Vogue 8751: Grey Linen

More pants, I guess everyone is getting really sick of seeing them! I promise I will be sewing something else one day!

Same pattern as last time, I added the extra width (about 2cm to inner and outer seams) and in the end I decided that I can't quite get away with 3 buttons at the front as it means the zipper has to sit down too low so I cut the waistband back at the front which raised the zipper and got rid of the bunching I was getting with the last pair.

Other than the pink linen pants I've never actually owned linen pants, I've never even seen them in my size in RTW. I have read that the more you wash them the softer they get and that seems to be happening to the pink ones. The linen is a lot more comfortable than I thought it would be to wear, it has a bit of give and this one is pretty soft. As much as I love the bright pink pants I haven't worn them in public yet, so these are my sensible linen pants, lol.

I think I'm going to need to make my pants a bit tighter though, the last pair has stretched out a bit and so have these already, even with the stay tape at the waistband. This week I'm going to unpick the waistbands and tighten them up a bit, its annoying but I'd rather have to do this than make them too small in the beginning.

PS; if you live in Australia Lincraft is having a 40% off fabric sale (I think it starts next week for non-members?). I've been impressed with their bengalene but the ponte I got from there isn't wearing well, its pilled pretty bad.

Vogue 8751: Pinstripe pants

So more pants! My kids are staying at their cousins house and my hubbie is on afternoon shift so I made these last night. The material is from the op shop, first good find I've had in ages! It's got a subtle pinstripe through it and has some stretch, I think it might be a polyester blend.

I've made this pattern a lot before but since using my pants block I've become a lot more picky with the way my pants fit so I retraced the pattern and used my pants block on it. The front looks ok in these photos but in real life I think the zipper is too low and it needs a little extra in the front rise as it bunches a bit when I walk plus I had to drop the rear crotch by a lot too which makes me think I may have made these pants a tad too tight in the hips so next pair I'll put the zipper slightly higher and add some extra width to the sides.
I used a polkadot cotton on the waistband facing and stay tape around the top of the waistband. I changed the pockets from in seam pockets and added a pocket stay.

 Even after getting the pants block and sewing all these pants its still a bit of crap shoot to get a pair of perfect pants, there are so many factors like material and adjusting the pattern properly that affect the finished pants. I have a real tendency to overfit pants too which I'm trying to break myself of.
I'm a huge convert of the pants block though, it just gives you that extra help before you start and the rest of the pants are so much easier to fit if the crotch area is right.

Vogue 8751: Sailor Pants

Another version of 8751: I've been liking the whole sailor trousers thing, but the flap at the front kind of reminds me of a nappy, so I thought I'd play around a bit with this trouser pattern;
I changed the zipper to a side zipper, originally I did it as a lapped zipper but it added a bit of bulk and looked odd, so I used a invisible zipper instead. I cut the waistband down (and matched it terribly on the sides, I mean geez!)



I dropped my pockets lower and moved them more towards the centre front so I could add the buttons.


I used a stretch crepe and faced the waistband with stretch sateen. Thinking about it now I should have just made a standard version of pants, the button detailing looks cool, but I never tuck my top in normally so no-one will ever see them! But it was fun planning it out and the crepe was surprising nice to sew, didn't like being pressed though.

I did the no-fail welt pocket out of Jackets for Real people


I've been mostly happy with my pants, but a few things still annoy me with them, I get wrinkles at the back (though that seems to depend a lot on how I stand) and I'd like them tighter through the waist but when I do that it causes wrinkles at the front. I'm planning on getting a pants block made by Steph at 3 hours past the edge of the world in a couple more weeks, I can't wait to have a go at it and just get some help with fitting from someone instead of out of a book!

Vogue 8751

You might be getting a bit of deja vu with these pants. I made this pattern originally with this exact material and wasn't happy with the fit or the inseam pockets. In a bit of a crankypants mood I ended up unpicking them, resewing them into capris and have never worn them since.....

I keep on calling them my Prodigy pants because they remind me of the ones that Keith use to wear back in the late 1990's

(Source)

I did the same adjustments as last time But this has to be the stretchiest bengaline I've ever worked with. I took in the side seams by 1" on either side and really should have taken 1/2" to 1" from the very top of the pants so the waistband would sit lower as I'm getting bunching under the back waistband and at the front crotch which is just from excess fabric. But I'm feeling pretty damn lazy lately so it will probably just stay like that!



