I’ve met some serious secret pajama goals with this pair of pants. In making these wide-legged, comfortable, sailor-inspired jeans, I’m revisiting a pattern I tried for the first time last summer: Simplicity 8391, view C.
Simplicity 8391
Only this time I added seven inches to the length of the cropped pants in the pattern to make full-length pants/trousers, and I made them in denim because after several years of skinny jeans, I’m ready to let my legs out of prison, at least some of the time. Plus, these feel about as great as a nice pair of pajama pants.
Family help with pictures means things get silly.
I made these from a lighter midweight denim from Fabric Place Basement in Natick, MA. Fabric Place Basement is turning out to be a good source of denim for me. This denim was nicely drapey rather than stiff, perfect for wide leg pants.
I cut a 22. Really, I just altered the pattern I used this summer by adding length. My hem is 1.25 inches, but next time, I think I would make it an inch deeper, so I’d add one more inch to the length, allowing me 2.25 inches for my hem.
Pants, inside front
Pants, inside back
I changed the invisible zipper the pattern calls for to a lapped zipper with the help of Gertie’s New Book for Better Sewing by Gretchen Hirsch (the machine-sewn lapped zipper directions). I wanted to use a larger, more heavy duty jeans zipper.
That went pretty well, but I didn’t think about the best way to attach everything, so I sewed the zip to the pants and waistband, and then had some trouble figuring out how to secure the waistband facing without it interfering with the zipper. I got it in the end, but there’s probably a better way to do it. I also had some trouble closing the rest of the seam below the zip, so I used a combination of hand and machine sewing.
I covered the bottom edge of the waistband facing with a cute, striped vintage bias tape. I should have used double fold bias tape rather than single, or just done a Hong Kong seam finish rather than binding the edge, but I really wanted those stripes.
Normally, with jeans, I use a zigzag stitch to finish the seams, but now that I have a serger, I serged all my seam allowances, which looks a lot neater. I’m really happy with that.
I love the large pockets and the comfortable straight leg in this pattern. The denim I used also seems to have a good amount of mechanical stretch, which adds to the comfort, and the jeans zipper feels much more secure than the invisible zipper in my last pair.
I really love looser pants in the winter so I can fit a pair of long underwear underneath whenever necessary, but I think these will actually work year-round.
While I’m starting to think that, overall, I like a straight leg pant better than a wide leg style, as a straight leg is slightly narrower, this pattern is so cute and comfy that I would definitely make it again.
It’s also really nice to have more than one style of jean in your closet, you know? So, I’ll keep a pair or two of skinny jeans around while adding all the other fun cuts and styles I feel like making, too. 🙂
Today’s project is Simplicity 1696, a slim pant/trouser pattern that comes with different pattern pieces for slim/average and curvy fit. (I think it may be out of print, but you can still find it in various places on the internet.) I’ve made this pattern once before in a gray stretch sateen, but this time, I decided to go beyond basic and use a fun print for my pants–octopi! This fabric is a quilting cotton called Mystery Food by Cotton + Steel. I’ve had some serious yardage of this from Pintuck & Purl for a long time now, and it was time to start using it. I can always sew (or buy) normal clothes, but I’m not here to only sew normal clothes. Sometimes, I just have to make the crazy stuff. It takes more courage to wear, but it’s also really fun.
So, let’s talk pants (or trousers, if you prefer)! This is a great pattern. The directions have a little worksheet for you to help you figure out if you need the slim/average or curvy back piece. I really like the teaching aspect of this pattern.
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I took all my measurements and found that the curvy piece would be best. This time around I used the size 20 because my measurements have gone up a bit and because this quilting cotton is a non-stretch fabric, whereas the fabric I used last time had stretch. I really like the ease that’s included in most of the Big 4 patterns because I like my clothes a little looser-fitting, however I think I probably could have stayed with the 18 on this one. When these come out of the washer and dryer, they fit close, but they loosen up right away and can get a little baggy by the end of the day. The good news is, they are very comfortable.
