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Posted by on May 20, 2007, 10:27 pm
Hi,
I was wondering if any of you experienced sewers out there could give
me a hand....
I'm having some trouble getting my pants to fit. I'm quite slim (flat
tummy) and tall, but have wide hips and a larger behind that I can
never get to fit into pants. I measure waist (68), hips (98), waist
to hips ~23, body rise ~28.5. Most pattern alterations advice I come
across is for heavier people with mature figures, which isn't really
my case.
All my pants (RTW or my own) pull across the hips/crotch, have extra
gaping material at the front crotch, and sit too low at the back
waist.
Any advice on the type of alterations I need to make?
Thanks!
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Posted by Kate XXXXXX on May 21, 2007, 3:54 am
theworldforsar@gmail.com wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I was wondering if any of you experienced sewers out there could give
> me a hand....
>
> I'm having some trouble getting my pants to fit. I'm quite slim (flat
> tummy) and tall, but have wide hips and a larger behind that I can
> never get to fit into pants. I measure waist (68), hips (98), waist
> to hips ~23, body rise ~28.5. Most pattern alterations advice I come
> across is for heavier people with mature figures, which isn't really
> my case.
>
> All my pants (RTW or my own) pull across the hips/crotch, have extra
> gaping material at the front crotch, and sit too low at the back
> waist.
>
> Any advice on the type of alterations I need to make?
>
> Thanks!
>
Start with a fitting shell pattern like this: >
http://store.sewingtoday.com/cgi-bin/voguepatterns/shop.cgi?s.item.V1003=x&TI=20018&page=5
Get a friend to help you make a full set of measurements (there's a How
To and printable chart on my web site in The Learning Zone), and then
alter the pattern to fit those measurements... I suggest tracing off
the size closest to your HIP size and starting from there: that way you
will always have the original pattern to go back to should you have a
disaster.
Make the fitting shell up in a regular checked gingham, as on the
pattern envelope: that way you'll see where you need to alter it to get
a proper fit. Be prepared to cut and make it up several times! :)
Once you have a good fit, transfer all the changes back to your copy of
the paper pattern (you can glue bits on if you need to!), then make a
fair copy of the pattern and a set of notes of all the alterations.
Mark on the fair copy all the things like crotch line, high hip line,
knee line, etc. Once you have done this, every time you make a pair of
trousers, you know what alterations you need to make to the pattern
before you start. :) And you have your block pattern to compare with
the pattern out of the packet. :)
An alternative (though inititially more expensive) way forward is to
invest in pattern drafting softwear.
--
Kate XXXXXX R.C.T.Q Madame Chef des Trolls
Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
http://www.katedicey.co.uk
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!
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Posted by on May 21, 2007, 9:25 am
Dear theworldfor,
I agree with Kate. Patternmaking software is the way to go for
perfect fit. You can get a Click and Sew pattern for pants for about
$20 (I don't know what the Euro equivalent is). You can use it over
and over. If you like the results, you can go back and get an entire
set of basic patterns that can be altered or re-designed.
Teri
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Posted by Sarah Dale on May 21, 2007, 4:40 pm
theworldforsar@gmail.com wrote:
> I'm having some trouble getting my pants to fit. I'm quite slim (flat
> tummy) and tall, but have wide hips and a larger behind that I can
> never get to fit into pants. I measure waist (68), hips (98), waist
> to hips ~23, body rise ~28.5. Most pattern alterations advice I come
> across is for heavier people with mature figures, which isn't really
> my case.
>
> All my pants (RTW or my own) pull across the hips/crotch, have extra
> gaping material at the front crotch, and sit too low at the back
> waist.
Ah ha! I'm not so experienced, but my measurements are not too different
to yours, and I was successfully coached through pants alterations by
Kate via email! So if I can do it, you can do it.
OK - everything that Kate & Bev said stands.
Big hips and rear need more material - both in width and LENGTH (which
may surprise you - it did me!). With a large behind, the length of curve
from top to bottom is longer than your average pattern, and hence you
need extra length in the rear of your trousers only (not the front).
A true story - I bought a RTW pair of pants that fitted in the hip,
length but were huge in the waist. I thought "I'll just take the
waistband off, put some darts in, put the waistband back on and I'll
have a fine new pair of well fitting trousers". So that's what I did - I
didn't get a good fit - because now that the trousers fitted round the
waist, they pulled everything upwards, so the crotch was tighter - if
I'd been a boy I'd have been signing soprano!.
I'll make an alternative suggestion - mock up your actual pants pattern
in some cheap material - gingham or a check is handy as all those
straight lines will show the fitting problems better - but anything will
do, with extra seam allowances - and importantly extra length at the
waist - about 5 - 10cm on the seams and about 15cm on the waist. This
allows you to let out seams / add length to the rear crotch as you
adjust the fit.
Make up your test trousers - minus waistband. Try them on, using a pieie
of elastic round the waist to hold them up. Crouch down, letting the
fabric pull down out of the elastic at the back. Mark the point at which
the elastic now crosses the waistband at the back, front and sides. Play
around with pinning / hand tacking in darts / pleats in your trousers to
take the fullness in at the waist. Re-check position of marked waistband
at front, sides, back and rear in adjusted trousers - mark well. Take
trousers off. Join up your marks and true up the waistline. Add seam
allowances, and bingo, you have a new trouser pattern.
I ended up adding 1 to 2 inches to the rear crotch seam of my trousers -
this is then faded out to the side seam.
You may need to add the extra length in the rear crotch seam at hip
level rather than waist level - it works better there for me, but have
an experiment. You can always slash you test trousers and add a piece of
fabric in.
HTH
Sarah
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Posted by on May 23, 2007, 9:42 pm
Thanks everyone for all your help...
I ended up drafting a basic trouser pattern from Winifred Aldrich's
book. I have tried this pattern before in the past, but hadn't got it
to work. Where I went wrong was with drawing in the crotch curve. I
found a suggestion on the net to make a 'crotch mold' out of a roll of
alfoil. I was quite surprised how different my curve was to standard
patterns. It is quite a deep curve and very flat at the base, unlike
commercial patterns which are much more sloped. Once I drew this
curve in to my pattern, the pants worked first go! I was amazed,
after so many failed attempts.
Thanks Sarah for some great advise on getting the waist curve marked
in properly. It worked really well. I loved the idea of using a
piece of elastic to hold the pants up. I did this at high hip height
(where I like to wear my pants) and traced round the elastic to get
the curve on the top of the pants for a straight waistband. I've
never been able to quite work out how to do that before. And yeah, I
have about 4cm of extra material at the rear back that curves into the
side seam.
All the best everyone,
Sar.
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