PANTS PANTS PANTS!

When Nicole first contacted me about doing a big Fancy Pants Instagram party (complete with a Dance-off at the end of course) I told her I was on board! I figured since I’d sewn 16 pairs of pants in the past year (my first year ever making pants!!), I could figure out how to make a “Fancy” pair as well. It wasn’t until we (joined by LONI and JENNIFER) got chatting that I decided to make a pair of pants unlike any of the ones I’d made before. I was going to venture into CULOTTES. I haven’t owned a pair of those since elementary school (In the late 80’s)!!

I got excited when I browsed Raspberry Creek Fabrics searching for the perfect fabric.

Ivory and Navy Blue Vertical Stripe Yarn Dyed Linen, Essex Yarn Dyed collection by Robert Kauffman

This is the fabric I chose, but there were so many other great fabrics that would’ve worked like…..

plaid yarn dyed classics collection by Robert Kaufman

NAVY AND WHITE 1/4 INCH PLAID CHECKED GINGHAM

And So many more!!! Culottes look great in fabrics from medium to lighter-weight woven, depending on how flowy you want them to be. My favorite part? Even though I normally wear a dress to church, Nicole mentioned these could be like “secret pants!!!” HA!!! For all those dress/skirt occasions that you wish you could just wear pants. ( LIKE WHEN YOU’LL BE DANCING MAYBE?!?!)

The Pattern I ‘m using is the Winslow Culottes by Helen’s Closet. This is my first time using one of her patterns and I love it so much; great drafting and great instructions.

How cute is she?? And check out all the other lengths it comes in!

I’m not going to lie. I originally just went to pinterest and searched the #winslowculottes hashtag for inspiration (my fave way to research a pattern). But I’m kicking myself bc I just found all this other cool inspo in Pinterest as well!! So here are some of the cool things I found on there:

Check my Pinterest “Style” Board for more info on these pins. I’m especially wanting to make that jumpsuit on Leelee Sobieski (wish is why I’ wish Id checked there first)!

And check out all these Vintage culotte patterns!! I was inspired just seeing these! That middle top one looks like the culotte pattern by Itch-to-Stitch as well.

So, if you haven’t read all about our big FANCY PANTS SEWING PARTY #sewfancypants and the epic end with the #sewfancypantsdance Dance-off…. then head over to Nicole’s blog and read more! There are pattern prizes all this week, then Fabric prizes the next! And the Grand Prizes will knock your socks off!

For more Inspiration and posts on sewing Fancy pants, you can also head to Jennifer and Loni’s blogs!