The main fabric is a Bengaline from Lincraft and I used a Pink Sateen for the waistband facing, fly and pocket lining.


I'm not sure if I've ever mentioned the fly tutorial I use?It's Debbie Cook's jean's fly tutorial and its bloody fantastic! It always turns out perfect and neat.


And in honour of Anzac Day today;

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.

Lest we forget

Vogue 8751 again!

I managed to score some wool blend suiting on clearance for $3 a meter the other day, perfect for another pair of these pants. The wool was a bit scratchy even after a wash so I figured I'd have a go at underlining them. The wool fabric also has 3% lycra so I needed a lining with stretch and its one thing I don't have in my stash so in my wisdom I decided to cut a rayon lining on the bias....I couldn't find any info on bias cut linings but figured I'd baste them on and sew like normal. It was a bit of a PITB, I basted them on and they twisted a bit so I had to unpick and rebaste. Even now they feel like they are twisting slightly. This week Lincraft has their 50% fabric sale so I'm going to stock up a bit on some stretch linings and stash them aside as the underlining does feel so luxurious that I'd love to do it again.



Otherwise these are identical to the last pair and a good practise go at a suit (jacket and pants) I'm planning to make from the other 6m of this suiting that may have followed me home!

On another note I signed up for Susan Khaljie's Couture course over at Craftsy last week. Very impressed so far - Susan is very charismatic in front of the camera and I love how interactive it is - I've already asked her a question and she replied very quickly! I already had the pattern so I've started - marked my pattern pieces and cut out my muslin, just have to trace all the details on. I'm already learning new things - I've never paid so much attention to grain lines before, and never used transfer paper either. I'll post up pictures of my muslin once I've got it sewn together.

Vogue 8751 V2.0

So Vogue 8751, we meet again. After the last attempt I did a bit of reading up and found Colette Patterns Pants fitting cheatsheet
So I ended up doing a 2" full butt adjustment and a 1" flat tummy adjustment. Plus I got rid of the side seam pockets and drafted my own. I found with my Bella Jeans that if the pockets are straight across they don't gape

I ended up using Cotton Sateen for the pockets and waistband facing as I ran out of the Bengaline, I added a zipper facing just to neaten it up.

Plus I thought I'd add a pocket stay to help with any potential pocket gape, lots easier to draw up than I thought, and I like how it keeps the pockets in place.

All in all I'm really happy with them and I know I'll be sewing them again!

Vogue 8751

Pattern description: High waisted, wide legged pants with side seam pockets and waistband variances

Size: I graded up to a size 20 at the waist/hips and down to a 18 at the legs

Material; I think it might be stretch bengaline? I got it ages ago at Lincraft and it is the stretchiest suiting material I've ever seen!


Pattern alterations; Not many, I scooped about an inch out of the front of the waistband. I actually think it needs a shorter waistband at the front as I think that might be part of the problem why I'm getting the wrinkles near the crotch.

I like that these have a nice high waistband, but I've had trouble with the side seam pockets gaping, but then they have in every pair of RTW pants I've bought. And I'm not sure why I'm getting the wrinkles at the crotch area, I can't find it in Pants for Real people, other than it probably means they're too tight, but I can grab a hand full of fabric so I don't think that's it. I compared them to my tried and try pants pattern (Burda Bella Jeans) and they have a longer crotch depth, so maybe that's it? Plus I think I might need to curve the crotch angle backwards?

I'll make these again, but they need a good inch or two or rise at the back and the front waistband narrowed down to make them sit better and me to work out what is going on with the wrinkles, I'm sure its something to do with the crotch (why do I feel like I;m saying crotch a lot, lol), but I'm just not sure what yet


I'm loving the zipper instructions, it went in so easy and looks so neat. Didn't include an underlap but I don't think they really neeed one.


I got a pair of Prym pliers from ebay a while ago and have been slowly getting the rivets, jean buttons and pant hooks from there too. This is the first time I've really used them and they are fantastic! If you've ever have trouble with squashing or bending hammer on fasteners, get a pair!