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| Jalie 3461 - Éléonore Pull-On Jeans |
The Surrender
By now, you probably know that my daughter Éléonore is a little girl who knows what she wants. When it comes to pants, here is what a pair of pants need to have to get her approval:
- comfy low rise waistband (the belly button is off limits!)
- no buttons (not quick enough!)
- slim leg (but not too tight!)
- stretch woven (non-stretch denim is not comfortable enough, she wants her knits for leggings only and she claims lightweight non-stretch woven fabrics are "shorts fabrics")
Her requests did make sense (and aren't we all picky when it comes to jeans?) but being as stubborn as her, I tried to have her wear yoga pants, poplin pants, cute jeans with appliqués. She.would.not.budge.
I decided I had to pick my battles and let her win this one because I don't want her to wear leggings until she goes to college (and I also wanted to avoid going insane... arguing with a pre-schooler about pants rise before 7am is not my favorite thing to do).
Finding pants like that in stores is not impossible. The only problem is that she is 4 1/2 but her hips measurement is closer to a size 2. This leaves us with the usual two ready-to-wear options that I'm sure many of you face when shopping for pants: huuuuuge waist and ok legs or ok waist but legs that are way too short.
In Québec, we have a familiar expression "Avoir de l'eau dan' cave" that literally means "to have water in the basement". We use it to describe pants that are too short, when kids outgrow their pants. Cute, isn't it?
Jeanne came to the rescue. Éléonore now has comfy pull-on jeans that fit at the waist and "has no water in the basement" :)
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| Jalie 3461 - Éléonore Pull-On Jeans Also know as The Best Jeans in the Universe (according to this little model) |
What started as a side project for my little one became an "official" pattern idea when a friend of Jeanne's came over and mentioned how difficult it was to find a great-looking pair of pull-on jeans/trousers. That's what we call great timing!
She preferred the feel of a wide waistband to the usual zipper fly and button but did not want to have pants that looked like denim jogging pants either. Pull-on pants and much quicker to sew too!
That's all Jeanne needed to hear to start grading her grand-daughter's pattern! We both tried the jeans in our size. We fell in love with the very first prototype! That's how our new pull-on jeans pattern was on its way to becoming one of our favorite items in this collection!
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| She loves her new jeans AND is thrilled that I own a matching pair! (Éléonore is wearing the 3352 Dolman Top) |
The Pattern
Here is the nitty-gritty (which is pretty close to Élé's wish list!):
- Designed for stretch woven fabrics with AT LEAST 20% stretch across the width
- Please do not email me to know if your 10% stretch denim of if your lightweight poplin will work. You need 20% stretch or more.
- Order samples when buying online as descriptions do not always include the fabric stretch. Here is how you measure fabric stretch.
- Éléonore's favorite pair is made in this stretch twill. It is listed as a fabric with 15% stretch, but it's closer to 20%. Because of its lighter weight, it worked beautifully.
- Wide waistband that hits just below or at the belly button
- There is a one inch elastic inside the waistband. You can use a wider elastic if you have some on hand, it's really up to you.
- We used the main fabric for the waistband, but you can also use a knit to make the jeans easier to pull on.
- You will have to use a knit waistband if you want to sew a waistband in a smaller size than your jeans (for example a size T waistband onto a size V jeans) and you want to make sure the waistband is nice and snug against your lower back.
- Faux pockets at the front
- Less bulk and much quicker assembly.
- With the yoke piece, you can easily hack the pattern and create your own pockets. I'm confident someone will blog about that hack or share something on PatternReview about this eventually ;)
- Fitted through waist, hips and thighs, straight from the knee down
- These are not skinny jeans, but are "skinny friendly". As a big-calf girl, I is SO frustrating when a pair of skinny jeans fits perfectly everywhere but that just want to explode at the calf! It's easier to take in than to let out.
- With a straight leg, you make a first muslin and then decide by how much you want to take in your next pair (because you will want many, many Éléonore jeans in your closet).
