A couple of years ago I made a pants sloper. I learned, during that process - which, while painful, was in NO way even half as challenging as making a standard woven top (for me, given my body type) - that I don't need to shorten the legs of pants (my legs are proportionately long) but the rise of pants.

You see, my lower torso is very short and, between my navel and base of my crotch, I am a couple of inches shorter than the length of your average commercial pattern. So, these days, when I cut out a new pants pattern, I always compare the crotch length to that of my sloper. Inevitably I remove the same 2 inches at the lengthen-shorten line. Not a prob.

My crotch curve is also not standard - odds are that yours isn't either. I need to add a bit of fabric onto the front and back crotch seams to give a small amount of extra room given that a) I need to accommodate the bump of my lower abdomen and b) I have a relatively round derriere. Having said this, my legs and hips are proportionately slender.

Given all this, I usually cut a size to suit my legs and hips and then I add a bit of fabric to the crotch curve while shortening the crotch length substantially. Depending on whether my fabric has some stretch to it, I may also add an inch to the waistband measurement. I do this on a case-by-case basis.

For Kwik Sew 3115 (yoga pants), for which I cut a medium, I made my usual alterations to the crotch curve and length. Interestingly, I didn't need to shorten the pants legs even 1 cm. Thing is, during the version that I made last weekend, I shortened things about half an inch too much, so the crotch of the pants is going up my butt slightly, and there's also some camel-toe action happening. It's not extreme, but for my next go-round, I've added back 0.5 inch of length to the crotch and shortened the hem by the same half an inch.

Even with a firm knit, these pants are not tight in my upper leg or hip, in the way some yoga pants are deliberately designed to fit. They skim. But since I'm sleeping in them - as well as doing everything else chez moi - I don't feel the urge to narrow the hip or leg.

Point is, I've opted for a medium, rather than a small, to better suit my waist measurement and to give me a flow-y fit.

One other thing I've done - to accommodate that lower ab bump (I will disclose that my whole abdominal area has been a ball of mushness for the last while - I sense it's hormonal and I am working to strengthen my core) is to cut a slightly longer piece of elastic (1 inch longer than the pattern calls for) and - this is key - I use 2"-wide elastic, not the 3/8" width that the Kwik Sew pattern calls for.

Why? Well, I don't know about you, but I think it's a bit weird and wussy to have a skinny piece of elastic sewn into the top of a 2.25 inch wide waistband. It also does nothing to support one's waist and below. The thicker elastic gives a nice, smooth waistline.

But...

It's harder to insert, for sure.

What I do (and keep in mind that all elastic has different stretch properties which depend partly on width and partly on the material used to produce the elastic) is to sew a zig zag stitch (as the pattern instructs) not through the middle of the elastic but on the top and on the bottom of the elastic width. The trick is to affix the initial row of zig zag without rippling the fabric or accidentally catching it in a bump. It's trickier than it seems. Sewing the second layer of stitching is much easier, as you already have a fixed point. But you still have to be careful not to catch the fabric.

At any rate, this is how I've adjusted my yoga pants, for my unique shape. How do you alter stretch pants to do the same? Do you use a wider elastic to support the waist? Are you still working on that elusive sloper? What's the hardest part of getting pants to fit for you? Let's talk.

What do you want first - the good news or the bad news??

Right. Good it is, then:

V1166 pants are finished (unlined cuz I don't like lining / the wool has stretch, the use of which would be nullified by lining). Peeps, the construction is just freakin' gorgeous. For any of you who suggest that I'm a perfectionist who can never see the excellence in my own handiwork, let me disabuse you. I made these flawlessly and I rock.

