Ahhh, the magic of spare time. Truly makes project making hum along in a different way. Even with video games, downtime, etc. The pressure to try to get into the sewing room and productive evaporates, since its entirely possible to get to the sewing room without a time crunch…

I've admired the French Navy Calyer Pants for the longest time - since whenever I came across @bobbyclover on insta. I’d been holding off on them in hopes that one of the pants patterns in my vintage pattern collection would scratch the same itch, but nothing really fit the bill.

as y’all know linen wrinkles if you look at it and i walked in these for an hour in 30 degree weather before taking these photos

a cutting error for the ages wow - instead of a crotch curve there’s an oversized zig zag from other pieces that were cut out - but the line is salvageable, phew, thank u tracing — a cutting error for the ages wow - instead of a crotch curve there’s an oversized zig zag from other pieces that were cut out - but the line is salvageable, phew! thank u tracing

And with her pants in my brain, and a week mostly off work to spend at my parents’s coming my way, I pulled out this linen to work on there. When I got there, my dad also gifted me old silk twill judge’s robes, which honestly might make perfect winter weight Calyers, and I almost shifted gears, but it’s summer. Summer vibes only. It was May, OK, but it was warm. Summer vibes only.

Relaxed sew, in between playing with kids, mending, playing Stardew Valley, working, reading (found an old Palmer and Pletsch speedy sewing book (Mother Pletsch's Painless Sewing with Pretty Pati's Perfect Pattern Primer) in mom’s sewing room which apparently dad got her when she first got her machine and I love me a sewing manual!!), hanging out. Got beautiful left-handed Ginghers in the mail from my brother so I traced and scissors cut my pants out instead of ye old rotary cutter, and did one of the most insane cutting errors I’ve ever done… and didn’t even notice until trying to understand the crotch curve.

As half elastic pants, these still hand a few surprises for me. Thee flat pocket construction was a new to me and I didn’t quite nail it, and look forward to practicing. One of those things that made sense in principle but I couldn’t quite see the best way to ensure that I wasn’t accidentally stitching the pocket down, except, of course, to practice.

whole mess at the top of the pocket-waistband transition

The front band also wasn’t so much challenging as I wasn’t as precise as I’d like, a combination of my having shortened the pattern for a different size waistband elastic (1.5 inch v 2 inch) and not lining up all my seamlines nicely. Fixed via jutting in my sewing a bit, really. This is where the half elastic back came in handy - the ruching really gives you cover for sewing errors like this.

I also lengthened the pattern 3.5 inches based on the measurements chart - it’s a nice length but 3 would have been sufficient and the right leg sometimes drags along under my heel. Perfect if I were wearing something with a little heel though, though that’s a ways off given the pandemic and all.

Initially I didn’t want to follow the instructions for order of leg construction, because I have grown fond of crotch - inseam outseam, but clearly the pattern was well thought through and I obeyed and it was dandy and really I realized that now I don’t really mind any construction method so very much, it’s mostly just habit or what one was associated with a pair of pants I really (or really didn’t) love in the end.

I cinched the waistband alll the way up to keep em snug now and into the future, and that’s really all she wrote. Well, not quite. I made a little summer tank to go with for big faux jumpsuit vibes, but that’s another week.

These pants deliver in a big way on the relaxed but pulled together front, trouser-y enough that I could wear them to work, and summery and lightweight enough for really any day coming up in the near future. Of course they bag a bit with wear, but I’ve still gone several in between wash days. And I love the rise. Thank you Sarah, it’s a great design!!

mom at the playground energy/reality in Nisolo Huaraches, CFYT cut off tank and linen calyers

Pattern: French Navy Calyer Pants, view B (pleated)
My Measurements: 30 waist, 39 hip
Size: M
Alterations: Added 3.5 inches to length. 3 would have been sufficient. Waistband and front panel shortened to accomodate 1.5 inch elastic
Fabric: Charcoal – Alexandria Lightweight Washed Linen from Matchpoint (before they shifted models to exciting monthly fabric collections!)
Worn with: huaraches in both, Bonlook Skunkboy sunnies, tropical hand me down crop top, CFYT tee (Dawson City’s radio station where I briefly volunteered) cut up into a tank top