I often sew with thrifted fabric so was excited to sew with two intentionally bought fabrics. Both are lovely linen blends – the blue is Kaufman Brussels Washer Linen/rayon in Chambray color and the stripe is linen/cotton. I love the yellow stripe amidst the blues.
The pants are the elastic waist Allegro pattern by Love Notions.
I had previously sewn a pair of shorts with this pattern, so I had already altered it quite a bit – the crotch extension, the rise, the pockets, and the length and width of the legs.
I made the Allegro pants with a narrower elastic waist, and without the drawstring. I also made them a cropped length, with a deep cuff and a slit so the pants wouldn’t get “caught” on my calf when I sit. I used to wear pants as long as possible with platform sandals to look taller. I always thought I was too short to wear cropped pants, but I quite like them. The fit is excellent. I could use a few more pairs of pants like these.
The fabric has a texture. The pants feel dressier due to the linen fabric, but they’re also a little scratchy. I used a smooth cotton chambray for the inner waistband for comfort. The raw edges of the fabric unravel very easily. I was glad to be able to serge them and keep them neat.
I bought the striped fabric to sew the Zero Waste Cropped Shirt by Birgitta Helmersson. It is a pattern without pattern pieces and is designed to be sewn with a yard of fabric with a 57 inch width leaving no leftover fabric.
I made changes to the formula, adding length to the shirt by making the sleeves shorter. The sleeves are cut on the cross grain. I also cut off the selvedges of the fabric. The layout as written has a shirt length of 21 1/2 inches and a chest circumference of 47 inches. I sized down 2 inches.
After cutting out the shirt, you are left with a little semi-circle, two triangular pieces, and a large rectangle. The instructions have you use the pieces as facings. The large rectangle (not pictured) can be used as a large facing at the back of the shirt or as pockets. I elected to not use it as a facing as the shirt already has a deep hem.
I did use the other bits: the triangles covering part of the side seams, and the half-oval as a piece for the tag in the back neck.
My neck placket wasn’t long enough so I added a piece.
I made four buttonholes for my longer shirt. The buttonholes are easier to make with my new machine, so that’s a plus.
Because the shoulders are square cut, they stick out, and bunch up in the back. The neckband is awkward, as it’s higher than I like, and gapes around the neck. There is a strain on the top buttonhole, but I might have caused that problem by putting the buttonhole a little too high.
So what are my thoughts on “zero waste” patterns in general?
The pros: I was intrigued by the concept, and saw other makes of this shirt that I liked, so I bought the pattern. I like the clever design, the idea of getting the most use from your fabric, and not wasting paper. In the case of this shirt, I also like having a go-to pattern that uses only one yard of fabric. Although the pattern doesn’t come in different sizes (at the time I bought it, there are now two sizes), it does have instructions on making changes to the layout.
The cons: I use fabric wisely, but I think it’s gimmicky that every bit has to be used in one garment. I like to take a swatch to match for thread, and to practice buttonholes and thread tension. I also think a well fitted garment will be worn more than one with an awkward fit, and the whole point of being a home sewist is to make a garment more tailor-made than something I could buy off the rack. Rectangular pieces have their limitations.
Still, the shirt turned out pretty well. I just don’t know how much I’ll wear it.
I was especially eager to try my new pants with other tops. Here it is with the floral Phoenix blouse and as a summer look with my sleeveless Laundry Day Tee:
Stitch It Again 