For starters, observe the inside (you know, the part with the visible seams):



Here's the full garment (right side):

And a shot of the hem (the equivalent of subjecting you to photos of a beloved baby doing something cute - it's meaningful, for the person who took the photo):

OK, on with the bad:

I followed my many notes and guidelines - this is something like the 7th time I've made these, not including the muslins. But I did one thing differently. Instead of leaving the outer leg seams unserged i.e. giving me the latitude to rip them out and alter the leg width, as necessary, I serged that seam too. Why did I do this? Cuz it's prettier construction, IMO. And I've done my time with this pattern (so I thought) to be able to take a nervy step. Note: I did baste the pants together first, to ensure they would fit. And, at that point, I did think that the 4 inches I removed from the outer leg (2 inches on each side), was slightly excessive - so my goal was to leave a little excess by serging to the outside the baste line. That line would then be removed to reveal a slightly roomier seam.

Alas, I didn't eyeball the serge line well enough and I ended up serging the pants to more or less the same width as the baste line i.e. I didn't build in my margin. Y'all know, you can't put that fabric back on, right? (Insert diatribe about how knitting has this all over sewing.)

As a result, the pants are too tight in the hips. Not hideously, not enough that I'm not going to try to wear them and enjoy their abstract beauty, but enough that you can see notable pull lines at the crotch - and my thong is too visible through the (admittedly drapey) fabric for my liking.

This may be the moment to qualify my perspective on modern pants-wearing. Have you noticed that a majority of the younger generation - yes, I did just write that and I do mean those who are younger than 30 - wear their pants too tight? I'm not talking about jeggings and skinny jeans. I mean pants one wears to work, to the lawyer's office, to funerals. I don't want to see the peach-like outline of one's derriere, even if it is youthful and high. And note: The zipper shouldn't pull.

Well, I'm about to flout my own dressing guideline for the potential pleasure of wearing great new fall pants (though it does remain to be seen how much the hip whiskering is going to torment me).

You may be thinking: Kristin, how about the recalibration? Isn't that leading you to a land of relative slimness? Well, the answer is, probably. But not yet (I'm not dieting, just eating moderately). And furthermore, the issue with the pants is in the hips - an area I rarely lose any mass in, because I don't have much there to lose. I mean, I'd have to be very skinny to note a change in hip size. Though losing volume in my butt would likely ameliorate the situation somewhat.

Thoughts and feelings? Do share...

*Something tells me I've used this title before...

1. Kid has lice (again). Don't tell my husband I'm telling you this or he'll flip. He feels that, every time I mention this, I defile our child's reputation.
2. That's outrageous. (The nits, I mean.) Where did they come from (this time)??!?!? Well, it's a toss up but I'm pretty sure they're from the summer camp she went to for the last 2 weeks of August.
3. This turn of events has driven me to drink, and I don't mean a spritzer.
   
4. I went 12 days without alcohol. Last night - while out with friends - I had a Caesar (tomato juice, clam juice, lime, Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, celery - yeah, and vodka.) Tonight I've had a glass of wine.
5. Tomorrow I'll officially start phase 2 of the recalibration. That means spritzers for 3 weeks. I wonder if that's going to fly...
6. I'm not judging my failure to go 14 days.
7. I finished a pair of pants today (my sloper pattern). I made them in wool pinstripe that has a tiny bit of stretch. They're really well-constructed, dare I say it.
8. Alas, I may have serged off slightly too much fabric on the outer legs.
   
9. Don't panic. I need to remove my basting stitches in order to determine what exactly has occurred.
10. Sergers are binary, people. Once you slice off that 2 inches on either side, it ain't growing back.
11. I went out on Thursday and bought $2oo.oo of yarn?!?! I got some Rowan Pure Wool to make everyone fabulous Cable Keyhole Scarves for Xmas (more on that to come, promise).
    

And then there's this Debbie Bliss Rialto Aran:

I haven't quite figured out what I'm going to make with it, but it's going to be a sweater - which is why I had to buy 12 skeins.

12. In closing, I really want to live here:

Yesterday I made my pants sloper (V1166) with some great textured black denim and I have to say I love them:

So I'm readying myself for Peter's jeans sew along by reading Pants for Real People - I ordered it last week, before I knew about the sew along, because it is my goal to understand pants fitting expertly.

