Well here it is, almost September, and of course that means it’s time to introduce you to our newest fall patterns which will be available at the end of next week! This season we have three new styles for you, and I’m really excited to unveil each of them.
I thought we’d start with the boys. Last year we released our Field Trip Cargo Pants + Raglan T-shirt pattern, and so many of you have told us you really love that pattern for its great details, its versatility, and for the options it offers. You’ve made a lot of fantastic clothes from that pattern! This season I thought it would be nice to give you something similar but a little dressier, so I’m pleased to introduce you to the Art Museum Vest and Trousers!
Both of these pieces include a welt pocket, which many of you have expressed an interest in learning to sew. The welt looks so impressive and tailored and fancy, but it’s not difficult to sew at all. I suspect that you’re going to be looking around for other places to add a pocket after you’ve tried this method.
The vest is an especially easy and fun piece to sew. It’s fully lined with an interesting but simple method (almost no hand sewing!) and looks so impressive, with one fabric for the front and another for the back and the lining. We had so much fun with this! Witness a few of our many samples; it was hard to stop coordinating fabrics for this style.
Usually when you think of a vest you think about more formal dressing, but that doesn’t need to be the case. With all the conversational prints available today, you can take this style in all sorts of playful directions. We used an authentic Japanese ikat paired with a Liberty lawn for one vest, and a linen chambray with a striped rayon lining fabric for another. But how cute is it in a Heather Ross conversational? Or in Kate Spain’s ikat print? It’s a lot of fun to play with fabrics for this vest. I think you’re going to love it.
The trousers are a really straightforward, classic pant that include front pockets, a faux fly, optional welt pockets at the back (but really, why wouldn’t you make the welt pockets, given such a simple construction method that will have you feeling like the world’s biggest sewing genius when you’re finished?), belt loops, and even a contrast fabric waistband facing for a really tailored and professional look.
For the dressier side of things you might pick a wool gabardine or a dressy twill, but for a more casual look a canvas or denim would be great. Any why not corduroy? We used a madras plaid patchwork for one pair, and a fancy Italian cotton twill for another.
And did I mention that this isn’t a pattern just for boys? S has been wearing her ikat Art Museum Vest with everything this summer. It looks really cute worn with her chambray Art Museum Trousers and a feminine little peplum T-shirt that she loves. It also looks adorable worn over her chambray Croquet Dress, and of course it could also dress up a really simple outfit like a T-shirt and her polka-dot chambray Lazy Days Skirt. She has also been wearing her chambray Art Museum Trousers with her polka dot chambray skirt pulled up under her arms as a tunic, with a cardigan over it. (It’s like she’s exercising her inner fashion designer when she dresses herself in unexpected ways like this. I think it’s so amusing.) I love how she tops it off with her summer fedora. We’ve been doing these Instagram door photo bombs for a while now, and if I zoom in you can see her in some of these outfits over the past few weeks.
I hope you have a lot of fun with this pattern! We certainly have, and I know you’re going to be making some seriously impressive- and cute-looking outfits once you get your hands on it. It will be available for purchase next Friday, so start planning!