Crescendo Jeans – Love Notions
You know when your heart says, “Let’s make denim floral flares!” and your fabric stash replies, “Yeah, not today”? That’s exactly what happened here.
I had asked the Love Notions Pattern Support Group a while back which version of the Crescendo Flares I should make next: the eye-catching denim floral or the classic sailor look.
The vote went to the floral, and I was fully on board… until I laid out the fabric and realized I’d overestimated the cut and it just wasn’t enough to make it work. 🤦♀ ️
But hey, plan B turned out great, so I’ll call it a win anyway. 😁
Enter: the sailor flares.
These are made using the Crescendo Pants pattern, with a couple of simple but tweaks.
- Fabric switcheroo: The pattern is drafted for stretch wovens, but I used a lovely heavy ponte knit to make the yoga waistband more viable. The fabric has great recovery and just the right amount of structure to keep things comfy without looking too casual.
- Waistband boost: I raised the waistband quite a bit for that high-waisted, structured look. I eyeballed it but it’s about double the original height.
- Buttons galore: Double row of buttons for that classic sailor-pant flair.😄 I originally planned on using silver buttons, but found these in my stash and thought they were a bit more chic. They’re purely decorative, but they totally make the look, don’t they?
This was my first pair of Crescendos and will definitely not going to be my last.
If the fact that it’s a jeans pattern intimidates you, please don’t be afraid to give it a go. It’s a super straightforward pattern and the only extra steps is a bit of extra topstitching, which I personally find very therapeutic. 😅
Honestly, I’m obsessed with how these turned out. The flared option is so flattering, the ponte makes them secret pajamas, and the buttons give it enough personality to feel like I put in effort (even though they’re a pretty easy sew 😉).
I haven’t given up on the floral yet, I think that with a bit of some fabric tetris I can squeeze a Straight leg version out of it.
Or should I switch gears and make a Coda jacket with it instead?
Until I make up my mind, these Crescendos are sailing straight into my favorites pile. ❤️
If you’re considering getting the pattern and would like to support my sewing experiments, here’s my afflink ❤️:
CRESCENDO JEANS – Love Notions
xxx, Livia
