Burda 6933

It's taken me this long to finally make a pair of pants for my son.  Well, when he was little I used to make him pants, but I haven't made him any pants (aside from pajama pants) since he was five.  Clearly, I haven't earned my "Mom of the Year" t-shirt....yet.

So here they are!  My son's not a fan of wearing jeans, so I decided to make a pair of chinos from Burda 6933.  I originally decided to make him pants because he's a 29" waist and a 34" inseam and folks, that's not an easy find.  I'm able to find jeans in his size but finding chinos is a different story.  And...he was completely open to the idea for which I am grateful...and since he's 14, I'm also fortunate.

Friends, I want you to know there were no sewing notions or fabrics hurt in the construction of these pants AND I didn't cry but....this was one of those projects that just didn't go together easily.  The majority of my difficulties came with fitting the pants (I took them apart 2, 3 or maybe 4 times) because they are a very slim fit and very short.  

I made several changes to the pattern to make it work for him:

• Added 4" to the length (he is tall) 
• Added 1/2" in the seat and 1" on each side so he had a bit more room to move and sit down.
• Widened the leg width from 11 1/2" to 13 1/2". 
• Made the belt loops 1/2" longer.

They look great on him even though I was quite frustrated.  I plan on making them again and if you plan on making them, here are some things I would change:

• Lower the welt pocket so it doesn't fall above the tip of the dart but over the dart (you can see in the picture above, the bottom of the dart falls below the welt.  It would look better and smoother below the dart).
• Use this tutorial from Poppykettle for the welt.
• Make the pant legs overall a little roomier.

Truth be told, I think I will be able to use this pattern again but I don't recommend this pattern to anyone unless you have some experience with pant construction.  We don't want any crying while sewing, right?

I have a gray pair on deck....wish me luck!

Simplicity 1696 - I Need to Make a Red Pair

Okay, so it's next to impossible to get a good detailed picture of a black garment (this is my third round of photos) but I'm posting this anyway. I love this pants pattern so in order to better share it with you I need to make a RED pair....don't you agree? Alright...you talked me into it. But until then, I'll give you the "skinny" on my new skinny pants.

I cleaned out my closet and found that, aside from jeans, I had two pair of pants! Yikes. I realize I spend a lot of time in jeans and skirts, but I need pants to put outfits together. No wonder I never have anything to wear. Let's face it, we sewists sew because we love fabric! We see something pretty, buy it, bring it home and make it....practicality aside. But there comes a time when we need to address the basics in our wardrobe. Simplicity 1696 does that.

This is my second Amazing Fit pattern (here's the first) and I don't know why I waited so long. Although approaching a pair of pants can be daunting, this pattern really helps. It comes in sizes 8-22 but in each size you can choose from slim, average or curvy fit based on the difference between your waist and hip measurements. I made a muslin in size 12 average fit (which folks, took less time than it did to find the pattern pieces....a pant muslin is always worth the time) and found I only needed to make an adjustment in the waist. Could it be true?

I added a fly extension to the pant front BEFORE I cut it out so I could use this fantastic zip fly application method. It's really well written but take note, this pant pattern has the fly on the opposite side of the tutorial so you need to mirror what you see in the tutorial. I also added real welt pockets instead of mock like the pattern calls for using this tutorial.

I have since made another pair without front pockets out of a very lightweight stretch denim and I love them even more! My hunt for red stretch denim is currently underway!

Here's my pattern review:

Pattern Description:
Misses' & Miss Petite pants slim pants have fly front, contoured waist band and front slash pockets. Individual pattern pieces included for slim, average and curvy fit.
Pattern Sizing:
Sizes 8-22. I made a 12 in the average fit.
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Yes.
Were the instructions easy to follow?
The instructions were easy to follow and did include some tips for fitting.
What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I love the fit. I made a muslin and the only adjustment I had to make was to the waistband and I can't say that's every happened to me before. The construction of the pants allows you to make final adjustments to fitting without having to take everything apart. It also has 1" seam allowances in key fitting areas.
Fabric Used:
I used a black stretch twill that has a comfortable amount of stretch (but I do wish it was a little softer)
Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
I added real welt pockets (instead of the mock that the pattern calls for), I added a fly extension directly to the front pattern piece before cutting it out and used a different fly zipper application method (so much easier). More info on my blog if you're interested.
Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
I'm making a second pair now in a very soft lightweight stretch denim and hope to make a red pair.