Although I really like this pattern, and think it’s a great basic, there were a few parts of the directions that I had trouble with, so this is the part to skip if you’re not here for the details.
Details
The main issue I had was with the fly. It’s not hard to put it in, but it really doesn’t overlap enough. I want the zipper to sit deeper in the fly so that it doesn’t show when it’s closed. I think next time I might study the Ginger Jeans directions (from Closet Case Patterns) to see how they did it and see if I can adapt it to this pattern. I have a really hard time going “off-book” sometimes and not using the directions given. It’s an area I can stand to grow in, so this may be a good opportunity. My zipper went in ok, but there’s stitching all over the place, which looks ugly to me. Who knows? Maybe I missed something.
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I did depart from the directions in Step 20. Rather than hand-basting the fly in place, I pinned on the outside and carefully stitched over the marked seamline with a clear embroidery foot.
I also did something funky with the waistband, cutting off some excess that I needed, which I soon realized, and sewed back on. You can see it in the first zipper picture above. Haha! Sometimes I make ridiculous mistakes. I have no idea what that was about, but the crazy print camouflages a lot, so it’s ok.
I omitted the faux welt pockets on the back. Maybe someday, if I try to perfect this pattern, I’ll add real welt pockets. The fake welts just look too fake to me.
Fitting
This is definitely an area I have to work on, but one great thing about this pattern is that there is a “Fine Tuning as You Sew” section that gives you an order for your fitting and different things you might need to tweak.
I took in the center back seam by 1/2″. I needed more back thigh room (at least that was my guess, judging by some of the lines in the back), so I minimized the inseam seam allowances at the top. I also sewed a deeper crotch curve in the back. Sometimes when you do that, you have to add more width at the hip, but these were roomy enough that I didn’t have to. There are still some lines radiating out from the back at the top of the thighs, but I just left them. The additional thigh room helped a little, but I’m not sure how to make them disappear completely, so for now they are good enough. Pants fitting is still not something that I have down, but I’m learning!
Final Thoughts
I like these pants a lot, but they do look a bit like pajama pants to me. It’s hard to see the darts and the pockets because everything just blends together with the print. I’d be curious to see how these look in a twill bottomweight fabric. By the way–in case you are wondering–the pockets on these pants are great. They are nice and roomy, and don’t stick out too much.
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I still feel like I have a little work to do in the fitting department. I have my usual fitting quandary with these, which is that I think something is off, but I don’t know what it is or how to fix it. It might be that I need a heavier fabric or maybe something that I’m not yet aware of. Fitting in general feels a little bit like reaching around in the dark and hoping you can figure out what it is you just bumped into. Every little light that you manage to shed on it helps, though.
Overall, I’m glad I made these pants, and will be curious to see how well this fabric holds up as pants and how much I wear these. I would definitely make this pattern again in the future.
front
back
Recommendations
This one is for those who are local to the North Shore of Massachusetts (or for anyone traveling here). My husband and I tried George’s of Gloucester (I guess it’s technically called George’s Coffee Shop) a little while ago, and it was great! The menu was really creative, you definitely won’t leave hungry, and the people working there seem to be happy to be there. I’m really noticing places like that these days–you can tell when the employees are happy, and it affects everyone around them in a good way.
I just saw “Night Sky” petunias at one of my local nurseries and found them really striking. They make me think of speckled enamelware or splatter painting (or, of course, a night sky). I’m not usually a petunia fan, but these might end up in my garden this year. Clearly I’m in a speckle phase.
I love Erica Bunker’s version of McCall’s 7330. I just bought this jumpsuit pattern, and I love how she made the waistband with elastic and used industrial snaps. So smart!
And now it’s time for some tiny hands! Check out this tiny hands makeup tutorial. I don’t wear makeup, but this is so funny, it doesn’t even matter.
