Thursday 2 October 2014

Ultimate Trousers

Trousers are one of those garments that seem to put the fear of god into many sewists. They're really not that scary - in fact I can think of countless sewing tasks that beat trousers hands down: sewing on the bias, sewing with silk, bound buttonholes, invisible side zips and, my personal nemesis, hooks and eyes (uuurrrggh). In reality, once you've made a few pairs of pyjama bottoms, you have the basic skills for trouser making, the hard part is perfecting the fit.

I was surprised to discover that I've made quite a few pairs of trousers in my sewing life. The wide legged vintage-style trousers I've sewn (here, here and here) are actually very easy to fit and sew, and given the width of the legs, not that different from PJs. My Juniper trousers fitted well, but that was more fluke than skilled fitting, as my body shape happens to be a good fit for a lot of Colette patterns. My Gertie Capri pants and sailor shorts required a few adjustments, but in both instances it was just a case of taking in seams on the hop. I've never actually sat down with a trouser pattern and tried to work out how to get it to fit to my shape. Well, not until I encountered the Ultimate Trousers pattern from Sew Over It that is.


I was sent the pattern as a thank you for pattern testing the Betty dress in the summer, but because I'm fickle and the sun was out, all I could think about was sewing dresses. I liked the shape of the pattern though: easy, darted front, ankle length and a classy slim fit and I kept seeing great versions pop up on sewing blogs. My attention was finally caught when Winnie decided to use the pattern for OWOP. Her advice? Once you perfect the fit, it's a great pattern. So I set out to perfect the fit.


To do this, I made not one, but two muslins. Gasp! I made a full sized muslin to check the (ahem) crotch area and legs. Then, once I'd sorted out the legs, I made a second muslin from waist to thigh, incorporating my adjustments. Sew Over It patterns don't have a great deal of ease and are very true to the pattern measurements, so be honest when choosing which size to cut out! For reference, I made a size 10, which is a 28" waist and 38" hip. The first muslin wasn't too bad, but I noticed the back waistline pulled down at the centre quite noticeably. After consulting the fitting post for the Ultimate Trousers sewalong, I knew that this was because my derriere was taking up a bit too much room and forcing the waistband down. A fat arse adjustment was therefore needed! To do this, I added ½" to the centre back seam and ½" to the top waistline. This created more room in the bum area and, very pleasingly, ensured that the waistband was parallel again. I did a smaller adjustment at the front, for my less-than-flat stomach.

The only other adjustment I made was to taper the legs in the calf area by a total of 1" each leg, using the tips from the same sewalong post. I hemmed the trousers by just ½" rather than the recommended 1" and the length is perfect on me. Beware though - I'm only 5'2", so if you want an ankle skimming trouser and you're tall (or even normal height) you may need to lengthen them. If you prefer a cropped length, you're laughing.



The fabric I used is a navy stretch cotton from Sew Over It.  I only needed 1.5m for the size I made, but I bought 2m for contingency. When it arrived, there was a bit extra included as it was the end of the roll - perfect for two muslins!  The fabric is quite lightweight, so maybe not suited to winter wear if you feel the cold. It's also VERY stretchy and, perhaps predictably, now that I've worn them a few times, they're a bit big around the waistband - grrr. I'm certain this is all down to the fabric though - if I was making them again in a non-stretch drill for instance, I'd do exactly the same adjustments. Once the trousers are washed, they shrink back to their normal tight fit, which is what you see in these photos. Be warned, though, they are a very tight fit - as Karen remarked when I was discussing them with her, "there's nowhere to hide!", which is definitely something to consider if you're thinking of making them!


The actual construction is a cinch, the only pieces are trouser legs and facings. There's a side invisible zip, which I managed to insert without any tears. Sadly, I still can't tell my left from my right, so it ended up on the wrong side! This is a great pattern to practice your trouser fitting skills on because of its simplicity. There are no waist bands or fly fronts to worry about, so you can focus purely on fit. I like the fit I managed to achieve and will almost certainly make them again, perhaps in a plain, black drill. I was even contemplating a gingham pair at one point, but I think that might have been the Prosecco talking! Happy Thursday. x

The Ultimate Trousers pattern was given to me free of charge for review. All views my own.

35 comments:

  1. Thank you for your comments about these trousers. I was also influenced by Winnie and bought the pattern so will take note of your pattern fitting tips when I come to make them. Yours look sensational and I might have to move mine up the sewing queue!

