the pants journey. pt 2

Ok peeps, time for a pants part 2. Just a reminder, I'm using the Design It Yourself Clothes book. Here's the completed pattern pieces:


Since you're drafting from measurements, you can add whatever shaping or ease you wish at the legs/etc. I have added a slight bootcut and the rest is a pretty slim fit. I figured if I can get a slimmer pant to look nice and fit well, I'm in like Flynn for everything else.

And here's my first muslin. I actually finished this one Sunday but didn't have time to snap a pic until tonight. Sorry, no waist shots because I haven't actually attached the waistband yet!


Things I learned from the first muslin:
Rise Measurement: The book instructs you to hold a book or other object between your legs, then measure the distance from your waist to the top edge of the book for the rise. I did measure this way, but didn't take into account that my front waist dips about 1" or more in front. That's why you don't have a back view. It's most definitely not PG-13.
**The Fix: I raised the back pattern piece by 1", and also to the side fronts, truing the seamline to meet my original center front (which fits perfect by the way. Wow.)

Thigh Measurement: I'm so used to adding to the "thighs" of other patterns that I just automatically didn't trust my pattern draft and added .5" to the outer thigh of front & back. That's the extra 'pouchy' fabric on my outer thighs. Yeah, I guess I drafted better than I thought!
**The Fix: Remove .5" addition from outer thighs on pattern.

High/Full Hips in Back: This is just a usual alteration for me. I always muslin without adding this, and always have to go back and add it in. No difference here. Since I was using the "Rise" measurement for my pant back & front, I not only need the additional 1" above (in back) but also an additional .5" to 1" for my high, full hips.
**The Fix: I tried on my BurdaPlus pant from last week and tied an elastic around my waist. Then, I adjusted my pants by pulling up or down until I lost the drag lines and wrinkles. Lu took a tailor's chalk and chalked a line around the top of the elastic at my waist, then I removed the pants. Note, the Burda pant has an elastic waist, so I marked that 1.25" casing line also. It turns out at exact CF and CB I'm "perfect". It's just everywhere else that's a little off. ;)

I cut this piece away at the chalked line. This gave me a crazy looking piece of fabric! But it also served as a map of how much I need to add to each front and back piece to account for my assorted lumps and bumps. I traced this fabric "waist map" onto tissue and carefully labeled it. I think if you click the large version, you can see a little better how it works.


The "clear" sections of the pattern are the original waist area (the dotted line would be the actual waist seamline plus s/a). The shaded portions are what I need to add or remove. Note that I need this adjustment on basically ALL pants and some skirts, so I'll just keep this little pattern for future reference (disgarding the lefthand portion probably. I can fine-tune.) In front it's more interesting than in back, which is almost a solid 1" straight across.

I'm pretty happy so far. I've already adjusted the pattern pieces and now I just need to muslin again and add the waistband this time to fine tune. I'll get a better idea of the fit in back with a waistband.

I have to say, I can't believe how easy this was to draft. Now I'm excited to try the t-shirt pattern and basic blouse pattern! I've already recorded all the necessary measurements.

I should add that I left off one piece of equipment in my last post photo that I needed...a French curve or "hip curve". I have a French curve that I used to draft the curve at the crotch, waist, and side seam. You could probably do it without, but I found it really, really helpful.

So, have you bought the book yet??