Week 14

Hello Friends!

This week I’m continuing to add to my yellow/orange capsule wardrobe. I made culottes. I have to tell you that I almost chickened out on making these. I’ve attempted to make elephant style pants in the past and I’ve generally disliked how they turned out and how they looked on my body.

I got this fabric for a good price on the clearance table at Joann Fabrics and since I felt no particular attachment to it. I really wanted to try this pattern and could envision it in white so I gave it a whirl expecting to dislike the final product. Sometimes it’s more fun to sew when you have no expectations and/or negative expectations. When you expect a garment to turn out and it turns out horrible it’s quite the let down and can kill your sewjo (sewing mojo).

I’m going to be 40 next month and I definitely feel a shift happening within me. The clarity of 40 years passed and understanding how quickly time marches forward makes you slow down and pay closer attention to people, emotions and things. I mentioned I’ve made several pairs of pants similar to these but disliked them in the past. This time I took more time to pay attention to why I disliked them. I realized that I’m inclined to hate clothing that makes me look bigger. When I slowed down to analyze, I realized that my life long training as a woman in this culture was to want to look small and take up less space. Once I realized that was behind my dislike I immediately rejected it. I’m now fully in the camp of being my size and taking up space. I never want to be smaller than I am ever again.

It was liberating to reject the conditioning and throw on pants that demand space and attention. I’m so excited to see where this new value takes me in my sewing practice. I’m excited to try new styles and patterns that don’t conform to women being obsessed with smallness.

Without further ado, here are my culottes. The pattern is McCall’s M7131. I made size 14 and I added inches to the length which had to be cut off in the end. I took off 2 1/2 inches from the original pattern length in the legs. This is unusual for me because I’m 5’9″ and usually have to add length in several places.

I’m in love with the final product and they are so comfortable. The white makes them easy to pair with so many tops and I’m excited to wear them throughout spring. They are an ideal weight for the warm Texas climate.