Adam Ross Blogger Network - True Bias Lander Pants Review

I was delighted to be asked to be part of the Adam Ross Blogger Network last month and am very happy to share my first make!

Adam Ross stock an amazing selection of fabrics at very reasonable prices. For my first make I wanted to sew up the True Bias Lander Pants so I chose the Soft Grey Denim Fabric.

I was genuinely very impressed with the quality of this fabric when it arrived. It’s soft and densely woven, with a small amount of stretch. It’s a perfect match for the Lander Pants. I have already ordered it in the indigo and midnight colourways too as I would like to make the Pauline Alice Rosari skirt and it would be perfect for that.

As you would expect from denim, it sews and presses very well. I used a brand new denim needle in my machine and it sewed up so easily.

I have never made the Lander Pants before and was very keen to give them a try. When I looked at the body measurements chart, I realised there was a big difference between the size needed for my waist and the size needed for my hips. My hip size is 4 whole sizes bigger than my waist size. After looking around at what some other bloggers had done, I decided to cut the larger size and adjust the waist. I was originally planning to lose the weight I gained during pregnancy before making the Lander Pants, as I'm still not very comfortable carrying the extra weight. However, my weight loss progress is non-existent at the moment so I thought I would just get on and make them as I don't have many pairs of trousers that fit me. I'm not completely convinced the style of these is right for my current body shape and size, but they are very comfortable and easy to wear and I do end up reaching for them a lot when I get dressed.

The adjustments I made were to taper the darts in more at the waist. I tapered them in by 1.5cm at the top of the dart, reducing the waist measurement by 6cm overall. I then used a bigger seam allowance on the side seams at the waist, reducing the waist measurement by a further 10cm overall. I tried them on before adding the waistband to check the fit. When I came to add the waistband it was obviously too long and the notches didn’t match up. I have a hollow back and a big bum, so there is still a little gaping at the waistband but I can live with that. Next time I make these I will cut out a curved waistband to improve the fit.

I love the details on these trousers. The patch pockets are easy and look great, the button fly is an interesting detail and I love the ankle length! I actually feel pretty cool wearing these, which never happens!

The stretch in the denim makes these trousers very comfortable to wear. The recovery is good too, I can wear these all day and not worry about them getting baggy. I also think a little stretch in the fabric makes the fitting easier as the fabric is more forgiving. I haven't got the fit perfect on these yet, I have a difficult body shape for tight fitting trousers and can never seem to get a perfect fit. These are casual trousers though and I think most of the fit issues would not be that noticeable by the general public.

I had a lot of fun making these, installing the buttons, doing belt loops and topstitching. I’m really happy with these and can see many more pairs being made in the different shades of denim stocked by Adam Ross.

Nina Lee London - Mayfair Dress - Pattern Review

I recently pattern tested the Mayfair Dress by Nina Lee. I made the maxi version with short sleeves, as I only have one maxi dress at the moment and I wear it a lot! I think maxi jersey dresses are so comfy and easy to wear in summer. 

The dress has some interesting details that set it apart, it has a shawl-type collar and the facing is constructed using the burrito method for a clean finish. I think my jersey was a little thick for the burrito method on a maxi dress, there was a lot of fabric to tightly roll! It gives a lovely finish though and is really satisfying!

I like the shaping at the front and the waist tie. The shaping is really flattering and I found that a contrast waist tie helps to break up the maxi dress.

The front has a v-neck and it’s low enough for me to successfully breastfeed in!  I’m not sure how much longer I’ll need that functionality, but it’s really useful at the moment.

I’m planning another Mayfair maxi dress in a grey, dandelion print viscose jersey. I think this time I’ll make the sleeves slightly longer as I’m a little self conscious of my upper arms. I’m already eyeing up lots more viscose jerseys as I can see these dresses getting a lot of wear!

This is the sort of pattern that I love, comfy, flattering, effortless and with some interesting design details. The pattern requires a drapey jersey, such as a viscose jersey. I didn’t have enough viscose jersey in my stash to make the maxi version, so I used an organic cotton-spandex jersey from Elvelyckan Designs. It was mustard with black wavy lines, which at the time I bought it seemed like a good idea, but the yellow colour looks awful with my skin tone so I decided to dye the dress once I’d finished. The dye was not all that successful, but it is still an improvement. I think I will try dyeing it again to get a more even colour as it is a bit patchy in places. The quality of the fabric is amazing, it is so soft and densely knitted and has a great stretch recovery. I will definitely be buying more! I think it is aimed at children's wear but they have started stocking plain colours too and slightly more grown up prints. I did a plain black tie belt as a contrast from some fabric in my stash, which was also a cotton spandex blend.

I was very happy to be able to test the Mayfair Dress by Nina Lee London. This was my first time pattern testing for Nina and it was a really enjoyable experience. There were a few changes made to the pattern after the testing process, but they relate mainly to the longer sleeved versions, so my finished version is a pretty accurate representation of the finalised pattern.

Overall I would really recommend this pattern, Nina’s instructions are fantastic as usual and it’s such a versatile dress with so many options and fabrics available to make every version look very different. Let me know if you have any questions or you are thinking of making this pattern!

Jenny