Merino Fall Turtleneck and Port Flint Pants

I've been a little uninspired to sew of late. I always find my sew-jo has a little lull in the winter months. I find the warmer weather so much more exciting to sew for and I can feel my motivation creeping back with the first bulbs peeking up at this time of year. However, I have recently added two winning winter garments to my wardrobe which have seen a lot of wear since I finished them in January.

Firstly a new pair of Megan Nielsen Flint Pants. These are one of my all time favourite trouser patterns and the black pair I made five years ago were my go-to trousers year round and were worn until threadbare. That pair were made of a lovely, weighty gabardine with a little bit of stretch. It worked so well for this pattern as it had great drape and movement whilst also having the body to show off the shape of the trousers. Since I sadly had to relegate this original pair to the textile recycling I have been hunting for the perfect fabric for a replacement. Unfortunately John Lewis no longer seem to stock this fabric. I finally found it when I ordered some suiting samples from The Fabric Store.

This port colour is now sold out (I believe it was designer deadstock) but this stretch suiting is still available in marine blue, gunmetal and white. It is described as having bounce which is such a great way to describe the lovely movement it has. I was originally looking for a black fabric to do an exact replacement of my first pair but feel in love with this rich wine colour. I've been trying to wear a little less black (I used to wear A LOT of black, I think it comes with working in theatre!) and this deep, dark tone felt like a nice compromise. Now they are made I adore this colour and it works so well with most of my wardrobe. But I still miss my black pair!

As I have done every time I have made this pattern, I made the version which fastens with a tie and concealed button. I just think it is a lovely detail. I interfaced the waistband with non-stretch interfacing so that that part of the trouser would be rigid. The weight of this suiting requires a fairly sturdy waistband to hold everything securely in place. My original pair I shortened by 2" to achieve the intended length as I'm quite short. However, I haven't shortened this pair as I really love the length of them with my boots. I'm tempted to shorten them when we get to summer though.

I'm wearing them here with my first version of the Fall Turtleneck from Papercut Patterns. The standard premium merino jersey from The Fabric Store is such a good pairing for this pattern (I think it was actually used for the samples) and I will definitely be making more in assorted colours. It feels like a real classic wardrobe staple, both chic and comfortable. Up until this point I had been loyal to the True Bias Nikko top as the only turtleneck pattern I would ever need. I think I've made about four of them and two dresses. However, I've seen a few lovely versions of this pattern on Instagram this winter and the idea of a more relaxed fit suddenly really appealed. This pattern is actually two in one as you also get the 'Rise' variation which is a more fitted style. 

Being fairly short with some curves I've always shied away from 'slouchy' styles, particularly if they also have a high neck as I feel a bit swallowed up by the clothes. However, there is something about the cut of this pattern that just really works. The amount of ease is spot on, as is the height and width of the neck. I also really like the dropped shoulder and the fact that the shoulder seam is slightly curved so it hangs really nicely on the curves of the body. A jersey fabric with soft, fluid drape best suits this style so either a viscose jersey or something like this merino is good.

This colour is moonstone. I already had a handful of dark turtlenecks in my wardrobe and thought a paler colour might be nice to mix in with all the dark trousers I own. White tends to be a bit harsh on me so I liked the fact that this colour had a little bit of warmth in it. It pairs really nicely with the port trousers don't you think?