- For example, Dawn took in 3/4'' at each side of the hem, 1/2" at the knee whereas I only had to take in 1/2'' at the hem and 1/8'' at the knee for the same fit.
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| Jalie 3461 - Éléonore Pull-On Jeans Easy to turn into skinny jeans! |
- Yoke and real pockets at the back
- For a "real-jeans" look and because pockets are on MY wish list.
- 1 cm (3/8'') seam allowance
- You can sew it with your serger at 6 mm (1/4'') for a little more ease
- Two lengths
- Long and cropped (pixie, pedal pusher, capri...).
21 comments:
Is it June 22nd yet!?
Love these!! Can't wait to order all of these great new patterns ;)
love the expression, in english they are 'high waters'...my daughter is nearly 8 but has a waist in size 3 and a height of size 6, nearly impossible to find well fitting pants. I can't wait to make these!
Yes! This is a great addition as I'm just not into long projects like making full on jeans. I'm also excited about your tennis shirt/dress pattern. Exciting line up!
My Midwestern American mom calls too-short pants "high waters" -- it's neat to hear of your expression in Québec. I've so enjoyed this introduction to your new collection. My three-year-old daughter Nora may soon be sending a big thanks to Éléonore for this pattern!
Wow, so many great patterns coming out--I want all of them!
Oh my gosh, this is a dream come true - yay! Can't wait to start ordering some new Jalie patterns! Wearing my favorite Jalie hoodie right now (2795) with one of my favorite top pattern underneath (2806). So much of my wardrobe is Jalie - thanks for making such great patterns that always work so well!
Oh I want these!!
Great pattern! In Ontario we'd say "flood pants", like they are so short you could wear them in a flood without getting them wet! ;)
In regard to your comment about big calves... One of my old ballet teachers always insists on exercises to stretch the calf muscles because "we don't want big calves." Why not? "Because big calves are cows!"
I'm really looking forward to lots of these new patterns!
That's a really nice story about your daughter's wants providing the inspiration for this pattern. I'm not really a "sporty type" though I used to go to keep-fit till my teacher had a leg injury and I see that many of the new collection patterns are more for sports/dance than everyday, though having said that there is a demand for sportswear patterns and I note that each new pattern has a story behind it - a request from a would-be customer. There are quite a few everyday patterns in the back catalogue anyway - my current project is the faux-wrap top. Hope I don't sound like Moaning Minnie - this looks like a fun and easy (famous last words) pattern to use for making comfy jeans. Patricia O
You should include a tutorial to make these into maternity jeans. Seems close to perfect.
We did thought about it, but the timing was not right (pregnant friend gave birth before we were ready to work on an alteration :)). I agree that it would be an awesome idea (and very easy to do).
The expression made me laught, we have a similar in Brasil, those trousers are called pula brejo, which mean jump swamps. I suffer terrible of that issue when I was younger.
Which one is a quicker sew - this pant or the pull on pant? I need to make my niece some pants before Saturday so time is short!
I would say that 3463 with pockets takes about the same time as the Eleonore jeans.
This looks great, but where does one find stretch woven fabrics with AT LEAST 20% stretch?
Please tell me there is a boy version of this! My 6 years old boy is exactly the same (also hates buttons) and I'm going crazy to find something different from a sport pant for him to wear!
Henri (Éléonore's big brother) did have a pair made of stretch corduroy. He loved those pants (even thought that prototype was a little too fitted to my taste - he didn't mind it)! The straight leg is not girly and in kids size there is a little more ease than for adult sizes. For Henri's next pair, I might go with a ribbed waistband and one size up just because Henri inherited my muscular thighs and he could use the extra room to avoid a "jeggings" look. For kids, the waist/hips ratio is very similar between boys and girls there is not a lot of difference between boys and girls jeans before puberty when it comes to a skinny style (like these H&M jeans: http://www.hm.com/us/product/14333?article=14333). You just have to find the perfect fabric color / weight :)
Here Old Navy pull-on jeans for boys: http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?vid=1&pid=712788002
In the Riverina (Australia) too short pants are called ankle freezers! Nice to hear some alternatives. Great pattern too
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