The Arenite Pants

Look at me being all proactive and getting on here in the middle of the summer! While I’m supposed to be packing my house up! It’ll just magically get done, right? Ha! No, I really have been working hard at the packing and cleaning but I just need a minute to…NOT be packing and cleaning.

Moving is the worst.

Okay. So my pants!

These are the Arenite Pants by Sew Liberated. As soon as I saw them, I felt like they fit into my life and my life style. I know I’m not like the most fashion savvy person ever (or even close to that) but these are acceptable for wearing out of the house, right? Actually…don’t tell me if I’m wrong.

I put them on my “Want to Sew” list and when I realized I probably only had enough time to squeeze in one more sewing project before the move, I knew the Arenite pants would the perfect thing to work on, the perfect thing to wear while driving across the country, and the perfect pants for where we’re headed (Flagstaff, AZ-it’s got kind of a hippy vibe that I love).

I ordered my fabric from Blackbird Fabrics. I’ve always been pretty nervous about buying fabric online, but I feel like it helps so much to see people on Instagram ordering from a place and creating successful, cute garments. Since Blackbird is a Canadian company, I kind of dismissed it as one I wouldn’t buy from just because I assumed shipping would be really expensive (and that’s what I always get hung up on!). I’m glad I did a little more research because having them ship to me in Alaska was actually very reasonable and I got my order crazy fast (which never happens up here). Not to mention, the prices you see on the website are in Canadian dollars and so, for those of us in the United States, the actual amount taken out your account will be less than what is posted at the time of purchase. And everything was very well priced and seems high quality to me.

This is the second pattern I’ve made from Sew Liberated and it was another great pattern. My first was the Hinterland dress which has not only become my favorite thing I’ve ever made but also my current favorite dress. Period. I love wearing it and I could definitely see the Arenites turning into something I keep reaching for in my closet. The only downside of these patterns is that they don’t have the layers function which means you have to print all sizes and cut out the one for you. That wasn’t a huge issue on the Hinterland dress but it was a bit more difficult with these pants just because there were a lot of converging lines, so sometimes it was difficult to follow the line of my size. But the slight inconvenience is definitely worth it because it is a quality pattern. Not to mention that I really love Meg’s stance on having a “mindful wardrobe.”  (P.S. sign up for her newsletter which has great information and gives you discounts to all her patterns!)

So let’s talk a bit about this particular pair, shall we? The fabric is a viscose twill. I measured between a size 8 and a 10 but I sewed up a size 4. If you go to the Sew Liberated Instagram account, Meg has a video saved to her stories of how to make a slim hack Arenite pants, which is more tailored and without the drapey pockets. The pockets are what drew me to the pant so I knew I wanted to keep them as is and I still wanted the pant to be a little bit loose, but not overwhelmingly so. For the slim hack, Meg suggests sizing down 4 sizes, so I knew that I could size down to a 4 comfortably (not to mention, the size chart includes the finished garment dimensions, which was also helpful in deciding which size to sew up).

I’m 5’3″ (and a half!) and I shortened the pattern 11/2″ which was perfect for the bottom of the cuff to be showing just a bit of ankle. If I sew the elasticated cuff again, I might shorten it 2 inches, but that’s just being a little picky.

This project was my first go at flat felled seams and I had a lot of fun doing them! They are a little bit terrifying because you have to trim the top layer of the seam allowance without trimming the bottom layer. It’s tricky! And mine didn’t turn out perfect but I am pretty proud of them! And now I go around the house noticing all the things that have flat felled seams and feeling very nerdy and satisfied.

I have so much fun sewing. Maybe you’ve noticed? This project was really fun to do. I want to see how often I wear these guys and then I could very well see myself making a true slim hacked pair with a regular hemmed ankle as well as a lusciously drapey my-true-size pair. And a pair for my husband. And maybe I could figure out how to make mini versions for my girls. I do have about a yard of this fabric leftover…Anyway, loved the pattern! Highly recommend! Oh! And the pockets are drafted with knitters in mind. I am not a knitter but I definitely don’t have any shortage of things to put in my pockets! The pockets are amaaaazing!