Style Arc Delta Cargo Pants

I made these pants with the intention of them being lightweight outdoor work pants. I help out a lot with yard work at my parents’ house now and weed whacking is a perilous task with shorts. So I wanted something full length that would be lightweight, breathable, and comfortable to wear in the heat. The Delta provide plenty of range of motion despite the non stretch fabric so I’m pretty happy with them.

Shown with one of the several Jalie Tina t-shirts I’ve made recently.

Pants hem. Lots of double row topstitching throughout these pants.

Pattern Background

The Style Arc Delta is a relaxed fit cargo pants pattern. There’s back patch pockets, faux front fly, and slash side pockets along with side cargo pockets with flaps. The elasticized waist is cut to be just slightly larger than the body hip measurement, which allows you to get them on while eliminating bulk at the waist as much as possible.

As you can see from the back leg piece, the leg is slightly tapered at the hem rather than being a true wide leg from knee to hem. I actually prefer this as it makes for a more controlled silhouette, and you don’t have to worry about your hem dragging the ground or getting soaked when it rains.

Size and Alterations

I made a size 20, with the following alterations:

Lengthened the legs 1”
Added 2.5” height to the back crotch curve, tapering to 1” at the side seam and then to nothing at the center front
My finished measurement for the waist elastic ended up being 34.25”, which is between size 16 and 18.
Since I made these to be summer outdoor work pants and the fabric is fairly thing for pants fabric, I added another layer of fabric to the knee area for more durability.

Fabric and Materials

I used the same 100% cotton Robert Kaufman fineline twill fabric from Fabric Mart that I used for my Jalie Denyse shorts.

Note: even though Style Arc only gives the yardage estimate for 58” fabric, I was able to use 44” wide fabric. My size 20 with a few length alterations and doubled up knee fabric took 3.25 yards.

For the waistband elastic I used some 1.5” non-roll Stretch-Rite elastic I had in my stash. It comes in a small retail package so I must have gotten it from Joann’s at some point.

The thread is Gutermann Mara 100 from Wawak.

The interfacing for the pocket flaps is Pellon Shape-Flex from Wawak.

Construction

I constructed these entirely on my Jukie TL-2010Q. The standard foot on it is fantastic for a project like this with the double row of topstitching because you can use the very inner edge of the foot as a guide for the first row of stitching so it is 1/16” away from the edge, and then switch to using the scant 1/4” outside as a guide against the first row of stitching. Eyeballing it works great, no need to switch out for guide feet.

When I did the waistband I wasn’t sure what my finished elastic measurement would need to be since this non-roll elastic is stiffer than my usual knit elastic. To better manage this I used the same method as my Jalie shorts where you sew the center back seam for the waistband but leave a 1” opening inside, then use that to thread the elastic through and trial it before trimming and sewing it. Then I hand stitched the opening closed.

Comparison to the Jalie Denyse

These two patterns seem similar, with similar finished measurements, but the drafting is actually quite different. I would say that in general the Delta is a trouser style draft and the Denyse is more of a slacks style draft. An explanation of trouser vs slack vs jeans crotch curves can be found in this old Pattern Review post. Just for reference, the Jalie Denyse is size CC and the Style Arc Delta is a size 20. These are the corresponding sizes for a 48.5” hip.

Overall the Style Arc Delta has a much higher rise than the Denyse: about 1.5” in the back and 2.5” in the front. The back crotch curve of the Delta is also straighter, with a more scooped out back crotch curve. The Denyse is definitely more angled, with a shallower crotch curve. In the photo below I’ve overlaid the Denyse on top of the Delta. They are actually really similar measurements from hip to center back seam, but the Denyse has it shifted more towards the side so the back crotch curve ends more angled.

Here’s a comparison with the Delta on the left and the Denyse on the right.

Now for the front crotch curve comparison.

The Denyse rise is 2.5” lower in the front than the Delta.

Unfortunately the Delta crotch curve paper got a little crumpled but you can see how the Delta is much shallower and taller compared to the shorter, more scooped out curve of the Demyse.

Here they are overlaid, with the Denyse on top of the Delta. (Note that the Jalie Denyse has inseam pockets and the Delta has front slash pockets, so that’s why the top of the Delta is a lot smaller than the Denyse.) As with the back piece the distribution of the pants is so the fabric is shifted to the side seam, so you get the same amount of width across the hip despite it appearing smaller in the photo below.

Now heres the front view of the Denyse and Delta respectively. Keep in mind they’re the exact same fabric.

