My Obsession With Pants Continued

Finished!  Not quite perfect, but pretty darn close.  Close enough that I am happy to wear them.  I have had quite a journey getting here.  Years in fact.  I am not a woman who can make a pair of pants out of the envelope so I've striven to get a tnt pant that I can make over and over again without having to go through major machinations to sew up a pair of pants.  I live in pants and I can't easily buy a pair that fits well and frankly, I can't afford a pair of really well made pants in high quality fabric.  I can however afford to make them.
These are a gorgeous silk and wool blend from Emmaonesock.  You can see the sheen from the silk in the pictures. I  paid $24 a yard for this fabric, or $60 plus a zipper, thread and well, the pattern I've gotten my moneys worth out of it.  Not cheap but what can I get for $60 in RTW?  Certainly nothing that is either made well or fits me.
I started out with Hot Patterns Razer pant because the basic draft is good for me.  The L shaped rear crotch works with my flat rear end.  The back on these was pretty easy  to fit.  One thing I did need to add 1/2" for my high right hip.  I took off 3/4" on the left side after I fit them. I also added  1/2" at center back.  I should say that these were the latest adjustments to this pattern.  I had already straightened out the cf and done a flat  rear end alteration which also straightens the cb.

  These have side front pockets and a faced fly front.  I have made them this way but with my uneven waist my pants look  better with a contour waistband and I prefer not having a waistband at my waist so I don't usually make a straight band.  The pockets just add width to my already wide hips, so I skip them.  Not having details at the hip area is better for my figure and doesn't show through tops I don't tuck in.  I sewed up these pants with the changes I showed in the last post, but this fabric doesn't have any lycra in it and I sewed the seams at 5/8" in the hip area.

As I looked at these pictures, I realized that I'd forgotten to interface the hems.   They could use the weight.  Am I going to take out the hem and add it?  No way.  It will do for this pair, but it is something that should be done on non stretch pants hems.

The other thing I did was change the construction order.  Usually you'd sew the pants together and then add the waistband but if you want to be able to easily take them in if you loose weight, that makes it harder.  I also leave the  crotch unsewn for about 1 1/2" before I sew the inseams.  After sewing on the separate waistband pieces I pin fit the side seams and try them on.

The first picture above is one of the side seams.  I cut a separate band piece for each section of pant.  I attach them to each piece and fit the pants.  I sew the facing to each section and then sew them up the side, and rear.  I fold down the facing and stitch in the ditch.  Then if I need to adjust the fit there is much less ripping involved.  You can see where I've attached the facing and need to fold it down and stitch.  The other thing that I've learned is that the facing needs to be slightly smaller at the lower edge  than the waistband to fit smoothly.
I am finally happy with the fit and now I can make lots of pants without having to make a muslin every time.  I also took this pair of pants an narrowed them to an 18 1/2" hem (these are 22" wide) so that I can make some narrow pants to wear with tunics. 

BWOF 110 1/09

I finished this top at the end of last year and just got around to photographing it today.

The fabric is acetate lycra, otherwise known as  slinky from Emmaonesock  that was an end from Chico's. 

It's also in my favorite kind of print:  animal!

See above for the top with my wool and silk pants

Here it is with an earlier jacket you may remember,  the Hot Patterns Riviera Cardigan.

CHANGES I MADE TO THE PATTERN

I usually make a real fba, even in a knit.  Here I cut a 42 in the shoulders easing out to a 44 in the bust and a 46 plus a bit in the hips.  I also straightened out the side seam to make it less form fitting.  I narrowed the shoulder and did a forward shoulder adjustment, changes I regularly make on any pattern.

I should have raised the cf because, true to Burda it was too low.  I added a hook and bar to keep it in place.  Since I want to make this again, I altered the pattern raising the cf.

HOW ARE THE INSTRUCTIONS?

They  are the usual poor Burda  instructions for knits.  I always change the construction order so that I put in the sleeves flat.  Who sets in a knit sleeve? Burda and the big 4. 

I lowered the cap height by folding out a 1/4" better for a knit and making it easier to sew flat.

The pattern calls for making a French binding at the back neck and turning in the raw edge on the front neck and sewing it down.  Why on earth would I  do this?  Knits don't ravel.  My knit was also too thick to make a nice French binding at the back neck. But, again, why make it this way?

Instead I added 3/8" sas all the way around stabilized the neckline with  a  fusible knit stay tape that I'd recently bought and turned and stitched it down with my coverstitch machine.  Easy and it looks good.

I will be making this pattern again.  Absolutely! I love how it fits and looks.  I wish Burda featured more knits like this.  It's a little different and the front gathering is good at hiding a less than flat middle.

Good top and a  well drafted pattern.  Thank you Sigrid for reminding me about this one!

What's up next?  More pants.  I am cutting out a pair of wool black and white twill weave pants.  This fabric was  bought at Paron's half priced annex for $12 a yard; a bargain for such great quality.  These I plan on lining in Bemberg rayon.  After these, I am actually planning on starting spring sewing ahead of the season!  Wow what a concept.