New Collection - The Éléonore Pull-On Jeans
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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...).
Comments
I'm really looking forward to lots of these new patterns!