It's a great book, just like the (scandalously unstylish) bible Fit for Real People, and on page 24 there's a reference to a custom fit pattern company called Unique Patterns. This company uses body scanning technology to design "perfectly fitting" paper patterns for its clients. The patterns available are mainly New Look and Simplicity - which generally don't appeal to me - but the site is extremely well organized and, it appears, if you like those patterns, you can determine how much ease is built into each for free because that info is available on the catalog spec pages. Here's a sample.

If you want to buy the patterns you need to be a member, which I believe requires you to be body scanned or manually measured at home (by you). However, the scanning (only available in certain states) or manual measurements systems (for those not close to the scanning machines) do cost. The manual system is $40.00 USD. I can't determine, online, how much the body scan costs. It's done at boutiques. This entitles you to access to the member lounge on the site, which includes education resources, and to purchase the patterns according to your specifics. The patterns are much more expensive here than they are on the proprietary sites (upwards of $25.00 per), because they're tailored. I wonder if one receives special instructions with those patterns - in addition to the unique pattern?

At any rate, I think there's real value in figuring out how to measure yourself for perfect fit. However, if you have a particularly challenging shape, or fitting really is beyond the scope of your personal resources - and it does take talent, experience and no end of patience - then this could be a sound alternative. I have to say, if this vendor stocked Vogue Patterns, I'd be much more inclined to try it, just for kicks, because I make those patterns.

In truth, all the big pattern companies design with standard measurements, although pattern ease and slopers vary from pattern to pattern and brand to brand. The point is, if you've had serious fit issues with, say, pants, you could purchase a custom made pattern from this site and then copy the adjustments (specifically the rather challenging crotch adjustments) to any of the other patterns you own.

I'm not promoting this - I don't have any first-hand info about the company - but I do think the concept is intriguing.

Has anyone tried it? Does it work? Might you find the site useful (if you own New Look patterns, for example) because you can take note of the ease measurements - something that many patterns don't tell you so explicitly - and factor them into your garment construction of already-purchased patterns?

Hello Sewing Peeps:

I decided to have a look at the Kwik Sew 3807 pattern this evening, to compare it against my other pants sloper and to see how I can realize the gains of the sloper in constructing the new denim leggings. Of course, comparing a wide leg, 4-piece pant against a narrow, 2-piece pant is not exactly intuitive. I mean, not the first time you try to do it, at any rate.

Intriguingly, as you sewists probably know, the 2-piece pattern is like the front and back leg pieces attached at the centre. Cool, yes? But I'm having difficulty determining whether I need to decrease the crotch length because the tops of the pieces (i.e. the waistlines) don't exactly align.

Here's what I propose to do: I'm going to diminish crotch length by 1.5 inches (the same amount I did on the sloper) because my only other experience of a stretch fabric pant from Kwik Sew (the yoga pants pattern) was also too long in the crotch - much as the sloper pattern was. Perhaps my crotch length is generally shorter than those in "average" patterns (at least Kwik Sew or the 2 patterns I've already tried), because a) I am proportionately petite (rather than simply short) and/or b) that's just my shape.

In terms of crotch depth (the actual arc of the curves of the crotch lines on the pattern pieces), they seem fairly consistent with the post-alteration ones of my sloper. It's hard to tell, because all the lines don't really match up, but if I just look at arc (disassociated from everything else), that's what I see.

Does anyone have any secrets when it comes to transferring the relevant sloper shapes from one pattern to another - especially when the patterns (while of the same garment type) are different in most other ways?

Thank you all for any info you can provide.

OK, I finished the 5th pair of pants and, woohoo, I think they're a go. To remind you of the history:

• Original pattern in 14, in muslin (way too big everywhere but in the waist)
  
• First wearable pants in modified 14 (narrowed side seams), in wool suiting, lined
• Second wearable pants in modified 14 (see v. 1), in stretch denim - required additional reduction of side seams, the crotch and waist height were problematic, but the garment does fit fairly well...
  