As I was choosing my projects for the year, I wanted to make sure I had a few pants (or trousers for my non-American friends out there) on my list because I realized that I still fear making them and therefore I avoid them. It’s not the construction that I fear. It’s fitting. Here’s the problem with fitting…you might know something isn’t right, but that doesn’t mean you know the cause of the issue. How can you fix a problem if you don’t even know what the problem is? But when I look back at my experience making button up shirts, which I have come to love, I realize that you can’t figure out your common fitting issues if you never make the garment in the first place.
So, this year pants are on the list.
I’ve had this particular pattern for a long time, but I’ve never made it before now.
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It’s one of the Amazing Fit series, so it sounded like it had a lot of extra fitting tips inside, and it definitely delivered. Before beginning, it directs you to take certain measurements to determine which back piece you will use–slim, average, or curvy. Once I measured myself, I chose curvy. There are some great tips for fitting as you go as well as extra-wide seam allowances in key places. The pattern has directions for adding faux welt pockets to the back, but after trying them out, I thought they looked fake, so I took them off again. Otherwise, I did everything as instructed. The only fitting I did was to take the inseams in by 1/8″.
That being said, I think there is excess fabric in the back, and I don’t know what to do about that. MY FITTING FEARS HAVE COME TO PASS! AHHHH!!!!
OK, so it’s not quite as scary as I thought. 😉
You can see it better in the picture below.
The fabric I used for these pants is a cotton/spandex sateen from Jo-Ann Fabrics. It’s a little on the light side, although it is a bottomweight. So, here is my question for you, readers: do you think all the back wrinkles are due to fabric choice or something else? The feel of these pants is perfection. They are comfortable and not too tight. But the look of the back leaves something to be desired. Should I have gone with the average back? Is it something else entirely? The few shorts I have made before have generally needed more length in the back crotch seam rather than less, but maybe these are different? I’m not sure.
After trying them on, I decided not to worry too much about it. Hopefully I’ll run across the answer at some point (maybe one of you will have it), but since these feel so comfortable, I decided not to let my fitting questions stop me from finishing the project.
So, final analysis? This is a great pattern, which I highly recommend. For myself, I may not have figured the pattern out to perfection, but I now have one more pair of pants under my belt (haha), and I’m a little bit less afraid.
Recommendations
Anyone who has been reading the blog for awhile will know that I love fabric from Cotton + Steel (the tiger shirt I’m wearing in the photos above is made with Cotton + Steel fabric), so it was a lot of fun to hear about the inception of the design group as well as the personal story of Melody Miller, one of the founding designers. If you want to listen, you can check out this podcast episode from Modern Sewciety and/or this one from the Crafty Planner podcast. If you are new to podcasts, you can find out how to listen to them by scrolling to the bottom of the second link.
My husband and I have very different taste in books, but every once in awhile he comes across one that, while it may not be my typical genre, he is sure that I will like. He’s a good judge of these things, so that’s what caused me to dip my toe into a little sci-fi recently with the audiobook version of Starwars: Bloodline–New Republic…and it was so good.
If you are north of Boston, whether in Massachusetts, southern New Hampshire, or southern Maine and are looking for a good place to eat, I highly recommend The Farm Bar & Grille for delicious, casual food. Good for a date, good for a family outing. I’ve only tried the Massachusetts branch, but I’d be willing to bet the New Hampshire and Maine ones are good too.
I think this particular bad lip read video is appropriate since I just recommended a Star Wars book…(And if your kids are standing by while you watch it, Luke says “pitchy” at the end, not the word that rhymes with pitchy that we tell our kids not to say. 😉 )
Today’s project has been a long time in the making. And the inspiration for it comes totally and completely from an amazing seamstress on the other side of the world: meggipeg.
