During my trip to Puerto Rico, I really wanted to return to the basics of sewing. The idea of creating standard wardrobe staples and creating them well was my top priority. Simple tops, casual bottoms, and easy going dresses were my go-tos. When I found out about the launch of the flared Anse Marcel shorts pattern by Jasmine Desiree of SewMuchJazz, I knew I had to add them to my “to-sew” list.
The shorts were a very easy sew. It’s definitely a beginner friendly pattern with uncomplicated instructions to follow. It is a PDF pattern with 30 pages to print and tape together. I chose not to go that route and printed it at a copy shop. If you are a beginner I would use a solid fabric, not a print, so you don’t have to worry about aligning your prints. I also didn’t make any adjustments or modification to the pattern because I loved it as is.
What I loved about the anse marcel shorts is the flared look. It looked like a skirt when you’re not in motion. The flare added a lot of life and fun to them as well. I used an old ankara fabric from my fabric stash. The completed shorts felt breezy and they were perfect for the warm Puerto Rican weather.
To complete the look, I modified Simplicity 8839 pattern to create a blouse. I’ve used the pattern before for this dress. The modifications I made included cutting the bodice pattern and cropping it at the waistline. In addition, I used the sleeve from view C and cut it to a short sleeved length. The blouse was lined and not faced, like the pattern called for. I wanted to give it more weight as ankara is the not a heavy weight fabric.
In conclusion, I loved how the entire look came together. It was the perfect vacation outfit because it was stylish and comfortable. The shoes are from here and the sunglasses are these. More looks from Puerto Rico to come. And I’m definitely looking forward to more patterns from Jasmine.
