Making Palazzo Pants With Butterick and Minerva

As a Minerva Maker, there are numerous fabric to choose from basically on a monthly basis. So when I saw this gorgeous fabric in a viscose challis, I knew that was the one I wanted. I also knew what I wanted to make. Making palazzo pants with Butterick and Minerva was the perfect combination. The ease of sewing and the movement of the fabric is awesome.

This is a Minerva exclusive viscose challis fabric that is soft, has flow and is oh so comfortable to wear!

Butterick 3460

I made View E for my pants. This is an easy pattern that includes pants, shorts, and skirts in two lengths. Although the pattern is for outerwear, it can be used for pj pants or shorts (I haven’t done that). The fabric selections are offer some variety, but just think flow and movement. I would not recommend a fabric that doesn’t have any type of movement to it. So , mid- to light weight fabrics are best.

My Palazzo Pants

Because the pattern has so few pieces, it’s quick to put together. This viscose challis fabric is perfect for a garment like this. I did use a lot of pins in order to keep the layers from slipping when I was getting ready to sew.

I did serge the edges of the material to keep the fraying in check. If you don’t have a serger when working with fabric like this, then you would want to look into alternate ways of finishing your seams. For example, pinking the edges would work as well as doing French seams.

B3460 back-making palazzo pants with Butterick and Minerva

The only alteration done was to shorten the front crotch seam. Honestly, I could have shortened it more. But it is an easy wear style of pant. It can be used as loungewear or worn very casually. Here is the previous pair that I made.

This pattern, if you have it, or something similar is great for beginners. The pattern is for woven fabrics. This particular fabric is an exclusive viscose challis from Minerva Fabrics that was gifted to me by Minerva.

If you would like to check out my post that I wrote on the Minerva site, click here.

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The Perfect Pull On Jeans

First let me say, Minerva Fabrics gave me the material for this. The material is a jeggings fabric that is soft and stretchy. Although I was concerned that the fabric had too much stretch, it ended up being perfect for these jeans. They are the perfect pull on jeans for comfort and just a fun thing to wear. Here is the post I wrote on the Minerva site.

There are real pockets in the back and faux pockets in the front of the jeans. This is a quick project to put together as well.

Construction Process for the Perfect Pull On Jeans

As far as actually sewing these, a serger with a 4-thread overlock stitch is probably the best and fastest. That gives the stretch and the strength needed for these pants. Otherwise, a zigzag stitch is good.

I did use a twin needle for the hems.

Because the waistband calls for 1″ elastic, they are very comfortable to wear. I used 3/4″ elastic for this particular pair. I used what I was able to find easily and they still sit comfortably at the waist. So I would not recommend using anything less that 3/4″ wide.

If you notice in the photo above, there was a flaw in the fabric. There was a white line on the back of the leg (something from the manufacturing of the fabric). While I had enough to re-cut another, I decided to leave it as is and use the remaining fabric to possibly make a sweater or something.

I have made this pattern before (here) using a stretch woven material, which is actually the recommended fabric.

The elastic for the waistband is two pieces. There is a front and back piece . Getting a good fit is much easier this way. And you don’t have to worry about the elastic twisting in a casing.

Although this is an older pattern, it is still available. I definitely think this is one worth having. The pattern was made without alterations. I was able to get a good fitting pair of jeans by choosing the right size.

Until next time…

McCall’s 6963 Sequined Top

This project was made with fabric gifted to me by Minerva Fabrics in exchange for a post on their site. You can check that post out here. I say all that first because that is the reason behind choosing the pattern I chose. For this McCall’s 6963 sequined top, I wanted something without a lot of details. This green sequined fabric has enough sparkle on its own!

For my McCall’s 6963 sequined top, I made View B with 3/4 sleeves (View C). In all honesty, the older I get, the more I appreciate 3/4 sleeves. I used to hate them when I was younger. But now I find myself making them more often.

One Change

Anyway, this is a pattern I’ve had for quite a while and never made. The only alteration I made to the pattern was to make a full bust adjustment (FBA). I only increased the size by 1″. In the future, I would increase it more. But it’s also important to note that this material doesn’t have a tremendous amount of stretch, although it has enough. It’s a stretch velvet. Something like an ITY knit with a four-way stretch would yield a different result.

The pattern is an easy make. I did use my serger and had no problems going through the sequins which are more like shiny dots. Here’s what happened the last time I sewed sequins. If you don’t have a serger, you could easily make this with a regular machine and a zigzag stitch.

One Issue With Pattern

The only issue I had with the pattern is that the instructions call for gathering the sleeve cap. For me with a knit fabric, I see it as unnecessary. So of course, I didn’t do it. I inserted the sleeve flat (as I always do). You do end up with some gathers which I just spaced evenly.

The style is simple. The cowl neckline adds a nice detail. This is a top that can be made in a couple of hours. Sometimes we need those projects that are a quick, easy make and this is one of those.