I have wanted these natural denim Persephone Pants for SO LONG you guys. I am constantly scrolling through the Persephone Pants hashtag on Instagram and making lovey eyes at all of the awesome pairs that all the other sewists in the world have made. I love the interesting balance of the tapered waist and the wide leg pant, and I’ve been so intrigued by the way this pattern comes together – no side seams! I got VERY ambitious a few years ago and bought 4 great cuts of denim from Blackbird Fabrics’ Labor Day denim sale in 2018, thinking I was just gonna pop out a baby in October and be ready to sew myself 4 new pairs of jeans immediately after. It was nice to be so naive!
I had already paired each cut of denim with a different pattern when I’d purchased them, and I finally got up the confidence to sew the first one into a pair of Ash Jeans about a year after I purchased it. A little over a year later, I finally went for the second cut of denim and sewed it into these Persephone Pants jeans.
For some reason, this project really intimidated me. Although I have made jeans before, as I mentioned, it had been a year and I think I had let myself forget that even though the process is tedious, it wasn’t actually difficult. The interesting construction of these pants also made me a little nervous – even though I realize that logically, less seams should mean a less daunting project, for some reason the lack of side seam seemed so scary to me!
I am happy to report that my fears were unfounded. These pants actually came together much more quickly than I ever anticipated. I followed the directions to a T, and will likely add a little more work to my next pair by potentially adding an additional row of topstitching on some of my seams. The pockets are so clever, and despite being fairly inconspicuous, fit my big old Pixel 3XL perfectly. I did add some rivets to either side of each pocket – I think I like the detail it adds, but sometimes I am not sure! (PS – if you have a topstitching foot of some sort that you love to help you get nice straight lines of topstitching, HOLLER. AT. ME. PLEASE)
Overall, these pants are everything that I had hoped they would be… Except for the right size! My measurements put my hips in a size 6, and my waist anywhere from a 6 to a 10 depending on the day and time of day! My Ash Jeans are on the smaller side, and my fear of ending up with another slightly too small pair of jeans made me nervous, so I sized up to the 10. Surprise surprise, they are a bit too big. They are almost exactly how I want them to fit when I put them on straight out of the dryer, but within 5 minutes they start growing and falling and I end up with a lower crotch and waist situation than I wish I had here.
While they are less fitted than I would have hoped (serves me right for not looking at the finished garment measurements!), they are still very cute and incredibly comfortable – maybe more so than usual, since they’re a bit large! I love the way they look with a top front-tucked, and the outfit in these photos is getting worn weekly right now. This top is a favorite ready to wear sweater of mine, from a local boutique in our downtown square, and it is just such a perfect color. You might recognize that it looks quite similar to the Tabor V-Neck Sweater pattern, and I’ve found that I love these Persephone Pants with my Tabor just as much!
When I cut these pants out, I had enough of the denim leftover to also cut out a pair of Persephone Shorts! Luckily, I chose not to sew them all at once, so I didn’t end up with a size too large pair of pants AND shorts. I’ve recently reprinted the pattern one size smaller, and I’ll be returning to the pre-cut shorts and adjusting my existing pieces down to the size 8 before sewing those up for next Spring. I love the shape of these pants, and while I plan on wearing these frequently, I’m looking forward to trying them out in a smaller size soon!
Pants: handmade by me
Pattern: Anna Allen – Persephone Pants + Shorts
Fabric: Blackbird Fabrics – Natural 11oz. Italian Cotton Bull Denim
Key Ingredients:
Brother XR9500PRW Sewing Machine
Brother 1034D Overlocker
Schmetz Universal 70/30 Needles
Dahle 36×48 Self-healing Cutting Mat
Thanks for reading my thoughts on my new pants! Both the pattern and fabric used for this project were purchased by me. All words and opinions expressed throughout this post are my own, as always. Links provided throughout this post may be affiliate links – if you choose to purchase any products through these links, I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you. This simply helps me justify the costs of my sewing habit and the time it takes to share it with you!! Happy Sewing!
- XX Elizabeth
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