Date: 6/16/09 4:52 PM

I can no longer find pants that fit me in RTW and need to learn to sew them. I could just wear skirts but pants are kind of necessary sometimes. I have been reading the forums here for some time to reaquaint myself with garment sewing and love all the information. If anyone would be willing to share tips and pointers for sewing pants it would be great. I am really short all over; not just in the leg length; and the crotch part has me all nervous.

Reply to calliesmom
Date: 6/16/09 5:32 PM

The best advice I can give is to pick a pants pattern, sew a muslin in your size straight from the envelope, and post pictures here to assess the fit. When I made my first pair of pants Vogue 8157, this is what I did (except post pictures. ). I was surprised to find that the only alteration I needed was additional length (2 in.) on the back crotch. As I have made this pattern several times, I realize that I will need a small full inner thigh adjustment, too. That revelation came from watching how the pants behaved as I walked and reading several posts about this adjustment here.

HTH
L

Date: 6/16/09 6:21 PM

I would further recommend making a pair from a couple of pattern companies: BMV, Simplicity, maybe BWOF. And the one that comes closest to fitting, pick that one to start tweaking. Pants sewing is easy and once you have a basic fit, you'll be good to go.

Reply to calliesmom
Date: 6/16/09 6:46 PM

I have spent a number of years and many, many muslins trying to get pants to fit. For years, I resisted making a body mold of my shape and I am sorry I waited so long (did it last November). Once I made the mold and cut it out of cardboard, placed it over the pants pattern (laid inseam on top of inseam for about 5 inches), I then saw how I had to shape my crotch to fit my body.

You can do a search on the boards - lots of discussion about making this mold either with a flexible ruler or tin foil. This shape can help especially with how to shape your front crotch. I always felt my front crotch was the problem but couldn't figure out what it was until I had the mold on top of the pattern pieces. Most of my pattern's have a J shape crotch front. I am short waisted in the front with a pop out belly. I need to slope the crotch and not have so much cut out from the extension to the curve of the crotch. Not too much is written in fitting books about how the front crotch can affect the fit of your pants but it certainly did for me. Once I redrew the curve to match my figure, my pants finally began to fit better.

Analyze your figure - really look at it in a mirror - turn sideways - check the curve of your fanny, your tummy, etc. Get the book Pants for Real People and look at the various shapes. Check out the reviews on this site. Lots and lots of good alteration info in the reviews.

If you need to remove material from your muslin, remember that sometimes you have to put that material back. Took me a while to figure that one out. By this I mean, should you remove material straight across your back thigh horizontally because you have a fold, you have lost length from your pant leg. Well, you need to put the length back so you might add that below the knee between the knee and the ankle. Or, it might be placed elsewhere.

Kenneth King's Trouser Draft cd book (sold on this site) has excellent pictures describing folds and how to remove them. Another great book to have.

Really, you have to know how you are shaped. I thought my fanny was large but in fact, I have a very flat fanny (got flatter during these last 4 years due to age) but I am board from side to side. I need the fabric to cover my fanny from side to side but I had to remove the extra material from not having a fanny to fill it out. I was making the pattern too small until I sat down with a tape measure around my hips and saw how much I spread. This was a big Aha moment for me. I stopped worrying that in RTW I wear a 10 or 12 and need to make a size 16 or 18 due to the spreading of my hips. I sit all day at work and need to have material cover my frame.

These alterations finally came to me this past year and over 100 muslins. But RTW does not fit me at all and the pants I make do!

HTH and good luck.

Woggy


-- Edited on 6/16/09 6:47 PM --

Date: 6/17/09 10:44 AM

I think BeeBeeSew's idea is very good. Every pattern company makes patterns for slightly different figures. Buy lots of cheap muslin, buy a few patterns from different pattern companies and then try to alter the pattern that fits your figure best.

Date: 6/20/09 8:47 PM

Thanks, everyone for the great advice. I guess I'll just have to dive in and do it. I'll post pics when I get a pair of pants done.

Date: 6/20/09 10:37 PM

Keep in mind that for a mujslin, you don't need to finish them. Side seams, inseam and a zipper (front, side,back, wherever). At first you just need to figure out what you need to get the fit so don't spend time finishing your muslins.

Make up your mind that the time/$ spent in quest of fit is a valuable investment because once you have the fit, you can make pants in your sleep almost.

------
"We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." Anais Nin

"Attitude is the difference between an adventure and an ordeal." unknown