Washed Denim Nia Trousers Remake

 

I'm a big fan of Belgian sewing pattern brand Bel' Etoile. They have a lovely range of patterns for women and children available in Dutch and English. Previously I've bought the Isa sweatshirt pattern and used the free Siem shorts pattern (which I reviewed here), and recently I tried the Nio/Nia pattern to make these trousers for my daughter. 

Pattern:

I'd had my eye on the Nia trousers for some time because the style is very similar to a thrifted pair of trousers that Lola used to love to wear but has since grown out of. Amusingly, it's also very similar to the Helen's Closet Arden pants pattern that I'm currently working on for myself! 

(image source: Bel' Etoile)

The Nio/Nia pattern is good value because it includes a trousers/shorts pattern as well as a top pattern, both of which include a number of style options and variations for kids of all genders. I can image I'll use the bottoms pattern a lot for both my kids over the decade or so. 

Fabric:

The fabric I used for these trousers is the 4oz washed denim from Fabric Godmother, although I can't remember if it was the blue or indigo colour way because I bought it several years ago and the dye batches vary quite a lot. I used the same type of washed denim to make a Tova top and a Block Tee (formerly Kabuki tee). 

About two years ago, I used this fabric in an attempt to make some 'summer jeans' using the trouser version of the Tilly and the Buttons Marigold jumpsuit pattern. I got very close to finishing, but a mid-way fitting indicated that they were going to look terrible on me, so I abandoned the project! Thankfully, I kept hold of the half-made item and was able to finally reuse it to make these. 

If you look closely, you may notice that the fabric on the inside of the pocket mouth on one side is a slightly paler colour. That's because I made a mistake when cutting the pocket pieces, so had to use another remnant of the same type of washed denim instead, which happened to be a lighter colour. I know that this fabric tends to fade with washing (in a really lovely way), so I expect the difference will be less noticeable over time. 

Thoughts:

I wasn't sure Lola would accept these trousers because her beloved pair that was a similar style was made from viscose, and she noted that these don't feel as slinky. However, she's worn them a couple of times with some light suggestion, and today I noticed that she chose to wear them without any input from me at all! If they look ok by the time Lola is done with them, I'll hold onto them for Frankie. I already have another pair planned for Lola in a printed cotton, plus a shorts version for Frankie for next year from some leftover slub linen that I'm currently working with.