Amazing Fit With Simplicity 8056

One of my goals is to really get this pants fitting down pat. We all know, pants can be one of the most difficult things to fit on a body, whether your own or someone else’s. So, I thought I’d give this pattern a try. It’s what I would refer to as more of a dress pants pattern with a flared leg.

I was very surprised that I really didn’t have to do much to get a great fit with this pattern. I did make sure to make a muslin before cutting into my fabric (it’s a stretch black linen like this here). And by the way, this material is quite thick for a linen fabric. I would say it’s a medium weight. I was concerned that I hadn’t gotten to make these during the summer, but I can definitely wear these during the Fall.

One thing that I really had to alter for my own aesthetic, was to remove some width from the pants leg. The picture on the pattern envelope really doesn’t do justice to the width that I got when making the muslin. I started at the knee and took it in a total of about 6″! From the knee up, the pants fit perfectly.

Once I got the fit the way I wanted, these were pretty easy to put together. If you’ve never used one of these patterns before, they give you tips in the instructions for certain finishes for seams or techniques you can use for “professional” results. The pattern also includes shorts.

This is definitely a pattern worth trying.

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Itch-to-Stitch Sequoia Pants and Shorts

This is a pattern I have been looking forward to making since it came out. I like the style (with lots of pockets) and I figured it challenge me in some ways to make. Plus, I like trying a variety of different pants patterns in particular since pants take more effort to fit comfortably.

I made a shorts version of this pattern (the PDF pattern includes shorts and pants). In all honesty, I was pleasantly surprised at the fit and comfort of the shorts. I have only used these patterns for tops before, so I was unsure of what to expect. I made very few adjustments to get the fit I wanted.

The first pair that I made was what I considered to be a wearable muslin.

The only thing that was different (at least for me) was the waist band construction. Thankfully, there’s additional help on a blog post with lots of photos that make it very clear and explain the written instructions. These patterns are pretty straight-forward with regard to instructions, so I that is something that I really appreciate. But, they are generally simple enough to understand for the beginner as well.

The second pair is made from stretch cotton twill that I had in my stash. I used snaps for the fly closure, but I did not add snaps to the back pockets as the pattern suggests. Once the edge-stitching was done on the top of the pocket flaps, I didn’t really find it necessary. But you could also use Velcro instead. The only change I made to this was to cut the waist band ribbing and elastic about an inch shorter. I wanted a bit tighter fit around the waist, and this worked out perfectly.

I definitely want to make the pants version in the Fall for cooler weather!

If you’re interested in getting this pattern, here’s a link you can use to buy your own PDF pattern!

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Cropped Pants From McCall’s 6930

Honestly, I’ve never been much of a cropped pants wearer. When I was trying to figure out how to style these for the pictures, I just didn’t know what to wear with them. Generally in my everyday life, I don’t often wear heels and my everyday clothes are pretty casual. That having been said, this pattern can work great for all of that. I do like the pattern (which includes shorts of three lengths and styles, and the pants).

M6930

I like that this pattern was easy to fit. I did make adjustments to the pattern (back seam wedge adjustment and shortened the front inseam length). I like that the zipper is actually in the center back of the pants which I didn’t realize until I started sewing them.

While my print isn’t perfectly matched, I’ll forgive myself that for the satisfaction of having a comfortable pair of pants that should take me through Spring and Summer.

M6930

For the rest of this month of April, my goal is to work on making some tops (mostly woven) so that I will have more options for things to wear with pieces like these pants and others.