Hello makers! I'm very excited to be sharing with you our very first pattern hack blog post. I know this blog has been thus far a largely neglected space but I have so many hacks, freebies, new patterns etc on the way that it won't know what's hit it. This will include a new space on the website illustrating what I've been so busy with over the past few months – wedding commissions!
Anyway, onto the good stuff. This week I finally finished and have already been wearing to death a pattern hack that I've wanted to do almost since the release of the
Portobello Trousers sewing pattern – Portobello culottes. Whether you'd call these culottes* or simply cropped trousers, this style is everywhere right now and, if you get the length right, can be surprisingly flattering. Truthfully I wasn't sure I could carry this length off, being short and curvy, but I feel absolutely great in these and think they will work well into the early autumn, or at least until my wimpy ankles can't take the cold.
(*'Culottes' always reminds me of the voluminous brown shorts we used to wear in the Brownies! Anyone else get that?)
To achieve this hack I simply shortened the pattern by 9.5 inches/24 cm (I'm 5ft 2). As the trousers are straight-legged I was able to just fold up the length I didn't want. I also omitted the pockets on this version. The fabric is a luxury crepe from
Sew Over It (and I'm also wearing a
Sew Over It silk cami). I only needed 1.5m of fabric for the size 10 (and could've included the pockets if I'd so wished within that allowance).
I'm eager to make at least one other pair, perhaps a little longer just to mix it up, in cupro, and then to wear ALL the tops. I've been pinning some different cropped trouser looks on
Pinterest to help you decide on the length you want, should you wish to make your own Portobello culottes. There are so many wonderful ways to style this trend, from an elegant twist on evening trousers to a cute co-ord set. It's inspired me to make all sorts of new tops and really introduce some fresh elements into my wardrobe. If it's inspired you too, let us know. Happy hacking! x
