Gauze fabric is always on my radar.

No matter what density gauze comes in, I can usually figure out what to sew/design it to suit me.

This week I sewed a piece of double gauze fabric from Minerva. This was a free fabric that I sew as part of their Minerva Brand Ambassador program. I’ve been sewing Minerva fabrics for at least 10 years now and being in this program gives me to opportunity to try sewing with fabric I wouldn’t find locally.

I am required to sew the fabric within a timeframe so that helps me prioritise my weekly tasks.

Comfy cargo pants were my plan for this gauze fabric. I did toy with making Simple Sew Keyhole Blouse, or Simplicity 1158 Jumpsuit, or New Look 6351 drawstring pants. These are all patterns in my stash that could have worked.

McCalls 5633 was the cargo pants pattern I decided to use. It’s a known and much used pattern that I enjoy sewing. Each part of cargo pants sewing is a huge achievement so when I have the time, I’ll sew a new pair using a cotton or medium weight linen. The thigh chafing means for linen fabric, I sew an additional layer on the upper inner thigh as a safety measure.

I may need to add a second layer for this double gauze fabric but I won’t know until I’ve worn them for a few days.

On this pair, I sewed the waistband button to the inside of the waistband. This was because I didn’t want a button on the outside if I was to add the self fabric belt.

I absolutely love sewing the cargo side pockets. This can be fraught with danger when you’ve already sewn in the side seam pocket. Always pin that pocket bag away from the side pocket sewing area.

This version uses size 14 at the waist and hips to size 12 at the leg.

All the seams are overlocked.

The internal waist uses poplin. I’ve used the same poplin to the underside of the outer pocket flap.

Then came the belt!

My first go at the belt was to simply tie the belt at the front. That looked silly and awkward.

Then I tried sewing in 2 D rings. That really didn’t work. The closure again was bulky.

After that I tried using the remaining belt loops on the belt (minus the 2 D rings) for another belt closure. That again was a fail.

Lastly I went to The Sewing Basket and found a beige resin belt buckle. Now all is well and I have a belt closure I won’t fiddle with anymore.