Yes, I made myself new pants and the best part is, they fit! I sewn everything from my own wedding dress to quilts and beyond. Making pants, besides pajama bottoms, has been a tough one for me. I’ve made toddler blue jeans, but making pants for myself has never been successful. You know why? I didn’t take the time to alter the pattern to fit my body. Well, a little pant snafu last week forced me to make a pair and take the time to do it right!
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Pant Snafu
The pants in the picture below have been with me for many years. I loved them and wore them quite frequently. Last week I was having a little lunch before I went to work. I happened to drop something in my lap and when I looked down, I saw the hole. Since I was about 5 minutes from leaving the house, I was very grateful I saw this before I left!
I have big thighs so this tends to happen to most of my pants. These pants have such an interesting texture and color, which is why I loved them. I will be using them for something else, just don’t know what yet.
The Pattern
Since I was down to 2 pair of dress pants, I had to make some new pants. Yes, I could of visited the store, but I’m trying to sew more for myself this year! I picked a pattern out of my stash that was simple, but didn’t look like pajama bottoms. This one has a simple waist band with a side zip, perfect!
I used the Colette Patterns Pants Fitting Cheat Sheet to alter the pattern. Colette has a wonderful library of sewing tips and techniques, all for free. They also have a podcast called Seamwork Radio you can listen to while you sew. I’m not going to show you all the alterations I made but I will show you my finished pants. I used a creamy, linen type fabric with a contrasting side zip and waist lining.
Yes, my dart is twisted on one side! Here’s a close up.
The pattern calls for a hook and eye at the top of the zip. I don’t know if I’ll add one yet, it just depends on how they wear.
Interior detail.
There are a couple problems. The “crotch” area is still to large and low in the front and the legs are a little too wide. I will alter this in the pattern for my next pair.
I pressed a crease in the front, which was not on the pattern, but I think it looks nicer. These pants do not stay wrinkle free very long! My dog decided to photo bomb me!
All in all I’m happy with them and I have new pants! This pattern is easy enough for beginning sewers, just 3 pattern pieces. The zipper might be a challenge, but you have to start somewhere!
