Portlanders from New Horizon Designs

Things are changing around here, yet again. 

I'm going back to work this summer, meaning this last semester was my last hoorah as a stay at home mom. Naturally, I did what any other sane person would do: I let the kids sign up for ALL the activities! It was a blast, and absolute chaos at times. My idea of a good time. Seriously! I loved it.

The only sewing I have been able to do recently was for my daughter's Lion King Jr. performance. I was on the costume committee. Honestly though, I spend more time hotgluing Velcro than anything else. Not only were my fingers suffering from the burns, but I was starting to crave some real sewing time. 

And remember how I'm going back to work? And that I have been a stay at home mom for the last few years? A stay at home mom with leggings, tank tops, old college t-shirts, jeans with holes in them... you get the idea. I need work clothes. But I have been spoiled and I want to stay comfortable.

Enter the Portlanders from New Horizons. (Affiliate link: Should you choose to purchase this pattern after clicking on the link, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.)

These pants pass all the requirements:

Comfortable ✓

Work appropriate ✓

Fast to sew ✓

Fit me well ✓

Make me feel cute ✓

I used an ITY from Simply by Ti. I had been eyeing this border print for a while and I'm so glad I finally grabbed it. It's also available in a blue colorway, which is equally gorgeous!

I seriously love the border print! I didn't use the full print as I didn't want it to look too chunky on the bottom of the pants. There was more border that I didn't cut into. I'm not sure that was the best decision or not. I would have used the whole border print if I were making a dress or skirt. I'm not a fashion expert, so I have no real reason why I felt this way. 

I was a little worried about using this fabric for this pattern, as the stretch is much greater vertically than it is horizontally. I second guessed myself and almost chickened out making these. You do need decent stretch for the hips in the Portlanders. But I wanted to give my vision a shot and I'm glad I did. They fit beautifully! 

I ended up cutting the waistband on the crossgrain, so that it would have the greatest stretch and I think that was a wise decision. I ended up wearing these pants all day, and then all night as pajamas (don't judge me) and the fit stayed perfect.

I love how versatile this pattern is. Other options in the pattern include: shorts (they are just a touch looser in the legs), front patch pockets, drawstring. I am regretting not putting pockets on these, but since they were my first pair, I wanted to go simple in case they didn't fit. 

I would love having a few pairs in a solid color. It would make a great work basic. I think I will hunt down some solid color ITY. The Portlanders work with many different fabric types, but I love the silky and wrinkle free look of the ITY for work. 

The best part? No one will know these are my secret work pajamas. 😉