paper-bag waist

I’ve just made these ridiculously comfy trousers! perfect for lounging around while you do your work-from-home thing in these newly strange and scary times. I adore them unreservedly. Well, it’s the paper-bag waist, have had a soft spot for them since the 80’s… incidentally, you know how they say that if you remember a trend the first time around then you should scrupulously avoid it the second time around? Well, what a load of tosh! There’d be no trends left for us if we followed that crazy advice!

Because yes indeedy, this is actually a familiar little style that pops its head up pretty frequently to the joy of us who do love for our trousers to be comfortable but at the same time have an abiding aversion to an elastic waist. Personally, I reckon the paper-bag waist isn’t so much of a “trend” any more but can rightfully claim the classic tag.

I made them using this really gorgeous, quite thin, bottle green cotton corduroy from Minerva Crafts… it’s absolutely beautiful stuff. Then again I’ve always been a huge corduroy fan, it’s one of my favourite fabrics of all time actually, for winter things I mean. It’s like velvet, but better; easier to sew and wear, and to care for too. I ordered quite a lot of this colour way and I have enough leftover for a simple little dress or a tunic or something. Hmmm. brain clogs a whirling!!

The pattern is the Jasmin trousers, by Fibremood. Fibremood releases a great little range of patterns each season for women and children, I really look forward to their releases and love checking them out. Each issue caters to a range of sewing levels, usually featuring some easy-wearing basics and styles that are both chic and comfortable, and a nice scattering of surprises with every issue. I thought this style was one of the surprises, but I just found myself homing in on it straight away! 🙂

These ones have very up-to-the-minute, turned-up cuffs on cropped legs, a good amount of room in the seat without being excessively baggy – remember these? although I ended up adoring those too, once I’d taken them in a bit!! The Jasmin trousers are easy and straightforward to make and I thought the fly front very well explained. I often find it helpful to draw and cut out a stitching guide for the topstitching of the fly front curve if a pattern does not provide it, and this one doesn’t; however it’s a simple matter to draw one up.

The pockets are nice and and roomy enough. I hand stitched the top edge of mine to the waistband facing edge.

I love how the paper bag waist is cinched in with a big wide self-belt to define the waist. Acting on instinct I cut my belt out for the biggest size with a plan to shorten it later if it proved too long. It may or may not be ok, partly because I don’t have the required D-rings of the right width to finish it, and I didn’t really want to head out to Spotlight during these isolation times, just for D-rings; so I’ve had to resort to just tying the belt in a knot. I might shorten it still but just going to see how it goes for a little while.

I happened to have a perfectly matching zip in my stash! which is super lucky because I meant I didn’t need to go out for that either. 🙂 This is one I inherited from Mum yonks ago, and it had a real vintage tag. Sometimes I worry about truly vintage zips, that they’re going to break straight away, from being rusty, or brittle. It seems fine so far, and it doesn’t have to take any strain so I’ve got my fingers crossed!

wow… I can assure you that all that random fluff is actually quite invisible to the naked eye!

I just couldn’t resist the Paper Bag Shot! It’s a pretty rare thing where I have ever had to stand or walk with a covering over my head like this and actually I found it quite difficult to keep my balance! Was very disorienting, and made me wonder about learning to balance without the visual cues of your surroundings…

Anyway; I LOVE my new trousers, and they’re wonderful for comfortable working from home on the couch. My own work has dropped off a little lately, but I have taken up learning a language to fill in some of my extra time. I’m using the Duolingo app on my phone, a free one; it’s a great little system, sending me daily reminders so I have to keep up the pace. What language, do I hear you ask… I’ll give you one guess…

Well, of course, Japanese! It’s super difficult. I think the only thing I’m going to learn to say with any real competency is “Professor Maria can speak Japanese and English” This should stand me in good stead for the future, a future in which I hope I can go over there for fabric shopping again! Let’s think positively!