There must have been something in the water lately, because THREE Cali bloggers have projects with this tencel denim in June! I used my spring fabric allowance from Cali to buy 6m of this fabric, because tencel seems to be the hot new “it” fabric this year! I used this fabric first for my Winslow Culottes and now I’m back with the new Jalie Vanessa Fluid Pants.
(Here’s my original post on Cali, but you are about to read a more extended, chatty version.)
These are a loose jogger-style pant with an elastic waist. I’ve been wanting to try this style of pant for a few years, and I’m glad I finally have! They are loose and comfy, but they sure do feel strange to wear after years of skinny jeans. Mine turns out baggier than the pattern samples… but simultaneously a bit tight on my tush. Thankfully they bag out just a hint with wear and then they fit perfectly! Next time I’ll size down and do a full-butt adjustment to add volume just where I need it.
I found the pattern easy to work with – I love Jalie for their solid drafting and clear but not over-complicated instructions. My only hiccup was that the waistband (made of a flat panel at the centre front of the waistband and the gathered section) was a few inches too short to match the circumference of the pants/my hips! I compared to the pattern piece, and I cut the fabric right, so I’m not sure what is going on there. It was a really simple fix though – I just recut the centre panel a bit longer. I skipped the buttons holes for a waist tie because I didn’t have any cord or ribbon that would work!
As with my Winslow Culottes, it’s been interesting figuring out what to pair with these pants. The proportions are all new to me! You see here the first time in 10 or 20 years or more that I’ve tucked a shirt into trousers… and I kinda like it! I’m normally self-conscious about the curve of my abdomen, but I think the drape/fit/ease of these trousers camouflages that well enough. When I sewed these pants, I also pictured them with the cactus Concord tee and peacock Comino Cap tee that I sewed this spring in my 2-hour sewing challenge – I still need to try those combinations out!
Along with the Jalie joggers, I also sewed a Jalie 3245 tank! The fabric I used is a lovely mid-weight rayon knit from Cali… but it seems to be sold out! Not to worry, they have lots of other good knits to chose from. The knit started out as navy-on-cream… but I tossed it in with the tencel in my second pre-wash, and next thing I knew, I had blue-on-blue. Let’s pretend it’s fashionably monochromatic, ok? (Truth – I wish it was still cream and navy – I’d wear it so much more then!)
Lesson learned – prewash tencel denim with dark colours, use a colour catcher, or toss in something you’d like to dye indigo!
This was one of the first Jalie tanks I sewed this summer (before I blogged about the pattern here). I was worried at the time that the tank would come out short, so I lengthened it… as you can tell, that was unnecessary! It’s now too long. Oh well! One of my favourite things about blogging for Cali is that I tend to use the fabric for risk-free sewing – a chance to experiment with patterns and shapes with free fabric!
How is your summer sewing going? I’m at a strange point right now where I have so many beloved clothes that I can go a whole season without wearing a favourite garment. How does that happen? Like, “Oops, I love wearing that, but I didn’t get around to it because I have so many other clothes I love!” I try to give things away and narrow down my choices, but I really do love a lot of my clothes. As a result, I’m feeling weird about sewing new things… because will I really wear them more than a few times? And will new favourites push out existing favourites? Ugh. I’m clearly overthinking this, right?
Crafting A Rainbow 
This tencel denim has been so fab in every make so far from the Cali sewing team. And your new joggers reaffirm this observation. Love it!
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It’s been interesting seeing different people sew with the same fabric! We didn’t realise we were all ordering it, and I guess Ron, the owner, decided not to tell us! 😉
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I’m a huge fan of Jalie too and I have your top pattern – just haven’t made it up yet but seeing yours reminded me 🙂 I’ve seen your pants made up by a few online and I always like them! They have a nice shape – comfortable but not baggy. I’m still working my way through woven tops and trying to get my fit better. I’m taking a class with Alexandra Morgan this Sat on fit which I’m sure will be a lot of fun!
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Ooh, that will be interesting!!! She’s had a video series on fitting, right?
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I love this outfit- you look terrific. I’m so curious about tencel denim and I think these pants have just won me over. The blue on blue tank is really lovely and great colours for you 🙂
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I love these! First: Tencel. Second: Elastic waist. Third: Baggy cargo genie pants style. It’s got it all going on.
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My friend switched to wearing tis style of pant in flowing linens with spring, and she kept telling me, “Once you try it you’ll never go back to jeans!”… and I have to say, she was right about the comfort level!
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oh my gosh! These are great! I should maybe look into something like this since I got a part time job now and I’m used to wearing sweat pants all day! Also love the tank! The colors are great and you look so cute in all your pictures! Great job all around!
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Aw, thank you! These would definitely be as comfy as sweats but a little more polished! Make some!
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I guess this is the perfect way to get fabrics in truly coordinating shades 😊. I like both of these a lot. Is the tencil cool in the heat? abbey
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Yeah, the tencel is pretty breezy, at least compared to normal jeans… shorts would be cooler, but for pants, there are good! 🙂
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I love Tencel. These remind me of the comfy pants I wear at home, but much more classy and stylish! I’ll have to have a peek at that pattern!
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Your pants are cool, and I know the feeling of readjusting proportions–I had to do that when I sewed the Named Ninni Culottes! Super comfy but looks-wise, way different than my normal skinny jeans.
I haven’t reached a point in my wardrobe where I have too many clothes yet–I’m actually still filling in gaps ! This past year I’ve been focusing on a more cohesive wardrobe, so a lot has left and replacements are still yet to be made.
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I have to try tencel–those look so stylish and comfy!
And if you have too many clothes, you clearly need to take up home dec sewing. Go on, make a quilt. You know you want to!:P
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What a lovely pair of trousers and I think that over-dyeing your top was a happy accident as the colour matching is (obviously) superb. It looks like a lovely comfy summer outfit. I have never sewed with anything Tencel. Does it need any special handling. Do you knowI have often wondered this about sewing bloggers, especially ones as prolific as you are. Just how do they keep all their garments? How many do you need to have wardrobe saturation? Maybe you should try sewing something house-related or a quilt? It is a shame to just make stuff and not get to wear it when you love it so much. Xx
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