Finished (Almost) Pants

Here they are! Pants that seem to fit pretty well. Not perfect but they do seem to lay much better than any other pair of pants I have made or purchased. I still have to sew on the buttons and finish the hem.

There are a couple of things I want to change/tweak.
1) The center back needs to come up about an inch
2) The waist band is a little too snug and too high, so I think I will switch to a contoured waistband
3) I think I need to lengthen the legs, I have not hemmed the pants yet and there is not much to play with once I put I the shoes I want to wear them with.
4) I want to wear the pants around tomorrow to see if I think they are comfortable to walk and sit in. I guess the sitting will not be great because the waistband is a bit tight. But I want to make sure that there is enough walking room in the front legs.
5) I am not happy with the pockets - I designed them myself and boy can you tell. They pull at the waistband and you can see the pocket lining from the front of the pants. This may be partially due to the material I have used but I also think the length I have them at is just right (or wrong). I think I will take the Jalie pockets from the pants I made and configure those to work with these pants.



WIth the mild success of these pants, I went to the fabic store and purchased some new fabric to create a few more pairs of pants!!!! After that, I'm on to the bodice sloper. Lord help me.

Final Vesion of Pants Sloper

I think (hope, hope, hope!) I have taken the pants sloper as far as I can. I took a tuck at the hip area which pulled up the crotch and also let out the front inseam by 1/4 of an inch. They are not perfect but they hang pretty nicely and are comfortable to stand and walk in.


So I think I am going to dive in and make a pair of pants based on these measurements. I'm trying to decide if I should do a straight leg or bootleg cut. I'm most tempted to try the bootleg to see what that will do to the back. So off to the fabric store I go to buy some inexpensive twill or poplin. I'm too afraid to use my favorite fabrics just in case these don't work out.

Pants Sloper v2

I couldn't sleep so I decided to get up and sew the pants. I think these look pretty good. I do feel a slight bit of pulling in the front thigh so I think I need to let out the front inseam a bit. The trouble is, my thighs touch so I'm not so sure I'm going to get a great look at the front crotch. I do want to make sure they are comfortable to wear, which means the pulling business has to be fixed.

The back of the legs seem pretty full, but I think that is ok. Maybe. If this was a real pair of pants, would I be ok with all of that fabric in the back? I think so. It looks much better than having all kinds of pulling lines in the back, doesn't it? The other thing I'm trying to decide is if the crotch line is too low. I did take another set of pictures after I hiked the pants way up and it wasn't pretty.

So here's what I'm thinking I will try:
1) let out the front inseam 1/4 to 1/2 inch
2) take in the back inseam 1/4
3) take in the back side seams 1/4 inch

I will do one at a time and take pics and then decide if any or all worked. Wish me luck!!!!

Pants Sloper Revisited

I am bound and determined to get a nice pair of pants! I took a couple of steps back and decided to use a software program to help me draft a sloper based on my measurements. My first attempt looks better than any previous attempt but they are too big. Even though they are too big, I think I am on the right track. I'm hoping that making a few adjustments will get me to where I want to be. Here are pics of the current sloper:



I have already traced out version 2 of the sloper and hope to get to sewing this weekend. My wardrobe plans are hanging in the balance while I figure out how to get a pair of pants that I will love so I am feeling a bit of pressure to get this right. I have the entire wardrobe planned, I just need to get the fit issues resloved. I haven't even started on the bodice sloper yet!!!! I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Jalie Pants Fit the Best?

I used this pattern from Jalie (2561):

I think I like the look of these pants the best. I did tissue fit these pants and add to the side seams at the hips and in the inseams. I'm thinking that with a bit more modification, these may work the best. Here are the pics:

The Pants Saga Continues

I am really bummed out. I thought I had FINALLY created my perfect pants pattern. But, the truth is, I am far from it. The pics below show the final version of the pattern I used and then the finished pants.




There is much less excess fabric in the back, but it still hangs at the back of my knees. The side looks bad, I don't like this type of pocket, it pulls and does not look nice. The front, is OK, I guess. I'm just not happy with the way these look. Darn.

Grandma's California Purse

Grandma B is taking a trip to California and wanted a purse that would suit her travel needs. I started with the pattern for the Paisley D-Ring Bag on Craftster but quilted the outside and added more pockets to the inside. I also took a stab at a zippered wallet - good idea but needs some refinement.

She picked out the cute fabric and I stitched it up. We are both pleased with the way it came out.