Clare Pants by Cindy

April 28, 2021
Posted by de Linum

Selecting Sewing Pattern

I selected the Clare Pants pattern from Style ARC as a challenge as I have never made a pair of pants previously, and I wanted to start a linen staples wardrobe.

Selecting Linen Fabric

I wanted to select a medium weight linen for this sewing pattern and I found The Pine Green 100% Linen from de Linum. It has a weight of 220gsm making it perfect for this pattern. The earthy green colour was also very appealing to me. When I received this linen fabric, it was so crisp and felt really nice to touch. I did prewash the fabric as pure linen generally has a tendency to shrink. Pine green linen has minimal shrinkage due to its weaving quality. After the first wash it became softer and when I finished sewing my garment, I could see the beautiful natural creases. The Clare Pants that I completed had the result of being drapey with a soft and relaxed feel.

The Pine Green 100% Linen Fabric

Working with Linen

If you dislike the look of creases, you may iron it with low heat. When I iron my linen I always grab a piece of woven fabric and place it on top as this will prevent it from leaving a shiny mark. Alternatively you may use a Teflon Iron shoes

I had previous experience in sewing tops, dresses and accessories and with Clare pattern I had to read over the sewing pattern a couple of times but after completing my first Style ARC sewing pattern I would definitely try their other sewing patterns. I used gueterman thread - I adore its quality even though it is a little pricier than other available threads in the market.

The process

The sewing pattern recommended for AU sizes 4 - 8 to use up to1.85m of fabric(147cm width fabric) but I was able to just use under 1.5m of fabric for a size 6 and I also shortened the pants by 15 cm.

In the process of completing these Clare Pants, the first night, I had to prewash and cut out the fabric. The linen fabric dried really quickly. The second night I finished sewing the pants. I did spend about 5 hours all up, but that's also because it was my first pair of pants. I believe it should not take any longer than 3 hours for my second pair.

With the linen fabric that I have chosen, I would also be able to make a pair of shorts from the same sewing pattern just by shortening it. With Pine green linen from de Linum You’ll also be able to make other garments and accessories such as dresses, skirts, tops, pyjamas, pillowcases, pouches, bucket hats and tote bags.