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Tuesday, June 13, 2017

It's All About The Pants Part 2

Best laid plans :/
I apologize for not getting back to the post yesterday, so sadly I am a day behind. But, we'll catch up :)

Before I begin the Islander Patterns Easy V  Express Top sew along, I wanted to do the follow up post to the pant fitting retreat. As I told you in the previous post, I made 2 pair of pants and a pair of shorts. Although the same pattern was used for each pair, there were slight changes made.

I used a wool crepe for my first pair. If you have worked with wool crepe, you know that it has a looser weave than other wools, so it can grow a bit. The side seams were taken in to get a closer fit, but all in all I was happy with the outcome.   Just a note, I have not hemmed my pants, and I also need to add the hook closure to the waistband.



Since I used a black fabric, it's a little difficult to see how the back fits, but they feel great and I am happy with how they hang. 



I LOVE having a beautiful lining in all of my clothes. Kinda like my own little secret, that just might get a slight reveal at times ;) This fabric makes the pants feel like a dream when I slide them on.


For the second pair I made, I used a herringbone from Pendleton Wool. A gorgeous piece of fabric. 


There's just a slight caving in at the back of my leg in this picture, I'm not sure if it's the pant, or how I'm standing. I have a feeling that it's how I'm standing.


This pair also appears to be just a little snug in the back crotch seam. I have not clipped the seam, so once that is done, I think it will make a big difference. 

Once I made this pair, we then made some alterations to the pattern which I did not want to do after the wool crepe pair due to the fabric characteristics. 


I used a basic bemberg lining in this pair of pants. Boring!!!


I had intended to use a fun piece of silk, but I was just a little short, so I used it as my pocket lining, just to add a fun touch. In the wool crepe pants, I used the wool crepe as my pocket lining. I really prefer using a lining fabric for the pocket lining as I feel that it makes pants and skirts alike fall a little nicer over the body.



For my final pair, I made walking shorts. These were made from a denim with 3% lycra. 

I decided to have some fun with them and do lots of topstitching. 
Due to the fact that the fabric has the added lycra, I had to take the side seams in a little more from my original alterations to the pattern. By doing this, it made the pocket opening just a little smaller. So I have made a note of this and if I make another pair with lycra, I will know to alter the side seam prior to adding the pockets. 
  

I even topstitched the darts.


And I used a red zipper. Why not? :)


The back. There's just one more detail that I would like to add and that's back pockets. As you can see below, the center back seam is a flat felled seam. The crotch seam is also a flat felled seam. By doing this, I sacrifice a little fit in the crotch, but I love flat felled seams, so oh well :) 


Since I wanted more of a walking short, I widened the leg a little on the outside and inside leg, and then added a cuff.


The back. Although I sacrificed a little of the fit with the flat felled seams, I'm really happy with how they turned out.



If you think that you might like to take a pant fitting class, Karen is thinking of doing another class either in September, or October. If you are interested, email her at karenssewunique@gmail.com.

The master mind behind this pant fitting system is Joyce Simmons Murphy. Be sure to check out her website HERE. Her new website which will be devoted to pants should be up soon at Pants4U.com
Pants that fit is no longer just a dream :)



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14 comments:

  1. Wow the nirvana of sewing achieved - fabulous looking pants.

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    1. Nirvana is exactly right! I have said that when a pair of pants fit well you can hear angels sing 😊

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  2. Oh I really enjoyed these posts. Your pants all look great and I think you've inspired me to take another try at OOP Vogue 8887 underlined pants this weekend.

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    1. Ok, now you have me intrigued by the bias cut pants 😊 I've looked for the pattern on eBay and Etsy with no luck. When you have a chance, would you mind sending a picture? I would love to see what these pants look like.

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  3. Very nice.I'm sure you will test them well on a hike.

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    1. I usually wear long pants in a hike as I think about snakes, or getting cut by a tree branch. This pair of shorts will be worn with a fun top and a cute pair of shoes 😊

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  4. Love your pants and cute short! I have found, like you, that the pants hang differently in different fabrics. With some fabrics, like the wool crepe, they fit perfectly while with other fabrics there might a small drag line here or there. Regardless, all 3 have a great fit and certainly much better than you will ever find in ready-to-wear.

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  5. LOVE the walking shorts! You rock, girl!!

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    1. You are so sweet 😊 I looked at the pictures and thought my knees look a little knocky 😜 We are our own worst critics!

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  6. Wow fit is perfect. I put my name on the list for a future class. Hoping that happens.

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  7. I have 2 dates that I am working on the contract with Peaceful Valley.
    Sept 18 through the 21 and November 7- 10. 2017.
    Rhonda, you are rocking your pants and shorts.
    Karen

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  8. Way to go Rhonda! I love your pants with the colorful linings, red zipper and flat-felled seams! You won't find those finishing touches off the rack!!!
    Sorry for not commenting sooner, I've been "nose to the grindstone" fine-tuning my Building the Custom Pants Block Master Course before launching it again. I'm pleased to report this full training course for professional pantsmakers and fitters is almost ready!
    At the same time I announce this I want Rhonda's followers to know that my intent is to encourage all who love to sew to keep at it and enjoy it regardless of career goals so once the master course is launched I will be working on a pants fitting theory course designed for anyone who is interested in learning more about fitting pants.

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