Mila Beach Pants in Travel Light Jersey

First of all, let me start by telling you that Minerva has launched their new website – part online shopping platform, part creative social media network, I’m so excited about it. While you are searching through and considering purchasing a new fabric, you’ll also be able to scroll through garments that other sewists have already sewn in that fabric. This is SO helpful, as you’ll be able to get a better idea of how that fabric looks in real lifes – on real bodies, in action! It’s fantastic. That being said, this awesome feature would’ve come in very handy when I picked out this awesome fabric to work with. While I ended up loving what I’ve made, I was surprised at how different the fabric I received in the mail was than the fabric I’d imagined when I chose it, and I had to take a minute to reconsider my pattern choice and go a very different direction! So while you may find it odd that I am sharing some beach pants in November, I thought that these pants are just the perfect example of the awesome features that the new Minerva website will offer! (also, maybe you’re in a nother hemisphere and are looking for some summer inspiration – so I’ve got your back!)

Are you familiar with Travel Jersey?? I definitely was not – I actually assumed that Travel was just a random word associated with the name of this fabric that had nothing to do with the fabric itself, and that I’d be receiving a standard cut of jersey knit fabric to work with… I was wrong! Travel Jersey is its own special thing! I researched it a little bit after it arrived, and I found that the name “travel jersey” seems to come from a handful of qualities that make this an ideal fabric to travel in! Depending on what you sew it into, it can ride that thin line between a more work-casual appropriate outfit and a super comfy knit piece. It is also wrinkle resistant, so doesn’t show the signs of a long day of travel – you could go from an 8 hour airplane ride to a meeting or dinner and no one would have to know! There are actually full lines of clothing from travel jersey made with these specific scenarios in mind, and they are not inexpensive! 

When I received my fabric, I realized it wasn’t going to work well for the original garment I’d planned to use it for. It was a little bit slippery and slinky, a little sleek, and it has a very different drape that standard jersey knit. I’d originally thought that I’d be making some kind of fitted comfy knit dress, but I just couldn’t envision this fabric being right for that. I sat on it for a little while, trying to figure out a good pattern choice for this pattern, and finally ran across the Mila Beach Pants by Made for Mermaids. Match made in heaven! This pattern has endless options – full length pants, crops, shorts… You can choose a fully open split along the side seam, a fully closed., standard pant leg, or this fun partial slit opening like I’ve done (or honestly, any combination of the above). With these partial open slits, these pants are great for poolside wear – plenty of breeze!

So, back to the fabric… While I wouldn’t go so far as to say this fabric is waterproof, it does have an interesting water repellant quality to it – single droplets seem to roll off the fabric. SInce making these pants, I’ve even seen a few people make swimsuits out of this fabric over on Instagram! This made the fabric a great fit for pants that I intended to wear pool-side with my bathing suit. They don’t feel terribly heavy when they’ve gotten wet, and they dry quickly when wet – you can see that I clearly got the legs of these pants wet while taking these photos, but they were never uncomfortable to wear. They dried shortly thereafter and were wearable the whole time.

If you haven’t worked with Travel Jersey before, take a look through some of the makes over on Minerva before ordering – as I mentioned above, it may not be right for all of the projects that you might typically use jersey knit for, but it is a fabulous fabric when you choose a good fabric / pattern combination! You can go directly to my post regarding this make, and see the fabric itself, right here! I’d love to know if YOU have made anything in this type of knit? These pants aren’t going to see any more poolside wear now that we’ve entered the chillier months of the end of 2020, but I do think a pair of pants in this same pattern, but with the fully closed sides, would be so versatile in the black colorway of this fabric. 

Pants: handmade by me
Pattern: Made for Mermaids – Mila Beach Pants
Fabric: Minerva – Travel Light Jersey Knit in Blush

Key Ingredients: 
Brother XR9500PRW Sewing Machine 
Brother 1034D Overlocker 
Schmetz Jersey Ballpoint Needles
Dahle 36×48 Self-healing Cutting Mat
Heat & Bond Soft Stretch (Lite)

Thanks for reading my thoughts on this make! The fabric used for this post was generously provided to me by Minerva in exchange for a blog post about my experience with this fabric; the pattern used here was purchased by me. The 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 (www.pinsandpinot.com)