I started the year with the #2017makenine Challenge – pick nine patterns and get ‘er done during the year! So far, I am not too sure if I have been successful though. I started with the dress pattern in the bottom left hand corner. It was Vogue 9202, but it turned into a top, McCalls 6896 – actually rather successfully!
Last weekend I started my second garment of the #2017makenine Challenge. Pants/trousers in the middle row, left side – Vogue 7881, described as “Claire Shaeffer Custom Couture Collection”. How’s it going?
Well I took a good look at that pants pattern again and decided that I wanted to forgo the “couture” techniques just for now – I just don’t have the interest or energy! I just want some pants, quickly, like now. So I switched to another pants pattern of mine, Vogue V2532. A simple pattern – fronts, backs, pockets and waistband – described as a “basic design”.
My fabrics? I don’t have the faintest idea without doing a burn test – which might involve me burning my fingers so, nope, I don’t want to do that. Let’s leave it as a navy blue and light chocolate brown polyester (or rayon?). But, hey! they are in my Autumn colour palette!
I traced off Vogue V2532, my “basic design” pattern, and could see it was very similar to an older previous pattern I had traced off a while ago.
I cut the pieces out of an old blue sheet, sewed them up and tried them on inside out – as I like to do for fitting. My muslin was created. My son couldn’t believe what I was making, nor that I was putting these photos on the internet. The back fit poorly …
the front even worse! Now for some changes.
While wearing the pants, inside out, I started by pinching in the sides with my fingers and marking the new seam lines with a blue marker. After I took them off, I measured carefully and drew in the new seam lines with a pink marker and a ruler and sewed them so I could try on my muslin again.
Simon was fascinated by the whole process!
Narrowing the pant leg was an improvement – back and front.
I cut the extra large seam allowances down to 5/8″ on the right leg only. (Let’s see how it looks before we cut the left leg too.) What can I say – I have difficulty committing! I do love permanent marker on fabric though – not usually allowed!
Then I tried them on again. The back and front feels good, just a bit high or short in the crotch curve as my inner pant seams pull up a bit? (Note: I still have to trim the extra large seam allowances on the left leg in these photos.)
I transferred my changes from my blue sheet muslin to my pattern tracing and was about to trim off the excess when I thought I might compare my pattern tracing to another pants pattern in my stash – McCalls M6901, a Palmer Pletsch pattern.
When I compared them, the only difference was the Palmer Pletsch pattern had a bit longer point at the crotch. So I added it to my pattern tracing, making my it identical to the Palmer Pletsch pattern now. Interesting. I have tried a few pants patterns over the years and this Palmer Pletsch pattern might be the best fit for me yet!
I was so encouraged by the final fit of my muslin that I bought a third fabric for making pants. This was a dark smokey grey Antonia stretch suiting, 62% polyester. 32% rayon and 6% spandex, another shade from my Autumn colour palette. There is going to be a pants assembly line going on at my house! (I’m trying to get into the habit of taking a photo of the fabric label for future reference.)
If I run into any problems I always have books to refer to, like this one “Pants for Real People”.
Has anyone else got this book? It’s a new purchase for me, but I have heard it is good.
Happy Sewing!
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