I Dare Pants with New Look 6458

I have not worn pants for a few years now.  I just gave them up once I deemed jeans were no longer comfortable.  True, I did buy a couple of pairs of cotton cropped trousers when they first came into fashion.  They hang in my closet still because I successfully upcycled a pair of double-gauze capris into a skirt when upcycling was how I sewed.  I keep thinking I will upcycle the trousers into skirts, but pause when I remember that upcycling is more work than cutting and sewing.  After all, the garment has to be almost completely taken apart before the cutting and sewing starts.  That is an extra step.  It might be good for the planet if the end result is wearable, but wearability is more of a risk when there is no pattern to follow.  

Once I dropped upcycling, I started buying fabric and patterns, concentrating on the main gap in my wardrobe--skirts.  Since my entire wardrobe was built around blue jeans and tops, the economical approach was to add skirts.  I tried to by skirts but found it difficult.  A case in point were the 3  hours I spent at a San Francisco area outlet mall that yielded only two skirts, both gray.  I figured if I can't find skirts in any store in a big city mall, skirts are just not available.  After that, I began upcycling jeans into skirts and fell into sewing full tilt during the lockdown.  Now, I have a fairly full closet.  (Which is why there's been no sewing since June.)  However, there are no pants in it.  At least, none that I wear.  With cold weather approaching, I dared to try sewing a pair of warm, comfy pants. 

My wearable toile used 3 yards Prussian Blue Poly/Lycra brushed sweater knit.  ($3/yd., 58" wide. $9 FM)  The only pants pattern I have for knit fabric came with one of my most-used basic skirt, top and dress patterns, New Look 6458.  Since I have used this pattern repeatedly, I felt confident with a size 16.  A size 14 would be a more flattering fit, but these should be comfy, not cute.  Well, cute won't hurt, but a brushed "sweater" knit does not promise a flattering fit.  If I like these and wear them, there's other knits in my stash that can be cut to a size 14.  

Once cut, there were no markings to be transferred.  The pieces went together in less than an hour, even with the oh-so slow stretch stitch.  For the waistband and hems, there was a heavy ribbed knit fabric from JA, 1 yard Cream athleisure rib, 43", 90% nylon/10% spandex, $10.46.  The cuffs and waistband used less than 5", call it $2, for a total of $12.50 or so.  Although the ribbing is labeled machine wash gentle cold, tumble dry low, the brushed poly knit is gentle wash.  I washed them in cold water, shorter cycle and hung to dry.  There's no agitator in my top loader so it is gentle enough.  

My new stretch twin needle performed well as long as there was the stiffer ribbing under the needle in the mix somewhere to reduce the tunneling.  The hems are twin needled, but the less visible waistband was attached with a stretch zig-zag stitch.  The three layers of the seam allowances were stitched together with the same in an effort to keep them turned in the proper direction--down for the waistband, up for the hems.  

All in all, a neat and comfortable finish.  Matching the ribbing color to the main fabric would dress it up a bit, but this one is fine for these casual pants.  

Here is a flat lay for now, there will be another photo of these pants when the coordinating shirt is done.