I’m delighted to be hosting a Sew-Along for the Chelsea Pants from Greenstyle Creations next week (starts Monday, 10/23/17). This sewalong is being hosted by Sly Fox Fabrics, and I’m excited to be partnering with them because they have so many great options for the Chelsea Pants!
If you’re new to Sew-Alongs, here’s how they work: I will be breaking the pattern steps into daily tasks, with one each day from 10/23-10/27. Each day, I’ll post a video and/or blog tutorial with that day’s tasks, and you will comment with any questions and your progress for that day, so we can all keep each other motivated. Over the weekend, we will have a couple “catch up days”, and then I’ll be choosing winners for a FREE PATTERN from Greenstyle and a FREE box of FABRIC from Sly Fox based on the finsihed entries. Sound awesome? It is! (check out my other sewalongs HERE on the blog)
Before we talk about supplies, there’s usually one question that comes up with these sewalongs, and that is whether you have to use Sly Fox Fabric to be able to join. You are able to use ANY fabric in your stash, and I’m happy to answer questions and encourage you along the way, no matter what it’s origin (and let’s be honest..sometimes I can’t remember where half my stash is from!). However, only Sly Fox fabrics will be used for the random drawing to select the fabric prize at the end. As a bonus, Sly Fox is offering 10% off all fabrics in the categories below that are suitale for the pants- so if you need an excuse to go shopping, there it is! They ship same day, so you have until Thursday or Friday to order. I hope you’ll join me in the Sewalong group HERE as we gear up!
Let’s take a minute to talk about hte supplies you will need for this sewalong, so you have everything on hand and are ready to rock n roll on Monday (as much as anyone is EVER ready to rock n roll on a monday…)
Here are a couple tools I recommend in general:
- Chelsea Pants Pattern (don’t forget to check the post HERE for a discount code!)
- Rotary cutter and scissors (I love my Gingher pair!)
- Sewing Machine (I think this one is a great deal, and might grab it for a backup)
- Matching thread, and a contrast for topstitching if desired. Polyester thread is recommended.
- Pattern weights (I like to use metal washers!)
- Marking tools (tailor’s Chalk, clover chaco liner, and frixion pens are my favorites!)
- Pins and/or clips (I like to have both on hand for different purposes)
- Washaway wonder tape (this will make your pockets soooo much easier…promise!)
Once you’ve got the basic supplies on hand, you’ll want to check out the fabric options! This is always my favorite part, can you tell?
If you want to see what some of these options look like all made up, you can check out all my Chelsea pants HERE, and don’t forget to check out the Greenstyle Facebook Tester Album HERE!
The Chelsea Pants are designed for stable stretch fabrics with at least 25% 2-way stretch. That means that the fabric doesn’t shift around, like brushed poly or rayon spandex, and stretches at least 25% in one direction, usually selvedge to selvedge (but always check your fabric- sometimes the stretch runs in the other direction!).
You’ll need 2 yards of main fabric, and depending on the thickness of your fabric, you may want an additional 1/4 yard of thinner fabric (like cotton lycra) for the inner waistband.
Here are some great options (Check out the Chelsea section on the Sly Fox website for the discount code and all options in one place!):
- Scuba: This is a thick, almost spongy knit that is great at hiding any lumps and bumps, but has great stretch! Sly fox has some really cute options HERE. I love the plaid and the florals!
- Ponte de Roma (AKA Ponte): This is thinner than scuba, but still great at hiding any bumps. It is very stable and easy to work with, and sews up beautifully! Sly Fox offers it in many colors and a few prints HERE. My ponte pairs are pictured below!
- Stretch Denim: This is a great option- just make sure your denim has 25% stretch! There is also a button waistband hack in the pattern instructions, if you’re concerned about the waist-to-hip ratio and the stretch. There are many great tester photos using stretch denim, and Sly Fox has some great options for that HERE. I made a stretch denim pair I love…and then I keep forgetting to take pics before they end up in the wash again! My corduroy pair is pictured below- this had similar stretch and structure to a denim.
- Stretch Velvet: This would be glorious and a perfect for a dressier look! Kelly Stevens blogged a great pair here- go check them out! Check out the options HERE.
- Double Knit: I made a pair out of a double knit and love them- they will be super warm for winter. Sly Fox doesn’t have any options in this category right now, but if you’ve got some in your stash, it would work quite well!
That’s all for today…but I’ll be posting more as we get closer! Don’t forget to grab your pattern (code is HERE for 25% off!) and your fabric (code is Chelsea for 10% off all fabrics on this link) and join the SewAlong Group! Any questions? Please ask!
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