Using a pants block:

I was asked recently to post up how I use my pants block. I just want to say, this is the way I do it, I'm sure there are different ways and I'm certainly not an expert! If anyone can suggest a smarter or different way to do it, please do!

I've traced my pants blocks onto cardboard, I have one set with darts and one set with no darts. The different seam lines are just for woven and stretch fabrics. When use a stretch fabric I drop the rear crotch and take in the sides. You don't need to put it onto cardboard but I find it easier to see under my pattern.

First step (This is the back of the pants). Mark the stitching lines on the top of the pants piece and the bottom of the waistband then align.

 

I slide my pants block under at this stage and make sure the grain lines are parallel.

 

I usually line up the crotch line on the pants block and the pattern, this way the inner leg length stays the same length and doesn't need adjusting later.

 

Adjust the pattern pieces to match the pants block (you can see my lines in red texta)

 

 

I extend my lines downwards following the same shape as the pattern to add extra width because I usually need it.

 

Same thing with the front - Line up waistband and pants stitching lines.

 

 

Make sure the grainlines are parallel

 

 

 Adjust the crotch and side seams

I usually have to make a fold in the front panel to line up the front and drop the centre front  waistband height.

After I've adjusted the front and back I walk the seamlines to check that it all matches (I used to skip that until I made 2 pairs of pants that fit kind of weirdly and I realised it was because of the seamlines not matching up properly).

 

This was an easy pattern to adjust, usually I have to drop a lot more in the front and raise the centre back a lot more. If a pattern has pockets I just overlap them and line up the stitching lines like we did with the waistband and top of the pants.

I should mention too that even with adjusting the flat pattern I still cut out the fabric with large outer seam allowances (about 1" extra) as a fitting allowance, once its basted I try it on and adjust to fit. Its always easier to take it in than to try and add width!

I can do more of these posts with different patterns and style of pants  if anyone is interested?

Stripy McCalls 6408

 

I've had this made for a week or so now but the weather has been so dreadful I haven't been able to take photos. I still only got a couple of pics in between rain downpours so the photos are a bit uninspired!

 

I really like this pattern, I've made it a few times now (including a slight disaster of a zebra print version last month, sounded like such a great idea but was way too overwhelming once made!) Grey version and Black version.

 

It has tons of included ease so this is a sz M with a 1" FBA, 2" upper arm width, 3" off the length, graded out at the hips and an added back seam for shaping.

 

The material is a striped ponte knit from fabric.com which is out of stock now unfortunately, its thinner than I what I would normally call a ponte but has just enough stretch and was lovely to sew.
 

I wear one of these cardigans at least once or twice a week through winter, they are so warm and comfy and so easy to throw on with a pair of jeans in the morning.

Burdastyle Handbook: Hooded Coat

 

This is the third time I've made this for my daughter, its turned into her TNT coat pattern!
This version is similar to the last one, Sz 42 but I took it in at the waist and lengthened the bodice. I also took a 1/2" tuck out of the front bodice piece and pleated the skirt rather than gathering it. The hood is traced off a hoodie she has that fit well.

The fabric is a stretch drill from the best garage sale ever, its a mint colour but the photos all came out slightly darker than it is in real life. The lining was a satin she picked out, there was only enough to line the body so the sleeves are a poly lining from Great Nan's stash.

Since the skirt section was pleated I hid the pockets in a pleat, copying the directions from the Colette Macaron dress.

The buttons are reused from the first version of this pattern.

The belt was made mostly following Tilly's tutorial except I used elastic instead of interfacing and some press studs. Makes a really cute belt and I"ll be making more!

I did flat piping around the facings again, I really like how it looks and how little bulk it adds compared to normal piping.

Final word from the daughter;

Simplicity 2345 Top and Jeans Contest

So, this is the third time I've made this top and its kind of a fail! I used a rib knit that I got from fabric.com and it's not quite as stretchy as the last material I used plus it has pretty much zero recovery. I cut the hem off once already because it stretched out when sewing and it still looks wavy now. I had to add about 1" to the sides and scoop the armholes out more but it still feels too tight in the armholes, probably because I used bias binding to finish the arms and it just doesn't give as much as the main material.

I have more of this fabric in a grey and I think I'll make a cowl neck Renfrew from it, I think having bands to finish the hems might be the only way to control the waviness.

