I made this version of the Blank Slate Oceanside Pants last year just after my daughter was born and just thought they were just okay.  While they made it into my top 5 misses from last year, I found them recently and decided I’d been unfair to them and the pattern.  It’s pretty typical for me to hate things I’ve managed to make directly postpartum (shocker that my mind would be otherwise occupied in that time! :D).  So, in fairness to the process and these pants that really are quite nice to wear in the heat of summer, here’s the Blank Slate Oceanside Pants in a nice herringbone linen.

Blank Slate Oceanside Pants

Pattern details

This pattern is a great loose fitting pant with a drawstring/elastic combination waist.  The pattern has just one piece (minus pockets and drawstring) which is a good and bad thing.  It’s good because one piece pants are super fast and easy to sew.   The bad thing about one piece pants is that they can be a little trickier to alter without the help of the side seam that joins the front and back pieces together on regular pants.

The thing that drew me to this pattern are the cute patch pockets.  They have a little corner on each of them that folds down to fasten with a button.  It’s an adorable little casual detail.

Fitting

As I said, without that side seam, it can be a little trickier to fit these pants.  I have a flat backside, and I always take about 1/2″ wedge just under the back crotch that tapers to nothing at the side seam.  This really helps get rid of some of that excess fabric that I always have hanging off me in RTW pants.

To do this alteration without a side seam, draw an imaginary vertical line where the side seam would approximately be.  Draw a horizontal line just under the back crotch to the “side seam”.  Slash the horizontal line to the “side seam”.  Fold up the needed amount, tapering to zero at the imaginary side seam.

Flat seat alteration on a one piece pant

I didn’t do anything else for fit other than shorten the length a bit.

An easier drawstring

Does anyone else use a drawstring threader?

I love these things.  When I was a kid, my Mom taught me to thread elastic through casings with a safety pin.  Of course, having done this yourselves, you know that when you do this, you not only hurt your fingers half the time, but it’s cumbersome and slow.  You just might lose the elastic in the process too.  You pass a drawstring threader through the whole casing, then attach your drawstring and pull it back through in one move.  It’s such a time saver.  The drawstring on these pants has fabric ends with an elastic middle.  The casing is really narrow, so even with the drawstring threader, it’s really tough to pull the fabric/elastic combo through evenly.

I learned on the back cutout dresses that it’s easier to thread the elastic through first, then sew on the drawstring ends.  This way, you won’t have to pull the drawstring ends through the whole casing, and the elastic will be where it’s supposed to be.

Retie it dear.

So I had a terrible time of these pants falling off of me.  As the day goes on, they droop and loosen and it’s just a bit fussy and not a look I’d like to wear out.  I don’t really like having to retie drawstrings, especially out in public, but it goes with the territory.  I’m either really lazy or just prefer more fitted styles!

Berry linen no more

This linen had been in my stash for years.  It used to be a berry color.  Berry colors are really far outside of my palette, so I personally avoid wearing them.  Still, this fabric has a great hand and a beautiful herringbone pattern, so I held onto it.  In the end, I bleached it and then ran it through the wash with Rit Color Remover.  The resulting color is this nice wheat color that is surprisingly in my palette.

Cool and breezy

These have been really great pants thus far for summer.  The linen is breathable, and the loose fit provides for enough movement to help fight sticky hot legs syndrome.  Thanks to Andie for pushing me to give these pants another try!  I know she’s been having some great success with her versions, and the turquoise is AMAZING.

Have you had a pattern you made up and came to like a long time after you made it?