Penelope Pants - Sonia Estep Designs2

Hard to believe it has been almost a full year since I started working from home full time. I’d be lying if I said that I still dress up for work, so comfy pants are a must for me these days. I took a break for a few month from pattern testing and am now back in the game with this first pattern: the Penelope Pants! Sonia Estep Designs has released the Penelope pants which fit perfectly into my work from home wardrobe.

The Pattern

The Penelope Pants can be made into two different style lounge pants (two for one patterns are ALWAYS my favorite! . A jogger and a yoga pant. For this test, I decided that going with a jogger style is exactly what I was looking for. This means the pants have a more narrow fit through the legs and are banded at the ankles. I also decided to go with a yoga waistband, but it would be easy enough to add in a drawstring as well.

This pattern also has optional pockets which I decided to try my hand at! The directions in this pattern are very well laid out to help those that have never added pockets before. I highly recommend you also make sure to baste when suggested as it really helps to keep all the pieces in place.

The Fabric

When I think of comfy pants, I instantly think of French Terry as the fabric of choice. While I have no shortage of French terry in my fabric stash, I knew pretty quickly which fabric I wanted to use for this pattern. A few months ago I finally received my Ombre French terry fabrics from Blended Thread Fabrics. I find this fabric to be a heavier weight than other french terry’s I’ve worked with but they are a great weight for this style of comfy pants.

Adjustments/Final Thoughts

I actually made two of the Penelope pants and found out that I prefer a looser fit. I first made a size as I measured only just above that size. I found this to be slightly too small (but only for my preference). The next set that I made was my measured size of 8 which fit me exactly how I wanted, slightly loose. Something to keep in mind if you find you prefer a snug, or looser fit.

The only adjustment I made with this pattern was to remove about an inch from the length of the pants. Again being my preference, I don’t like a lot of bunching fabric so removing that inch got the final result exactly where I wanted it.

Overall I love this pattern. I found the fit to be fantastic when going with my measured size. I also found the instructions to be easy to follow, especially when describing how to add pockets!