What I Learned From Making Ottobre Magazine Pants

I want to share what I learned from making The Ottobre Magazine (Fall issue) pants. I really love the pants and the pattern isn’t terribly difficult, especially if you’ve made pants before. But there were some aspects of this I found more challenging than they needed to be.

These pants are described as wide-leg and high-waisted. They are very comfortable and really feel good when wearing. Not to mention that I simply love the style!

What I Learned

One thing that really came to mind when I got to the fly is that I need very clear instructions. The instructions are rather basic. There aren’t many detailed how-tos when constructing these. The website does have additional information. I need details. Using patterns from the “big4”, we get plenty of instruction.

I also need detailed pattern markings. When construction the fly front, I should have done my own markings. The pattern only had a few marks for this part. While I was able to put these together, it would have been better constructed had I added my own details.

What I Did

In order to compensate for the lack of instruction, I did copy some pattern instructions from a Simplicity pants pattern I had made previously.

The Results

What I learned from making Ottobre Magazine pants is that I may need to spend additional time to find resources that will help me in the construction. Getting a good fit for the final garment is always a goal. I am happy with the fit and how these turned out. When using magazine patterns, additional resources might be necessary. If you aren’t sure or don’t do particular techniques often, I highly recommend reading through the instructions and figuring out what else you may need for success.

This was my first time making something from this magazine, although I have a few other Ottobre magazine issues. Let me know if you’ve ever used one of these (or similar) magazine patterns.

The Angela Wolf Linda Tunic

The Angela Wolf Linda Tunic is a pattern that I have made a few times before. But once I saw it in plaid, I knew that’s what I wanted to do. Understand that working with plaid fabric can be tricky and is not my forte. So for this, I had to take my time and use some of the knowledge I have gathered in cutting out plaid garments.

First

I cut the pattern out on a single layer. As you may know, folding the plaid and cutting it out can be a bit risky if you’re trying to match up your pattern. I have done it successfully before, but that was also with very careful pinning of the fabric.

Second

I flipped the pattern pieces instead of tracing an extra copy. Honestly, it might be easier to just trace another copy of the piece (ex. the back piece) and lay them both out flat on the fabric. This was a new-to-me technique that I wanted to try.

Next

In order to add more interest to the Angela Wolf tunic in this plaid, I cut the front placket and the yoke and collar out on the diagonal. That’s something I like to do for those small pieces because it breaks up the look of the plaid. It’s also much easier than trying to match up those small pieces.

The fabric I used for this is a cotton/rayon blend that washes great and feels soft like a flannel. I purchased this from the Angela Wolf fabric stash sale. You can get information about that and the Fashion Sewing Club through this link here. It’s a great way to learn from a pattern designer/fashion designer and sewing enthusiast.

As far as the actual construction of the garment, that is easy. The hard part with the plaid fabric is laying it out to cut. Once that’s done, it goes together fairly quickly.

The only change I made was to shorted the hem. I made this one about 3″ shorter than the previous ones I’ve made. The Angela Wolf Linda tunic has become one of my favorite patterns for tops. It’s very versatile and can be altered (or hacked) in many ways.

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A New Jacket With An Old Pattern

As you may know, I have been going through my pattern stash in order to use some of the many sewing patterns I have. Recently, I went back to McCall’s 7026 in order to make a new jacket with an old pattern. This is one that I’ve used before and has been a favorite.

I made View A for my new jacket. The fabric used is a stretch polar fleece that is very warm. This material is perfect for cold weather (it was 18 degrees outside when I took these pictures).

I was able to use a gold separating zipper that I had in my supply stash for this make. I bought the fabric from the Angela Wolf fabric stash sale. You have to be a member of her Fashion Sewing Club, which is a paid group. There is so much design information she shares and so much inspiration from other members that I definitely think it’s worth it. If you’re interested in this, you can check it out here: FSC.

Although the pattern isn’t available in print, it can be purchased in PDF form. I actually bought this in PDF so that I could have the larger size I needed. I only put together those pages that I needed to make this jacket.

Because of the style lines, it’s really princess-seamed athletic wear. That’s one of the reasons for the flattering silhouette.

Alterations

I did make a FBA (full bust adjustment) to this pattern . That gave me the room I wanted. I’m definitely happy with this new jacket from an old pattern!

What older patterns have you used lately?

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