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    1. Aw thank you! Go on, do it, move it up your list! x

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  2. Trousers scare me, zips (of any kind scare me) , darts scare me , interfacing scares me! In fact the only part if sewing that doesn't scare me is sewing a straight line
    Frankie
    http://www.knitwits-owls.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/indian-kimono-jacket.html?m=1

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    1. Sometimes even sewing in a straight line gets the better of me! x

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  3. You look marvelous in your new trousers. Great job!

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  4. Oh yes, you rock those ultimates Jane!! They are such a 'you' style I'm so glad you've reached your base pair. But I would say that expect new tweaks for different fabrics! If anything making lots of pairs of these ( 4 plus test shorts) had reminded me never to be complacent about fabric!
    Now, also need to congratulate you for your sewing terminology, particularly 'fat arse' adjustment. Love it because it's real.

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    1. Yes, I know in my heart I may have to tweak different fabrics, I'm just trying to be lazy! Thanks for the congrats re the sewing terminology, I'm thinking of trademarking 'fat arse adjustment'! x

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  5. They look great on you Jane, well done! So flattering! have never made trousers or even pyjamas, but I might well be inspired to give some PJs a go x

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    1. You should definitely give PJ's a go, you can't really go wrong and it's so satisfying knowing you've made your own! x

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  6. They look amazing and like my ideal trouser shape, I think your amazing for the 2 muslins!!

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    1. Thanks! Two muslins is my absolute MAXIMUM! x

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  7. Oh boy...trousers scare me. I have two pieces of stretch cotton in my stash to make some. I made some Burda pants that were a success but I kinda feel it was a fluke. Definitely a fluke! Yours look awesome though!! Navy is my favorite color too.

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    1. I feel like some of the pairs I've made were a fluke too! Maybe we both just happen to be trouser shaped?! x

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  8. Love them, may have another pattern on the list now! Very definitely a FAA here too!

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  9. So glad you posted this. I looked at this pattern the other day as a possible first foray into trouser-making. Possibly no place to hide, but highly flattering when you get the right size and fabric like you have. Love the 'fat arse adjustment' option too ;-)

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    1. I think it's a really good pattern to cut your trouser making teeth on, would definitely recommend it. And as you say, flattering with the right fit and a good FAA! x

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  10. They look amazing Jane, very stylish and beautifully fitted. You continue to be a wonderful inspiration.

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    1. As thank you for your lovely comment. X

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  11. They look great - I am doing the all day workshop for the Ultimate a Trousers at Sew Over It this Saturday and SO looking forward to it. Blouse is cute - presumably one of yours?

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    1. Oooh you lucky thing, hope you enjoy it! Yes, the blouse is one I made a few years ago using a 1930's pattern, still love it! x

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  12. They look a great fit Jane! I totally agree - trousers are easy to sew. It's all in the fitting. I personally hate doing a muslin first but for a pattern you are going to use over and over again, it's so worth it. Just gotta keep away from the triple chocolate cookies!

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    1. It kills me to make muslins and I avoid them like the plague, but it was worth it in this case! I don't think I'll ever be disciplined around triple chocolate cookies though! x

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  13. These look great! I'm trying to make more 'wearable' everyday items, so I'm looking for more trousers now! Thanks for the recommendation!

    http://whydidimakethat.blogspot.co.uk/

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    1. Yes, my sewing is moving more towards everyday, wearable items too. I'm sure. I'll make more of these. X

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  14. LOL, fat arse adjustment! I SO hear you on that one. I've made two pair of elastic waisted pants...but my butt/tum is too big for them to fit. I'm going to stick with it though! Your pants look lovely.

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    1. It's worth persevering if you can bear it, when you get a pair that fit it's so satisfying! x

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  15. They look great! I'll have to keep these in mind as a place to start with trousers. I guess once you've got the fit sorted they'd be easy to hack into wide legged trousers? Hmmm.... I wonder if these have the potential to become a block pattern?!

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  16. Jane, these look gorgeous on you! I've just bought the same pattern and am awaiting a rainy day to piece it together. Thinking a cropped style to wear under dresses. And then wide leg pants.... Thinking the Holly jumpsuit might be the way to go.

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  17. Fab trousers, they look fantastic on you. Very you! This is a very timely post, I have this pattern and am going to start making a muslin this week so this is very useful, thank you!!

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  18. These are just perfect. You must be thrilled with these. I can imagine you wearing them to death!

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  19. Nice trousers. You are very clever:D Much better than trousers from Prada. And I think also better quality:)

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  20. Cute cute cute! They fit beautifully! I'm casting my vote for a gingham pair. :)

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  21. Oh wow, they look amazing. The hard work seems to have paid off as they look to be an amazing fit. Trousers scare me and I try never to have to wear them!

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