Sewing Cargo Pants With New Look 6745

Sewing cargo pants with New Look 6745 is easy and I’m so glad I did it! Combining views A & B gave me the unique look I wanted. Here’s how the process went.

The Pattern

New Look 6745 is a unisex pants pattern that features two views with style options. There’s decorative webbing, gusseted pockets, elastic, buttons and twill tape for the drawstring.

The waistband is a separate piece that has three rows of stitching. the top and bottom rows are for elastic while the middle row is for the drawstring.

My Process

One of the first things I did was to use my croquis notebook to sketch the look I wanted to achieve. This is a good way to try out different looks you might be considering before you’ve started your project. For example, I was thinking of making the front patch pockets a solid color, but changed that with the actual pants.

Next, I made sure to make a muslin of the pattern which included some fit adjustments. Since this is a unisex pattern, I went with a Medium based on the measurements on the pattern envelope.

woman wearing muslin of New Look 6745 — *Muslin*

While it might seem like making the muslin will make the whole process take longer, that’s really not the case (at least for me). Once the muslin is done and I know the pants fit, I can be much more confident about cutting out my fabric and actually sewing the garment.

But just to be sure, I always do a fit check before the pants are completed.

woman wearing cargo pants with New Look 6745 — *Fit check*

Sewing Cargo Pants With New Look 6745

The fabric I used was purchased from Fabric Wholesale Direct. It’s a camo printed broadcloth that is a woven, lightweight fabric. It’s a terrific fabric that washes and dries well (meaning it doesn’t need ironing). Because it’s lightweight, the pants will be comfortable during spring and summer.

The pockets on the front are gusseted, so it does take a little bit more time than just sewing on regular patch pockets. Once that is done, it’s a quick process to stitch up the rest of the pants.

Conclusion

I LOVE how these fit! Most likely it’s because of the time taken in the beginning to ensure the changes made to the pattern would be sufficient.

I can definitely recommend this pattern. I used snaps for the closures on the pockets, but buttons or Velcro can also be used.

If you’d like to see the video I made about making these pants, you can check it out here.

Pattern Review And Some Tips When Making White Garments

One of my end of summer makes has been these Simplicity 8056 pants. This is one of my favorite pants patterns. They are comfortable to wear and I didn’t have to do any alterations to get a good fit. This is also one of those “Amazing Fit” patterns. So, I want to provide a pattern review and some tips when making white garments.

Simplicity 8056 pattern envelope for pattern review and some tips

It doesn’t matter whether you are heading into Fall/Autumn and are thinking about winter white or heading into summer.

The Pattern

Simplicity 8056 is a pants pattern with flared leg and shorts. One of the things that I really like about this pattern is the 1″ side seams. While that may seem like a small thing, I really does make fitting the pants that much easier.

The pockets stay flat against the body (just as the envelope states). The waistband sits comfortably on the body.

What I Did

For my pants, I used a stretch cotton sateen in white that I found in my fabric stash. This was one of those pieces that I had completely forgotten about and I really have no idea how long I’ve had it. Unfortunately, I also don’t know where I purchased it from.

Like I said, there weren’t really any alterations to share with you. I have made these before in black and I love them! These are so comfortable, stylish and easy to sew.

As of this writing, the pattern is still available on the Simplicity website even though it’s from 2016.

Tips

As for the sewing tips to share, the big one is how to make your pocket lining unnoticeable. I like to use a fabric for my lining that is close to my skin color. That way it blends in with my skin and isn’t noticeable from the outside. I would guess the same could be done regardless of what your skin tone is. If you were to use white fabric, the pockets would be clearly seen by those looking at you in your snazzy new pants.

I also like to use white thread (or matching thread) when I’m doing any topstitching. I just like the look. The only time that I might do contrast stitching is if I’m making jeans. But as I said, that’s a personal choice.

Conclusion

In any case, I hope you will try this pattern or something like it. It’s a pattern I would rate as intermediate (advanced beginner). The fit is fantastic (or “amazing” for these “Amazing Fit” pants). This is a pattern that can be made from a variety of fabrics in order to give it versatility for different seasons.

Simplicity 8056

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How To Use A Muslin To Improve Your Sewing

There was a time that I would never even have considered taking the time to make a muslin. I used to think it was a waste of time (and resources). Then for one particular project I decided to go ahead and make one, just to make sure I got the fit I wanted. It was during that time that I understood the importance of what can be a crucial step in the sewing process. While I don’t do this for everything, I do make them for certain projects. So today I want to share with you how you can use a muslin to improve your sewing projects. My process is always the same regardless of the garment.

I made a muslin to make this pair of pants from this wax print fabric that I didn’t want to mess up.

Use an inexpensive fabric for your mock-up

The process started with making a mock-up/muslin of the pattern. I use actual muslin fabric (cotton, unbleached). That’s just my preference and I usually buy it by the bolt. I often make muslins for pants and jackets (patterns I haven’t made before).

For this particular pair of pants shown above, I didn’t bother with the length. Pants length is not usually an issue for me. But one thing I do for pants in particular, is to add the zipper! I noticed how the pants fit so much better when I added the closure.

Game changer: Adding the zipper where required gives me a true assessment of the fit!

And since getting a good fit is the point, take the time to include a closure in your mock-up. I machine baste all seams. It’s a very quick process to take it apart when I need to.

The process…

The picture above is another pair of shorts. I use Sharpies to mark each pattern piece. I add closures (with the exception of buttons) and work out any fit issues. After trying on the muslin or mock-up again, I can make sure the fit is as I want it. I transfer the changes to the paper pattern piece (it makes things easier for me when I want to make another) and cut out my fashion fabric. Although this may seem like a lot of time, it generally takes me about an hour or two to get the fit – and I’m a slow sewer.

This doesn’t have to be done in one sitting either. Pace yourself and do what you can with the time you have available. You can read my post here about improving productivity. The final garment is sewn much faster because I don’t have fit issues. Construction issues/challenges are also worked out during this process.

Some people recycle their muslins by using them for other projects. I will keep them if it’s for a jacket. Generally I only attach one sleeve since I don’t have issues with arm/bicep size, but they are a good reference for me when I want to make another.

Here is a good article that gives some basic things to consider when deciding to make a muslin yourself here.

So basically, that’s how the process works for me. Remember, when you make a muslin, you are only sewing the “outside” pieces. You’re not sewing in the details of the garment. Some people do like to use the muslin as the pattern, but as I stated, I like to transfer any changes to the paper pattern. I also make notes on the instruction sheet if I want to change the order of construction.

Do you make a mock-up of your garments as a part of your process? Let me know. I know a lot of people hate it 😂, and I can understand that.

As always, keep on sewing…

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