• Third wearable pants in a modified 14 (see v. 2), modified still further to reduce the waist height and dart depth
  
• Forth wearable pants in a massively modified 14 (see v. 3), with even lower waist (3 inches lower than the original), extended darts and modified crotch depth, in non-stretch blue denim. Note: I'm pretty impressed with the crotch alteration!
  

Got it?

(BTW, I promise I'm going to take a photo of myself wearing these, hopefully tomorrow, but I have to wash my hair because I'm scary right now.)

The great thing is that, through a variety of iterations, I've pretty-well drafted my own wide-leg pants sloper. I'm sure that's going to come in handy on a regular occasion. And the next time I make these it's going to be with some special fabric that comes with a special story that I keep meaning to document but it hasn't happened yet.

Here's the bad part. I have systematically worked through every challenge I can think of (coats, pants, woven blouses) and now there are no more delay tactics. Friends, it's time to return to the bra project. Newish readers, you may not even know of this passion - my (so far) unsuccessful attempt to make a bra that a) fits perfectly and is b) sexy and chic.

I know I can go out and buy one. I know that most mega-crafty people think it's a crazy undertaking. But they don't love lingerie as I do. Or they're not insane. This is a code I've got to crack.

Of course, the combo of extreme frustration and disappointment (vis a vis my previous attempts), the fear of future failure (as I run out of fit options, at least in my own mind) and having come to the conclusion that, this time, I will have to start by ripping apart a new bra, purchased just for this purpose (it has a similar fabric i.e. very little to no stretch and it fits well) really isn't motivating.

But this bra isn't going to make itself.

Note: After the last set back, I did contact a well-known sewing studio in Toronto that purports to source and send out teachers of all varieties to help students of all levels to learn about whatever technique they desire. I spoke with a woman who sounded engaged and then never bothered to call me back. Can't say I'm blown away by the professionalism. (It isn't the first such experience I've had with this place.)

If this next attempt doesn't yield an attractive and wearable bra, I'm booking a weekend in Hamilton with the Bra Maker's people. But I really don't want to go to Hamilton.

So please wish me luck. Maybe 12th time is a charm? I am committed to achieving success. Really, really, really. Over and out.

I made the V1166 pants again in the same stretch denim and, gotta say, the fit is improving. You might recall that, for this iteration, I:

• Lowered the waist by 2 inches
• Increased dart length and width slightly (1/4 inch on all sides)
• Lengthened the pants legs by an inch
• Increased waistband by 4 inches to accommodate the increased width requirement of the lowered waist

I will maintain all of these alterations but I need to add a couple more:

• Lower the waist 1 inch more (for a total of 3 inches). No need to increase the waistband because the 4 inch increase from the previous alteration is adequate.
• Lower darts another .25 inch
• Take .25 inch out of the front crotch starting 2 inches from the base (i.e. the lowest point of the curve)

The front crotch alteration is a wild card adjustment, but I fixed 2 pins in place (seriously carefully!) and determined that it pinches out that puffy lower front thing. Seems that darting the front can only do so much because the excess fabric is lower than the dart extension.

Again, in the latest version, my outer side seam allowances were more than 1.5 inches because of the stretch in the denim. I really should cut the pattern rather than the fabric next time. I have wasted so much! (Natch, the minute I switch fabrics, all bets are off...)

Some thoughts so far:

• What were the Vogue people thinking when they determined the rise of the original pattern?! I know I'm short-waisted, but seriously - I will have removed 3 inches of fabric from the waist when all is said and done. And they aren't "low rise"!
• I'm amazed by the volume of alterations I've made overall - and that practically all of them are on the front legs. I placed the new front leg pattern over the (uncut) original and it's an entirely different size and shape. I mean, there are NO similarities at this point. The crotch is a different curve and length, the overall length is different, the waist is lower, the legs are narrower (by an inch). And there I thought (admittedly, only for 5 minutes) that they were perfect right out of the package. Hmmm...
  
• I'm intrigued to be creating a sloper - because, it appears, that's what I'm doing. I wonder how it might translate onto other patterns in the future.

