The 2020 Holiday Season left me feeling a little unmotivated to sew all the fun holiday clothes. I normally relish this season of sewing, enjoying all of the reasons to sew a little “frosting” and add a little extra sparkle and glitz to my everyday outfits. The number of holiday parties on my agenda this year was a hot zero, though, so glitz and glam just didn’t seem necessary.
I’d originally chosen this fabric thinking that it would be great for a pair of pants for the office, but also great for date nights (I’m putting trust in date nights being a thing again in 2021!), and had decided that I would give the Portobello Trousers pattern another go. My first experience with this pattern was back in the summer of 2019, and it was a pretty big mess! I absolutely chose the wrong fabric for this pattern, and while I ended up with a lovely, swishy pair of pants that I do enjoy wearing in the summer, it took a lot of modifications. My rayon crepe fabric grew and grew and I ended up removing something like 6 inches out of the pants as I tried to insert the waistband. Although I recognized that the mishap probably had more to do with the fabric pairing than with the pattern itself, I tucked the pattern away in the drawer and had no desire to try it out again.
I chose this fabric with pants in mind, though. I am really into the wide leg pants look right now, and this color is simultaneously so beautiful and such a great unexpected neutral – it matches so many things in my closet! I looked at a few other patterns, and finally decided that I shouldn’t go buying more patterns before I was sure that what I have doesn’t work for me. I decided to give it one last shot, and I am so glad I did.
The details of this pattern work perfectly with this fabric! The back darts, the front pleats – the fabric offers a perfect balance of fluid drape and crisp detail that makes it ideal for pants, especially trousers with details like these. Although I’m not feeling the extra sparkly glitz and glam feelings I often dress to in the holiday season, I did want to add just a little something extra to these to give them that holiday feeling. I dug around in my button collection and found one perfect sparkly button, just enough shimmer to add a little holiday cheer! It isn’t so much that it will look silly with more casual looks, but it’s just enough to feel a little fancy!
When I first tried these on after finishing them, I happened to have on this sweater. It isn’t anything special, and I’ve had it in my closet for years, but I loved the way it paired with these pants. A little tuck action helped balance the boxy sweater against the wide leg of the pants, and I think it is a great pairing. Happy accidents!
The fabric I used for these is absolutely wonderful. This OEKO-TEX certified, Earth friendly fabric is made from Tencel – quickly becoming one of my favorite substrates. It has a cold hand, it drapes beautifully, but it can still hold its shape when you press it. It is lightweight and flowy when I walk, but it doesn’t feel especially thin and I will still feel comfortable wearing these pants in our (admittedly mild) North Texas winter. It has a beautiful texture to the fabric which almost mimics a linen look and offers some beautiful subtle variation to the color throughout.
I would love to own a couple pairs of pants in this same fabric / pattern combination in other colors. I have come to trust that Meet MILK fabrics are going to be high quality, and I certainly was not disappointed with this. There are quite a few different colorways available, all of which are absolutely lovely. If you haven’t had the chance to try out this substrate, I would definitely recommend it! I’m looking forward to wearing these pants constantly now that I have them!
Pants: handmade by me
Fabric: Minerva – Meet MILK Tencel Crispy Crepe in Emerald
Pattern: Nina Lee London – Portobello Trousers
Key Ingredients:
Brother XR9500PRW Sewing Machine
Brother 1034D Overlocker
Schmetz Jersey Ballpoint Needles
Dahle 36×48 Self-healing Cutting Mat
Heat & Bond Soft Stretch (Lite)
Thanks for reading my thoughts on this pattern! The fabric used for this post was provided to me by Minerva in exchange for photos of my finished garments posted on their website. The Portobello Trousers Pattern by Nina Lee London was given to me as a gift for my participation in the testing process for another Nina Lee London pattern. All words and opinions expressed throughout this post are my own, as always. Links provided throughout this post may be affiliate links – if you choose to purchase any products through these links, I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you. This simply helps me justify the costs of my sewing habit and the time it takes to share it with you!! Happy Sewing!
- XX Elizabeth
