Pattern Review: Papercut Patterns Palisade Pants

This is our second blogged garment from the new Papercut Patterns collection called 'Geo'. It's full of things we want to sew! (If you missed Fiona's writeup of the Pinnacle Top you can find it here.)

As the weather has warmed up I've started to wonder whether I need some 'pants that are not jeans' in my life. Something a bit lighter, a bit looser. What tipped me over the edge with the Papercut Palisade Pants pattern was of course those pockets!

The pattern description:
"A staple pant to have in your wardrobe for every season. The centre front and back seams on the leg replace the side seam for a streamline look. Detail cross-over pockets span the side panel. Elasticated waistband with a flat piece at front and a faux fly. Comfort is key with these pants. Two length options, pants or shorts.  Fabrics: Mid weight woven fabric. Could be made out of pretty much anything. Cotton, linen, silk, chambray, rayon. Your creativity is the limit!"

For my first try I chose some brown-ish cotton chambray ('Rhinoceros'). I measured between the M and L sizes so went with the L. These were my muslin / handy-dandy shop sample.

The fit is predictably imperfect for pants-with-no-muslin, but reflective of my 163cm height, short waist and measuring in-between sizes. If you're taller than me and measure accurately at one size I think you may find the Palisade Pants a pretty good fit!

These were quite promising and I was still so enamoured of the pockets that within a couple of days I had made some pattern adjustments and was well into a second pair.

Alterations (which sound like a lot but largely amounted to sizing down and lowering the front waistband):

• Trimmed the waist edge of the front and side panels, tapering from about 1" at centre front to nothing at the back of the side panels.
• Trimmed about 1/2" off the inseam from crotch point, tapering down to notch on front and back panels, to raise the crotch a little.
• Sewed everything except the pocket facing with 5/8" seam allowance instead of 3/8" to slim a little all around.
• Shortened the legs through the shorts cutoff line. 
• Omitted interfacing on the faux fly.
• Added a couple of lines of topstitching around the elastic portion of the waistband to stop the elastic from rolling.

Et voila.

Please note that above, these are fresh off the clothesline and ironed. They're snug in this photo, but the fabric has definite 'give' within a short time of moving about. See more accurate rear fit pic below.

I'm completely delighted with these Palisade Pants and I've worn them a lot already. For me, pants fitting is a process of making a 'close enough' wearable version of a pattern, then allowing a good amount of wear to inform tweaks for my next pair. So... for my next Palisades? I want to adjust my pattern for a bit more bum-room (using the invaluable Closet Case Patterns free pants fitting download!) so that I can bend and sit without revealing more than intended. For a breezy summer pair of pants I would need to loosen the ankle and calf a smidge to allow for roll-up potential.

And let's see a bit more of that pocket so we don't end on a rear-view photo....

As with many Papercut patterns, a variety of fabrics can be used for a great variation in final garment. Our drapey Cupros, Tencels, Modals and blends would be dreamily fluid and light for summer, while linen is our most breathable and moisture-wicking fabric for the heat. Denim and chambray are trans-seasonal classics and we're picturing chunky cotton corduroy Palisades for next winter. Hemp/organic cotton wovens are durable and will age beautifully. As one of our clever customers did, you could use a contrast on the inside pocket panel to highlight the crossover detail.

PATTERN: Palisade Pants by Papercut Patterns

FABRIC: Rhinoceros 100% cotton chambray, Chestnut Japanese linen/cotton Textured Twill (meterage as per pattern recommendations for size/width - I found estimates very accurate and cutting from 110cm wide fabric pleasingly low waste).

SIZE: First one L, second one adjusted, similar to M dimensions.

ALTERATIONS: Narrowed all over, shortened crotch, front waist & legs.

COMMENTS: The flat front, tapered leg and fabulous pockets elevate the Palisade Pants way beyond a simple pull-on design, but they're still comfortable and sew up rewardingly quickly. The waist is fairly high-rise, particularly at the front. If you think you may have to adjust this for your own shape, we highly recommend a muslin (very wise with any pants pattern).

So that's a great big thumbs up from us for this pattern. What do you think?

- Jane & Fiona xx