Ever since I saw her version of a pair of Balmain jeans made from the Jamie jeans pattern by Named, I wanted my own. But, like a lot of projects that I knew were going to take some work, I had to psych myself up. I didn’t own the Jamie Jeans pattern and, like most indie patterns, it wasn’t cheap. I kept thinking about it, and almost committed to buying the pattern before realizing that with just a little more work, I could use a pattern that I already had. And then came the perfect impetus to get going on making my dream a reality: I had signed up for a class. And not just any class, but a choose-your-own-sewing-adventure kind of class where you pick what you want to work on. The time was now.
All my class projects ready to go!
I had verbally signed up for Lauren Taylor’s (a.k.a. Lladybird’s) Sewing Master Class at Pintuck & Purl way back in May, when I first heard about it. I love seeing all the things that Lauren sews, and I knew it would be a great opportunity to work on some projects that I found intimidating. So, along with a few other projects, I came up with my pants scheme. It was time to finally make some super-cool pants a la meggipeg and Balmain of my own.
However…I didn’t love the idea of figuring out how to fit a new jeans pattern, especially when I also had so many other project supplies to buy, and that’s when I realized: I could use the Ginger Jeans pattern. All I needed to do beyond what I was already going to do was change the front pocket and add front leg seams. I don’t hack patterns much. But this seemed worth the time investment. In addition to the aforementioned changes, I drew up some parallelograms for the sides of the front legs and divided up the back pocket.
Adding a seam to the front leg.
Changing the front pocket shape.
I had plans to add zippers to the front of my jeans as well, similar to Papercut Patterns’ Starboard Jeans, but these didn’t make it into the final pants (because I forgot to put them in before doing the pockets). Oh, well! I also contemplated zippers at the bottom of the jeans, but decided against those before beginning.
Ooops! I forgot the zippers!
I didn’t get a lot done on these in the class, because this was the third of my several projects (not all of which will show up on the blog–sorry), but preparing for the class forced me to make the necessary pattern changes beforehand. It got me going on the pants and I managed to cut out the pattern and get started during class.
Just in case you’re wondering about supplies, I’d love to share. Here’s where everything came from:
Pellon midweight interfacing, jeans button by Dritz, Gutermann thread (topstitching and regular), bias tape: Jo-ann Fabrics
pocketing (vintage sheet): thrifted
I love this vintage sheet as pocket material!
I did one or two things differently on the construction side of these than on my first pair of Ginger Jeans. This time around, I interfaced my waistband (good idea!) and used true topstitching thread (so-so). I do think I’ll interface the waistband in the future, but I might try a different alternative for the topstitching thread. Maybe I’ll use upholstery or button/craft thread, or maybe I just need a bigger needle and different tension on my machine. I had a lot of thread nests with the topstitching thread and it just wasn’t my favorite overall.
Time for less talk and more pictures, right?
The pants themselves? I LOVE them!!!!! So far I’ve worn them about five days out of the last two weeks. Yep! I hope I’m not the only one that calculates how many people I’ll see more than once in a week so I can rewear outfits! But even if I am–oh, well!
I love these pants so much. The ease is great, the fit is great, the stretch is great, and the fabric is great. It was definitely worth the effort to make these. Thanks for the idea, meggipeg! I hope you take my emulation of you as a compliment. I’m always impressed with your style.
I even made a flannel shirt to go with it! Stay tuned for more details on that…
Recommendations
I really love these Carhartt’s socks. This isn’t an affiliate link or anything (I don’t do those currently.), just some socks I like. I like the colors, and they keep my feet warm without making them sweaty, which means I can wear my Converse All-Stars or moccasin booties without getting numb toes when the weather is cold.
Robert Kaufman fabric. I love Robert Kaufman fabric (in fact, I have some of their Mammoth Plaid that I just made into the flannel shirt of my dreams). The fabric is moderately priced and great quality–and they have so many options.
The Imagine Gnats online shop. I have a really hard time getting myself to buy fabric online, always preferring to see it in person first, but I have to recommend this shop. The customer service is great and so is the curated fabric selection. I’ve probably ordered twice from here and I have to give owner Rachel Gander props for the extra little sticker and piece of candy she put in my orders and for ending what has felt like an age-long search for the perfect olive green stretch twill.
