Once you’ve added the length to your pattern and you think it’s right, it’s time to cut the fabric out and start sewing. The microfibre that I had is a lovely weight for winter and is a delight to cut and sew, but it is a bit of a pain to pin. With my alterations, I was fortunate to get a piece out of half the width, so I had plenty of length to play with (not that I needed it).
Then I got to the job of getting it together so I could do some final fittings, like darts. This part is really fiddly as it’s a lot of trying on, and removing the trousers until you get them sitting right. For future reference, it’s easier to fiddle with darts AFTER the zipper is in (if you’re putting it in the back). In the end, I had no darts on the front, and three on the back! I am an odd shape, after all.
Unfortunately (or fortunately), between making the pattern and doing the final fitting (about 3 weeks), I had lost some weight, so the front of the trouser was sitting REALLY oddly (by oddly, I mean baggy). I ended up being able to take almost 4cm out of each front panel! It means that I still have finishing to go, but the trousers will sit really nicely now. Yay for weightloss in the middle of a sewing project!
I still need to put the waistband on and take up the hem. So not ‘much to do’ really, but it’s more fiddly stuff. Is all this worth a pair of trousers? Probably not, but my aim was not to make A pair, but to create a pattern that I could make a few from, that would (if I lost more weight) not take much more alteration than an extra dart, or a larger side seam. These trousers will fit well and be very comfortable. THAT is worth all of this.
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