Bear Down.

We got home from Paris just in time for my favorite season. FOOTBALL SEASON! Yes, I spend my Sundays sitting, knitting  on the couch screaming at the television in between celebratory touchdown dancing.  This is a slightly contentious time of year at my house, because I, a Packers fan, live in a house of Bears fans. And, well, my team is better. :-D 

I've been working hard to learn how to be a more gracious winner. I'll even root for the Bears with Mike and Hallie when they're not playing The Pack. As a further gesture of good sportsmanship, and shining example of how far I've come,  I didn't think twice about buying this vintage Bears sweatshirt fleece at a recent estate sale. 

When I saw this fabric, I bought it with Mike in mind. When I got it home, my sister, Hallie, insisted that she deserved it as much, if not more than Mike. After all, I make him things all the time, and despite my assurance that I would make her something, sometime, I never have. It was a fair argument. They both won. There was enough there to stretch into two pairs of lounge pants, so long as Hallie didn't mind contrasting cuffs and waistband. 

This fabric is most certainly authentic 80's poly sweatshirt from the golden era of Chicago football. I've warned them both about the hazards of standing too near open flames while wearing it. LOL. It doesn't have a lot of stretch, but it worked perfectly for these projects.  And, based on the amount of wear both these pants have gotten since they were finished, it's comfortable enough. 

Hallie's pants are sewn using Papercut Patterns Anima Pants pattern. I used this pattern previously to make my Crazy Dog Lady PJ's. I really like this pant pattern for casual lounging around the house pants. However, I want to figure out a way to incorporate more stretch into the cuff seam. Since the pant leg is eased into the cuff, it's a little bit restrictive. I'm considering trying to sew this seam with elastic thread. Thoughts? Suggestions?

For Mike's pants, I used Simplicity 1285. These pants are incredibly simple to sew. They have the same faux fly construction the Anima pants incorporate, but the only pocket option that comes with them is a back patch pocket. Mike says that they are very comfortable, and he would use this pattern again when he decides to cut-out some more pants for bumming around the house. 

These pants were a nice way to get reacquainted with my machine and sew something quick and satisfying before diving into fall projects. Now, I need to find some green and gold so I can make a pair for myself!