The most fascinating element of this process is how sanguine I appear to be. Maybe it's the vacation. Maybe I've had to develop a new pace and some perspective on account of the injury from which I'm still healing. Who knows? All I can say is, I know I should be moving back to the bra experiment, but that fills me with anxiety and I'm not quite ready. Besides, I'll have to rip up a perfectly nice bra and that's vaguely traumatizing.

I believe that every woman (person) has a certain body part, the shape of which is perplexing. For some it's a round, high ass. For others, the thighs are wide. There are those who just can't figure out how to flatter the arms. My "issue" (and I have chosen not to judge it, I am merely observing) is the boobs. Well, it's the boobs being large while the back and shoulders are narrow and the front torso is about average (relative to my pattern size). I've adapted to the FBA (full bust adjustment). That's a scary alteration, btw. About as complex as it gets. Then all the variables add to the complexities and, before you know it, you're hyperventilating.

This doesn't mean that my lower half is standard issue. I mean, this fitting process is proving that at every stage. But somehow the alterations seem knowable - more linear, in general. When I buy RTW pants, it is not an unpleasant process. Many times, I try on items that are ugly and ill-fitting, but I simply blame the garment and move on. I really don't take it personally. Not like when a blouse with buttons doesn't fit, or when a jacket won't close.

Why is this? I am, apparently, no more physically unusual in my upper body than in my lower body. (And BTW, neither are you.) Do I simply like pants more? Is it a matter of a top-half mental block? Are pants easier (in my books, definitely, but some people swear that they aren't)? Is my spatial reasoning that much improved these days? Is it beginner's romance?

What do you think? Whether you sew, or no, do you have a preferred body part when it comes to fitting and buying or making clothes? Has sewing liberated you from this? Which do you find more difficult to fit - pants or tops?

Hello Sewist friends (and other friends who don't sew but feel like weighing in on this for kicks):

I finally made this wide-leg pair of pants on the weekend:

Line Drawing:As you can see, they're not fitted. However, in the woven wool (with nice give) fashion fabric, they do fit. In fact, if made without their (stretch-free) lining, I suspect they might be vaguely roomy in the butt/upper leg, despite my muslin minimizing alterations. However, with the lining (and I didn't make the lining seam allowance any smaller than the fashion fabric's) I find them on the edge of too snug at the crotch/upper leg.

Here's my question:

I would like to make these again in a variety of fabrics, to see if I can a) improve the fit and b) enjoy the look. For starters, I'd like to use a stretch indigo denim having 2-way (width) stretch that turns 1 inch length of fabric into 1.5 inches when pulled taut. I do not intend to line the denim pants. They'll be like trouser jeans (or at least that's how it works in my mind). Do you think I'll need to cut some fabric off the side seams (i.e. another .25 inch or more) in order to accommodate the width stretch? I don't want them to be saggy. As an alternate option, could I cut the fabric against the grain i.e. putting the stretch on the length instead of width - or is that asking for trouble?

OK, I seem to be asking lots of questions so I'll just continue. Do you think these pants will look nice in denim, or mom-like? (Yes, I'm implying that mom-like jeans are categorically not nice.)

Thanks so much for feedback - pls. bring it on!

I have some useful info for you if you happen to be making pants (like, for the first time). While your gorgeous wool fabric may have give up the yin yang, your bemberg lining will not.

Do yourself a favour and use seam allowances that are .25 inch smaller on your lining (i.e. make the lining a smidge bigger than the fashion fabric). Then, when you try to put on the finished garment, you won't feel encased in a slightly too-snug lining.

What can I say? You live, you learn.

PS: I'm starting to realize that the sign of an expert seamstress is one who can intuit how much fabric ease is required when transitioning from muslin to wearable item.

When I wrote about those Vogue pants fitting right out of the envelope, I must have been high on pain medication. Seriously.

