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Guess what I came across in my wardrobe? The DIY paper bag pants that I made with tapered legs.
With the gathering at the midsection, they create the high-waist look. I had so much fun making these, and they came out comfy and cute.
Megan Nielsen Opal Pattern
The Opal sewing pattern has four variations of elastic waist pants and shorts. You can make them with side seam or patch pockets, belt loops, and tie belt.
I made my pants with tapered legs, but you can also make wide-legged pants.
This is a beginner-friendly pattern. It’s easy to sew, and the directions are very clear.
Materials
Here are the fabric and notions I used to make this garment. Don’t worry, there aren’t many notions.
Fabric: After debating between a few fabrics, I used chambray.It’s a 4-ounce cotton in dark blue from Joann.
Chambray is a lightweight denim, and it has a nice drape for making pants and shorts. But it tends to wrinkle, so I had to keep that in mind.
Other suggested fabrics include linen, Tencel, rayon, poplin, viscose, satin, charmeuse, crepe, and wool.
Notions: The only notion I used was 1-1/4 inch (1.25-inch) knit elastic for the waistband. You can also use 1-inch elastic instead.
Sewing the Paper Bag Pants
Sewing this pattern was pretty straightforward. The directions and pictures were very easy to understand and follow.
My first step was to make a mockup to check the sizing. This was the first time I had used a Megan Nielson sewing pattern.
Since it’s a PDF, I printed it out and assembled the pieces. This took time, and I made a step-by-step tutorial on how to do this.
With the Opal pattern, I could choose my exact size. So I didn’t have to do any grading. Yeah!
After cutting all the pattern pieces, I got to work.
When I made my mockup, the pants were pulling in the back. So the only adjustment I made was to lengthen the crotch.
I have a high waist and long legs, so it’s typical for me. And that’s why I make my own pants because store-bought ones never fit me well.
Okay, I also made the tie belt because it’s so cute with the paper bag waist.
Also, the pants have nice big pockets, so I appreciate that. And who doesn’t like having pockets on garments?
I finished the whole pattern in a couple of hours, which was a fast sew for me.
It was exciting because I didn’t even make one mistake. Unbelievable.
I couldn’t believe I didn’t have to use my seam ripper! Now that is rare.
Notes
Keep in mind that many paper bag pants are usually meant to be worn high on the waist. And I have a high waist already!
Mine aren’t up on my natural waist, but they creep up higher than my other pants. That’s why I’d make a mockup to see where they land.
These pants are perfect if you like wearing crop tops and don’t want to show too much belly. They come up high enough with the gathering on me.
I’d like to make pants and shorts in different fabrics. I really like how my pants turned out, and the bonus is that they’re so adorable and comfy!
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