now as this colour is really growing on me. I'm not sure I could carry if off closer to my face, yet on my bottom half, in particular when paired with navy, black or white, I think it looks really good. 

Thoughts:

It was really great to be part of a blog tour again. It doesn't seem so common an occurrence these days as it used to. And this really is a book that's worth checking out, especially if looser, simpler styles are your thing. Wendy is a phenomenal font of sewing knowledge, and she ploughs soooo much of it into her books. Even if you're a pretty experienced sewer, there's a lot of information, techniques and tips you're likely to absorb by reading through this book. 

As for the trousers themselves, it was fun to experiment with a style that is a slight step out of my comfort zone. There's a bit more volume going on, and they sit higher on my waist than I'm used to. I'm going to wear them a few times to see if I can get into it. Making them was a very pleasant experience, thanks to both the construction method and the lovely fabric. And I particularly enjoyed creating the unusual ankle pleat detail. 

I recommend that you visit the other participants in this blog tour. Mercedes and Fiona have already shared their fantastic and inspired garments created with patterns from this book, and I'm so excited to see the rest.