I decided to try the muslin on again - just to do a final little check before gearing up to cut the fashion fabric and the lining. Intriguingly, the crotch was too low and the legs were too wide. It was almost like I should have cut the 12! (Note: I think the 12 would have needed a bit of enlarging in the waist, what with my once-pregnant abdomen requiring some give. Oh, who are we kidding. I would have needed biggening even before I had the child. Nonetheless, that would have been a quicker alteration, yes? Other note: The pattern I bought came in 14/16/18/20. The size 12 is in the packet I didn't buy.)

Do you know that there are lines on pants patterns (well, on this one anyway) which advise you where to shorten the crotch? It's such a good idea. I took a half an inch out. Looked good on the muslin (though I was scarily, and unusually, unscientific about the whole thing). Again, drugs - they're your friends, they're your foes. Then I took 1 inch out of the outer leg seams grading from nothing about 2 inches above the hip, all the way down to the hem seam.

Understatement: I would be so pleased if these look very nicely fitted when they finally get made. (A propos of that, I have a terrific sewing-Xmas story to tell, coming up soon.)

Brief Foot Update: I'm really on the mend (knock wood). Able to put weight on my foot again, though I'm not doing it for too long. Since physio started, I've actually been moving it more (and more directedly). I'm not hiding from the discomfort. It's part of the healing process. I don't want pain to keep me from stretching muscles that may otherwise atrophy. Something to consider when determining whether pain is "good" or "bad". Good pain generally feels less intense as you repeat the action, and usually the pain changes with movement. Bad pain just crunches in a severe way and it doesn't improve with repetition. Perhaps this is obvious to y'all, but it's a question I was asked often when I taught yoga, and I didn't really have as clear an answer as I would have liked back then.

Let's talk trousers, yes?

For starters, have you seen the new book Making Trousers, by David Page Coffin? I just received it, via online shopping, and I can't wait to check it out. It has a great, modern layout I can really get with - v. pictoral. I have high hopes and I'll let you know what I think when I'm finished with it.

Furthermore, today - after my 90 minutes of foot-happy yoga - I felt well enough to try a sewing expedition (notice how that word has the derivative of foot - i.e. ped - in it?!?). I sewed up the (Scott-assisted) muslin of the V1166 pants. I wore my air cast for foot stability, stopped, removed it from the cast, and stretched it often. To give you a sense of how easy these things go together, I sewed the muslin in 90 minutes - and that included numerous therapeutic breaks. Remember, lovelies, the only other pants I've sewn are prefaced by the word "lounge".

As part of my experiment, I sewed the size 14 without any deviations, save a length alteration. It has 3 pieces and the waistband is interfaced. I chopped 2 inches off the length - usually I need to chop 3 inches at least - but with these pants I think 1 - 1.5 inches is enough. I guess what I'm saying is, they're short. My muslin has utterly no give. I used 5/8 inch seam allowances. The pants fit perfectly - though there was not enough length to hem.

Of course, no one has "perfect pants" shape. If you're lucky you might have have Vogue Patterns or Burda or Kwik Sew "perfect pants" shape. Or wide leg "perfect pants" shape. I know I got lucky. I also know that I'm going to need to modify for the brown wool fashion fabric because it has much more give than my muslin. That should be, as always, interesting.

For example, I fear the trousers might be almost too-wide in the upper leg - especially in the wool. What I will say is, this pattern doesn't provide a ton of coverage for a full-derriere. However, if you need room in the thighs, it's great! With very little experience to draw on, I'm beginning to think my rise is short i.e the space between my navel (or waist) and the deepest point of my crotch. I suspect these pants would be much more chic with a cuff. Perhaps the Making Trousers book will tell me how to do this?

A propos of this, reecently Myrna wrote a fascinating post about crotch shape (I know, it's an odd topic, but germane!). See, till you start making pants, you really have no idea of how unique your own shape might be. Of course, I am the poster-girl for this lesson as it pertains to jackets and woven tops (re: the boobs). Can't tell you how much I'd appreciate not having to learn it as regards trousers. :-)

Nonetheless, I'm ready!

So tell me, how do you find pants-fitting? Is it easier than tops-fitting? Harder? Share your experience, please. I need all the info I can get.