Tencel Twill Luna Pants

I'm sitting at my desk and should really be writing something else, however I'm going to quickly tell you about my new Tencel twill Lina pants instead....

Fabric:

This is the same Tencel twill from Fabric Godmother that I used to make a Wiksten Tank top last month. This is the mustard colour way, but I'd describe it as 'ochre-of-my-dreams'. It was kindly sent to me for free by Josie, essentially to cheer me up about being in lockdown. As I mentioned previously in my tank post, it has incredible drape, with an almost rubbery handle, which sounds odd but is great! 

I've been wearing these trousers all day, so I can attest to some creasing, but not as much as you'd probably get from a viscose. As with any slippery fabric, cutting out and handling it whilst sewing was a challenge. But it doesn't fray too badly, and presses really well. 

Pattern:

I bought the Made by Rae Luna pants pattern a few years ago, and made the pattern up twice, first in a light-weight, washed denim, and then in cotton lawn. The fabric of the denim pair disintegrated, but, although very faded, the cotton lawn pair have stood the test of time surprisingly well. This garment style is so comfy to wear, in no small part because the elasticated waist sits on the hips rather than higher up on the natural waist: the former being my preferred position. 

Rae reworked the Luna pattern last year and re-released it. I received the updated file but haven't printed it out, so I'm not sure how the pattern pieces differ from the original. For this pair, I wanted a slightly looser, less tapered look through the legs. To do so, I added about 2cm to the outer leg seam at the hem of the front and back leg pattern pieces, blending it into the original seam by the lower hips. I also made this pair a few centimetres longer, as I found my other pair have shrunk a bit over the years, and I'm not sure how this Tencel will behave over the long term.

Label:

I'd seen these cool Isewlation garment labels popping up on Instagram during lockdown, and eventually their designer, Sally (@modistasewing), got in touch with me to request some help in promoting them during Me-Made-May. All the profits she receives from their sale goes to the National Emergencies Trust, which supports local charities in helping the victims of disasters and emergencies. I bought some myself, and they are awesome. I held off finishing this project until they arrived, because they are the perfect colour and shape for these trousers.

Thoughts:

I'm so happy with these trousers! I'm wearing them right now with my washed denim Kabuki tee. I feel comfy and breezy on this warm day, but somehow I'm also looking pretty stylish, if I say so myself. I love how this pattern hits a sweet spot of being loose but not baggy, which I think is particularly important around the bum! I doubt this will be my last pair of Lunas. The next time a super-fluid, woven fabric that I adore crosses my path, I'll be ready to deploy this pattern.

Tencel Twill Tank

This post is going to be short and sweet. Consider it an extension of my Gemma tank journey from two years ago. To recap: I'd hit a bit of a brick wall with Made by Rae's Gemma tank pattern. It's possible that I was trying to over-think and/or over-fit it. However, when this lovely fabric dropped into my lap, I decided to try a different starting point.

Fabric:

A few months ago, Fabric Godmother got a delivery of a whole rainbow of tencel twill. It's light and flowy with fantastic drape, and a washed, almost sanded appearance. I scored just under 1m of the rust colour way. Tencel (a brand name of lyocell) is a bit of buzz word these days. It's often claimed to be a 'sustainable' fabric, because it is produced in a closed-loop process, which reuses a lot of the chemicals (and water?) required to break down the base material (wood pulp) into useable fibres. A lot of people are hailing it as a better alternative to viscose/rayon, the more common of the regenerated fibre fabrics. However, I have also heard that Tencel/lyocell isn't as stable as viscose, and has a shorter lifespan. Plus, I personally bristle when the label 'sustainable' is assigned to any virgin fabric, particularly a regenerated fibre that has to undergo so much processing to be ready for fabric production. I'll be interested to see how this fabric wears over time with use and washing. 

Pattern:

As I mentioned above, I was on the hunt for a new woven tank pattern to try. I'd previously considered the Wiksten tank pattern, but had opted for the Gemma in the end because the latter has bust darts. Yet, seeing as this fabric is so drape-y, I thought the looser shape of the Wiksten tank might be better suited for this project. I also bought it with half an eye on making more patchwork viscose garments in the future, and thought that this might be a great blank canvas for that also. The looser, roomier style also allowed me to avoid sway back adjustment headaches, and I made the size M with no adjustments at all. 

I like the curved hem detail, which makes this pattern suitable for both tucking in to bottoms as well as wearing loose. Included is a little basic patch pocket, which I nearly didn't bother with, but I thought this top might look too plain without. This slippy fabric, as you can imagine, is a bit of a pig to work with, and when I'm wearing the finished garment, I can see that the pocket isn't applied completely straight and the bottom righthand corner (when worn) is a bit askew. 

Another nice feature is that all the seams are french seams, which is perfect for light, slippy fabric such as this Tencel. Overlocked seams might show through on the right side, plus, from my experience, overlockers sometimes enjoy chewing up fine fabrics a bit and can create some unwelcome gathering. The neckline and armholes are bound with self-made strips cut on the bias. Because my main fabric was so tricky to cut and handle, I cut my bias strips from some lightweight 4oz washed denim from my stash, and I love the contrast it brings. I should have taken a photo of this garment flat so you can see, but you'll have to use your imagination!  

Thoughts:

OMG, I didn't predict that Tencel would feel so nice to wear! It feels so soft, and I also want to say slightly rubbery, however I'm not sure that that gets the right concept across. As for the pattern, I'm really pleased that I invested in this basic woven tank pattern, as I'm sure I'll reach for it again before long. It'll probably be my version of the popular Odgen cami by True Bias. One thing to note though: the neckline is pretty low! Lower than I was expecting. I'm definitely not prudish, however I think I may raise it slightly for future versions, just so that I don't need to be so conscious when leaning forwards.