And because candy corn is one of my favorite fall treats, here is a video that shows how candy corn is made:
Fall has officially started (the autumnal equinox was Thursday, September 22), but I still have one more summer garment to share with you. I also have a few other projects I did during the summer, but those are great for any season, so we’ll save them for another time. Today I want to talk about these pants!
I really wanted some wide-leg linen pants for summer, and I also wanted to try sewing with linen, something I hadn’t done until I made this Datura blouse (also pictured). When trying to find a pattern for the pants I had in mind, I remembered some scrub pants I owned in college. They had a wide, straight leg and were the ultimate in comfort. Since I hadn’t been able to find a pattern I really liked among the “regular” clothing patterns, I turned to the scrub patterns, and found Simplicity 1020.
I figured I could use that and just leave off a few of the extra pockets, keeping the front and back ones. I found my fabric at Fabric.com–a Kaufman Essex Yarn Dyed Linen blend (55% linen, 45% cotton) in blue and a cotton/rayon (50% cotton, 45% rayon, 5% Lycra) knit in Indigo for the top of the pants. Other than that, I just needed elastic and thread, which I had in my stash.
I made a quick muslin out of a sheet since I’ve had to do so many fit adjustments on recent bottoms, but while these could maybe have been tweaked slightly, they were good overall, and I decided to make them without adjustments. This makes me wonder if the Simplicity pants/shorts patterns will fit me better (i.e. with fewer adjustments) than McCall’s and Butterick. I’ll have to explore that as I make more pants. The pants themselves were not too difficult to sew up, although I did prolong the process by finishing all my seams. Finishing seams used to feel like such a chore and while it still does sometimes, I didn’t want thready insides once these pants were finished and went through the wash. I used a turned-and-stitched finish (a.k.a. clean-finish) per the instructions in the Reader’s Digest Complete Guide to Sewing.
The linen seemed too thick for French seams, although I’m open to hearing about other finishes people have used. I also basically did a double turned hem for all the pockets and then topstitched them on so that I wouldn’t get threads in the pockets, either. Last, but not least, I covered the seam where the main pants fabric joined the knit waist fabric with bias tape.
All of that added quite a bit of time, but I was really happy with these when they were finished. I don’t know what has happened to me, but it makes me really happy to see those beautiful insides in a project. I guess I’m “growing up” as a sewist. 😉
I think my only question on the whole thing is the hem length. If I had hemmed these at the suggested spot, they would have been long, but probably good with heels. I turned them up one more time so I could wear them with flatter shoes, and I think that is the right length for lower shoes, but sometimes, at some angles, they look a little bit like floods. (Wow. I just used Google Images to look up “flood pants”. It was a little different than I expected, but I think my statement still stands.) I didn’t actually cut my excess off the hems, so if I change my mind later, I can rehem them to be longer. I’m done with them for this year, though.
These pants are super comfortable (secret pajamas for the win!) and they wrinkle much, much less than I thought they would–maybe because of the cotton blended in? I think of cotton as pretty wrinkly, but who knows? Maybe because of the midweight? I don’t know. Whatever it is, I’m happy with them. Now it’s on to fall sewing!
Recommendations
Here’s one more post from Cotton + Steel about the fabric called cotton lawn. Sounds like lawn is a winner for your button up shirt needs.
I’m really impressed and intrigued by the embroidery of Tessa Perlow. This article about her has some great pictures so you can get a feel for what she does. I think I’d like to try adding embroidery to some of my garments someday…
If you are a garment sewist in fairly close proximity to Exeter, NH, you might enjoy the Pattern Review Meetup happening at Pintuck & Purl this Saturday, September 24 from 2-4pm.
Jellyfish or jelly fish? Be careful how you say it!
Pattern and Branch 