So despite appearing to have similar style and ease, the drafts for these patterns are actually quite different. The Jalie Denyse feels and looks a bit slimmer than the Delta. To me neither one is better or worse. It depends on your body type and what look you are going for. For me, the Delta flows over my hips better. You can see how there’s no diagonal lines from the elastic to the my hips. But it also has a bit more excess fabric around the center front, which does correspond more to a trouser style crotch curve/fit. With the Denyse I definitely have more under butt wrinkles than the Delta, but again this corresponds to the Denyse having more of a slacks draft. (This is why you need to think carefully about the intended draft of a pants pattern before trying to remove every single wrinkle under your butt.)

In general I would say that Jalie is drafted more for straight hips and Style Arc is more for curvier hips. You can even see this in their size chart where the Jalie waist measurement is two centimeters (about 3/4”) larger and the hip one centimeter (3/8”) smaller than the same size would be for Style Arc. That doesn’t necessarily mean you should avoid one or the other, just be aware of it and alter accordingly.

Jalie 4672 Tina T-Shirt

Not the best quality photos…was rushing to get them taken this morning before working on pizza dough and a birthday cake for my son’s birthday party this weekend. Plus assembling his new sandbox. He’s turning three, and he’s been a total lunatic this entire past week because he knows something is up!

The shorts are the Jalie Denyse.

Pattern Background

The Jalie Tina is a basic t-shirt block for knits with at least 50% 4-way stretch. It comes with cap, short, and long sleeve lengths and crew, scoop, mock neck, and V necklines options. There is an add-on that came out not long ago which allows you to convert this into a dress.

I made the cap sleeve V-neck version. I’ve also made the crew neck short sleeve version for my son.

Size and Alterations

Based on my bust chose a size Y, extending out to a BB for the hip. I lengthened the top 1″ because I’m about 5’9″ and its just a tad too short for my taste when wearing shorts and pants. I also added about 3/4″ width to the sleeves.

Fabric

I used a 4-way stretch cotton/lycra jersey from Emma One Sock. Even though the description says it is only 30% stretch, I found after washing and drying it was actually about 50% stretch.

I stabilized the shoulders with Design Plus Superfine straight stay tape. I highly recommend this notion if you’re like me and despise working with clear elastic.

Construction

Very straightforward and quick to sew. If you’re doing the V-neck version you do have to take your time when sewing the point of the V to the neckband, but once that’s done it is smooth sailing, especially if you’re able to use a serger for construction. The V neckline is deep enough that you can use an ordinary straight stitch to topstitch the neck band in place without having to worry about the stitches popping when taking it on and off.

Conclusion

I’ve made several of these. They’re great for wearing alone as well as for layering under something like the Ottobre zipped hoodie. I really like the Amazon Essentials women’s slim fit V-neck t-shirts and the Tina allows me to make something very similar but with a custom fit and in better colors than what Amazon offers.

Jalie 4347 Denyse Shorts

Pattern Description

The Jalie Denyse is a pull-on wide leg pants pattern for non-stretch woven fabrics. It comes in shorts, cropped, and full leg lengths. (Note that for cropped and full length you need to extend the length yourself. Jalie has a table of measurements for guidance on how much to extend it.) There’s back patch pockets and front inseam pockets. The elastic waist is cut slightly narrower than the hip, which helps reduce bulk at the waist.

My shirt is the Jalie Tina.

Fabric and Materials

I used a lightweight Robert Kaufman cotton twill from Fabric Mart. Unfortunately I don’t appear to have taken a screenshot when I purchased it, but it is lightweight and could almost be used for a heavier weight shirt.

I am not entirely sure where I got the 2” elastic. It may be an old Fashion Sewing Supply purchase. If not Fashion Sewing Supply then Wawak or Mandala Crafts on Amazon.

Alterations

I started with a size CC, which is slightly larger than my current hip measurement. My fabric has zero stretch/give and I’ve had some weight gain lately (the relentless demands of caring for my young and wild son and elderly stroke victim father this year is taking its toll on me) so I felt like it was better to just size up.

I added a total of 2.5” to the center back height, tapering to nothing at the center front. Technically I could have probably gotten away with just 1.5″, but I prefer my back waist to be higher than the front because I want to be fully covered when sitting or bending over.

Since my waist is smaller than my hip size I used the size Z elastic measurement.

Construction

These went together pretty quickly. I was able to get them cut and sewn and finished in about 3-3.5 hours.

I liked the construction for the waist. You see one side seam normally, but leave a one inch opening when sewing the front and back waistbands together at the other side seam. Fold and press the seam allowance for the lower edge in place. Then attach the waistband to then pants with the right side of the waistband facing the wrong side of the pants. Then you press, flip it over, and sew that edge you folded over earlier to the right side of the pants. It gives a very neat finish from the right side while fully containing the wrong side.

