Those who read my blog (www.girlsinuniformblog.com) regularly know which one is my favourite Belgian designer. It had been a while since I worked with Bel'Etoile patterns, so it was high time I dug them up.
These days, I love wearing my home-made trousers the most. They really are ten times better than the ones from the shops and during the colder autumn and winter months, my trousers ended up in the laundry basket time and time again. By the end of the week, I was forced to wear store-bought trousers and it really isn't the same. An extra pair of trousers was therefore welcome and I had not yet tested the buying pattern after my test version of the Ava, which looked completely different.
Although it is now spring with glorious temperatures, a chic pair of trousers is always an option in my opinion. At Minerva I found a beautiful dark blue suiting fabric with a subtle line, perfect for the Ava. Although the trousers are designed for a non-stretch supple fabric, I thought I could also make them in this fabric with 20% stretch. A bit of stretch makes trousers just that little bit more fun to wear for me. And yes, fabric and pattern were a match!
The great thing about these trousers is that they fit nicely at the top and at the bottom they end in slightly wider legs, without being baggy. They also close in the side seam with a blind zip, so no pushing of the button-and-zipper on my belly. That really adds to the comfort of wearing a pair of trousers, especially at the end of the day when my stomach has swollen a bit.
Because I worked with a light stretch fabric, I reinforced the entrance of the side pockets with seam tape. This prevents them from opening, which I often find distracting. Because the trousers are high on the waist, I took a bit away in the middle of the back at the level of my sway back and shortened the waistband by the same amount. Otherwise, I did everything exactly according to Bel'Etoile's clear and well illustrated instructions.
When I sent a photo of my bottom in these trousers to a friend, she remarked in admiration how beautifully the lines in the middle of the back were lined. I could have lied with a straight face and claimed I did it for the sake of it... but nothing could be further from the truth. I guess I was lucky with the cutting, because I didn't think for a second about whether or not the stripes would be lined. I probably wouldn't have been able to do it so beautifully if I had tried. Pure luck! I hadn't noticed it yet, but now that I know, I keep looking at it. Funny, isn't it?
I am so happy with the result! The trousers are chic and stylish and they fit wonderfully. The fabric is pure luxury! This Ava makes me an even bigger fan of the Bel'Etoile fit and of my own handmade trousers...
These days, I love wearing my home-made trousers the most. They really are ten times better than the ones from the shops and during the colder autumn and winter months, my trousers ended up in the laundry basket time and time again. By the end of the week, I was forced to wear store-bought trousers and it really isn't the same. An extra pair of trousers was therefore welcome and I had not yet tested the buying pattern after my test version of the Ava, which looked completely different.
Although it is now spring with glorious temperatures, a chic pair of trousers is always an option in my opinion. At Minerva I found a beautiful dark blue suiting fabric with a subtle line, perfect for the Ava. Although the trousers are designed for a non-stretch supple fabric, I thought I could also make them in this fabric with 20% stretch. A bit of stretch makes trousers just that little bit more fun to wear for me. And yes, fabric and pattern were a match!
The great thing about these trousers is that they fit nicely at the top and at the bottom they end in slightly wider legs, without being baggy. They also close in the side seam with a blind zip, so no pushing of the button-and-zipper on my belly. That really adds to the comfort of wearing a pair of trousers, especially at the end of the day when my stomach has swollen a bit.
Because I worked with a light stretch fabric, I reinforced the entrance of the side pockets with seam tape. This prevents them from opening, which I often find distracting. Because the trousers are high on the waist, I took a bit away in the middle of the back at the level of my sway back and shortened the waistband by the same amount. Otherwise, I did everything exactly according to Bel'Etoile's clear and well illustrated instructions.
When I sent a photo of my bottom in these trousers to a friend, she remarked in admiration how beautifully the lines in the middle of the back were lined. I could have lied with a straight face and claimed I did it for the sake of it... but nothing could be further from the truth. I guess I was lucky with the cutting, because I didn't think for a second about whether or not the stripes would be lined. I probably wouldn't have been able to do it so beautifully if I had tried. Pure luck! I hadn't noticed it yet, but now that I know, I keep looking at it. Funny, isn't it?
I am so happy with the result! The trousers are chic and stylish and they fit wonderfully. The fabric is pure luxury! This Ava makes me an even bigger fan of the Bel'Etoile fit and of my own handmade trousers...