Jeans Contest

A big motivator to make my last pair of jeans (which I'm wearing here!) was to enter them into the Jeans contest at patternreview.com. I kind of waffled back and forth about entering for the last couple of weeks before finally deciding to go for it on the last day!

So if you are a member please have a look and have a vote, there are some really nice jeans over there!

Vogue 8774: Jeans

More jeans! Similar to this pair, I used my TNT pattern of Vogue 8774 with the legs from the Thurlow pants and used my pants block to adjust it.

The denim is from Rathdowne fabrics, its fairly stiff but seems to be wearing well.

I think I have finally cracked the perfect waistband treatment. Using a denim facing and the topstitching really does help, I think it was the cotton facings I've always used that really contributed to stretching out. Because the denim was stretch denim I also cut the waistband with a little negative ease. Using a denim facing does add a little bulk and my machine refused to sew the belt loops on but I figure its worth it.

I used high density elastic as the interfacing, other than some fusible behind the button and buttonhole the waistband has no other interfacing in it. The elastic gives it  stability and stops it folding down plus stops it stretching out over the day. I left a small section of the facing slip stitched down so if need be I can tighten (or loosen) the elastic without having to unpick the whole waistband as well.

Its a combo of Debbie Cooks elastic waistband method and Sandra Betzinas method out of Power sewing except I don't zig zag the elastic down so I can alter it a lot easier at a later date if I need to, mine is just threaded through and stitched down near the front pockets where the belt loops would normally cover it up.

I used a Gutermann upholstery thread in 968 for the topstitching and the normal poly thread for the bartacks and buttonholes.

I wanted a slightlier funky look to the back pockets this time and found these large eyelets in Lincraft. I bashed them a little too hard and if you look really closely they are slightly oval but I like the look of them, something different than just topstitching the pockets.

I've been wearing them around a lot and the legs have bagged out bu the waist hasn't so I count it as a win! I've had a terrible run of sewing lately, lots of wadders (skirts, I'm looking at you!) so its nice to sew something that fits and is really comfy to wear!



Folk Tale Bunting Quilt

My cousin has just had a baby so it quilting time again!
I got a small selection of this fabric (Folk Tale by Natalie Lymer) when I was last in Victoria at the Ballarat patchwork. Its really cute, has little hedgehogs and birds all over it.

I pieced her name into the back of the quilt, I've been freehand piecing names which has been working ok but I downloaded the Refrigerator Magnets from Oh, Fransson! and it is so much quicker! (I found the freezer paper at Spotlight)

I freemotion stippled again, I like how crinkly the quilt gets after washing and drying with free motion quilting. Anyway, not much else to say, I posted it up to my cousin and she's really happy with it!

Jalie 2445: Fleece trackpants

Not very glamorous or very exciting but you cannot beat a comfy warm pair of fleece trackpants when the weather is getting colder. I wore them all day today (excuse the wrinkles and bits of thread all over them!) and they were the ultimate comfy trackie dacks.

I have an old pair of Bonds trackpants that I use for painting now but they are a very similar pant so I copied the pockets from them. They are an inseam pocket with the back fleece and the front a thinner interlock to cut down on bulk and they have the top of the pockets sewn into the waistband.

I should have interfaced the pocket opening because they really started to stretch/stand out out so I unpicked some of the topstitching and threaded through elastic and restitched the ends. It makes them look a bit buckled when lying flat but make them sit nice and flat against my legs when I'm wearing them.

The pattern says to use self fabric for the waistband but again I copied my old Bonds ones and used ribbing, left off the tie and added elastic.

I got the fleece from Lincraft (they had a big fleece sale this week). I've never gotten fleece from there before so I'm not sure how it will wear but I figure fleece is pretty indestructible.

I went up a size or two because the fleece isn't overly stretchy and cut a sz EE. I used my pants block to adjust them, I had to increase the back rise but that was it on the back pattern piece and the front had some added to the sides and the waistband sides raised up too plus I had to scoop out the crotch more. The original fit was exactly the same as my old Bonds ones but they always drove me nuts because of how low they were! They are a pretty wide, straight leg pant not really what I'd class as a yoga pant but maybe if you made them from a stretchier fabric they would be.

The pattern is OOP now, but you can get it as a download from here