Conclusion

I find these shorts much more comfortable for my pear shaped figure than the Jalie 3243. My fabric has no give to it and I didn’t feel uncomfortable at all in them during the day, not even when I was squatting and sitting on the ground outside today assembling my son’s new sandbox. The wide elastic waistband is very comfortable to wear, and the 6″ inseam length of my size CC makes me feel comfortable with the amount of coverage provided. (For this reason I think it would make a really good woven shorts pattern for little kids as well as adults.) The only thing is that due to the elasticized waist combined with my “bubble butt” and narrower waist, particularly in the back, the back pockets tend to gape. This isn’t a dealbreaker for me because my shirt covers it, but something I thought I should mention as a caution to anyone with a shape like me that is considering making these.

Burda 6/2024 #110: Jersey Dress

My first Burda pattern in a really long time.

Pattern Background

Burda 6/2024 #110 is a shirt dress drafted for 2-way (as opposed to 4-way) lower stretch knits. It has short sleeves and an A-line knee length skirt.

Fabric and Materials

I used a 100% cotton jersey from Gorgeous Fabrics. It is mislabeled on the website as a stretchy rayon/lycra jersey so when I purchased it last month I had an entirely different project in mind for it. After getting it and seeing how it had just the slight mechanical stretch of a 100% cotton jersey I decided to pivot to this pattern.

The interfacing was black Pro-Sheer Elegance from the now defunct Fashion Sewing Supply. For this pattern you interface the collar, tie band, and front plackets so you want to pick something with a soft, flexible hand.

The buttons are pink 18L shirt buttons from WAWAK.

Fit and Sizing

This pattern is available in sizes 36-46. I started with a size 44 and made the following alterations:

Added 5” width to the hips
Changed the sleeves from short sleeve to cap sleeve length, using my Jalie Tina pattern as a guide. I find the diagonal angle created by the shorter cap sleeve more flattering than the longer short sleeves included in the pattern.

Construction

Even though it wasn’t what I expected, this cotton jersey was wonderful to work with and thus construction was a breeze.

I sewed most of this on my Juki TL-2010Q. Since it is a knit I decided to forgo serging the seam allowances. I switched to my Janome 6500P for the buttonholes and used the knit buttonhole style:

For the sleeve and skirt hem I used my Janome Coverpro 2000CPX.

Before sewing the collar I trimmed a generous 1/8” from the shorter side edges of the under collar to encourage the collar to roll better.

I used 1/4” instead of 5/8” seam allowances for the belt. I prefer the slightly width slightly wider.

Burda has you use thread loops to hold the belt in place. For now I decided to just go without. The “grab” of the cotton jersey seems to keep it in place well enough.

Conclusion

This is a great pattern if you want something that is more structured than a t-shirt dress but still easy to care for (no ironing necessary!) If I was still working in an office I’d be making up a ton of these.

Jalie 4132: Martin Boxer Shorts

Made these for my son last night.

Pattern Background

The Jalie Martin pattern is for men’s loungewear pants and boxer shorts. It is drafted for wovens and features a faux fly with an optional decorative button, elastic waist, and a back panel instead of a center back seam. There’s also an optional back patch pocket.

Size and Alterations

The size range goes from 2T all the way to 2X. If you pay a little bit extra you can get up to a 5X for the PDF version.

I cut a size F, which is equivalent to a 2T. The only alteration I made was adding 1/2” height to the center back. It turns out it wasn’t necessary.

The fit ended up being very similar to that shown on the Jalie models.

Fabric and Materials

I used a very lightweight 100% Robert Kaufman shirting purchased from Fabric Matt a few months ago. The elastic was from Mandala Crafts on Amazon. The button

Construction

The instructions are pretty good. This really does go together quickly and easily. I think it would be a nice project for someone who wants to try something more complex than your average pull on pants, without having to deal with zippers or pockets (aside from the optional back pocket.

I did find that I needed to snug up the waist elastic another inch.

Conclusion

I made these for my son, who is turning three years old in a few weeks. We’ve been working on potty training the past year. He’s pretty flawless when commando but struggles when he’s wearing briefs (probably because they feel too much like a diaper). These allow him to wear actual underwear without feeling snug, and as a result he’s much better at letting me know when he needs to go. He has also started trying to dress/undress himself. As a result I consider this pattern a worthy investment, especially since it seems like regular cotton woven boxer shorts for toddlers aren’t easy to find. I have no idea what his preferences will be when he’s older, but for now he seems pretty happy with these!

He’s worn these under the Jalie 3243 pull-on shorts and Jalie Henri shorts, and they fit fine under them, with no peeking out at the hem.