cropped trousers – THE COMPULSIVE SEAMSTRESS

Peppermint Crisp

I’ve finally made those darlings of the summer, the Peppermint Wide Leg Pants! I was going to make them in the summer using a piece of turquoise linen, but chickened out and used that fabric for a TNT pattern instead. But I stilll wanted to make the pattern so needed another fabric. I have found these to be super comfy, and I’ve worn them loads since making. They even made it to be part of the Christmas Day outfit! Apologies for the creasing, photos only taken halfway through the day… Real life! 🙂

crisp 1 — Peppermint Wide Leg Pants by In The Folds

My choice was the green denim I bought from Higgs & Higgs at the sewing show in London in October. Daughter No1 had convinced me that I needed green jeans in my life, hence the fabric. I started by tracing the G & H sizes, based on my measurements. I needed the H for the waist and graded down to the G for hip down. I shortened the legs by 4cm in advance, knowing my height and that of the “ideal” 1.7m tall Amazon for whom the pattern is designed. I toiled the pants in a stiff, thick fabric rescued from the charity shop and realised I could size down! They were too baggy, too loose all over.

crisp 5

I then traced the F, using the waist of the G, and moving to the F by 7cm from the base of the waistband. I didn’t re-toile, but got ready to cut. Then I realised I might have made a bloop. The fabric has stretch! The pattern is designed for fabric with no stretch… But by this time I really wanted these pants in this fabric. So I decided to start with cutting the F-G, the waistband was interfaced on the cross grain so there was no stretch. The pocket bags are cut in cotton poplin, leftovers from the lining of Daughter No1’s pink trench coat. These helped to control the stretch across the front. I cut a small facing piece like you do for a pair of jeans, from the green denim.

collage crisp 1

What I should have done is cut a couple of patch pockets for the back. I find it more comfortable to pop my phone in the back pocket than in a front one. Now, on the subject of pockets… These are HUGE! I thought when was tracing them that I really should reshape them to a more usual shape and size. So when I do put my phone in there, it swims around. I imagine I’d lose many a bit of loose change in these pockets, so I will be stitching a better shape this time, and changing the shape completely for the future.

crisp 6

I decided to sew the side seams with a 1.5cm allowance, rather than the 1.2cm allowed, to compensate for the stretch. I checked them before adding the waistband and realised they were still to loose, I needed to get the negative ease levels up to make the pants look like the others made with no-stretch fabric. So I took another 1.5cm off the outer leg seam and 1cm form the inner seam. This seamed to work, so I sewed on the waistband and crossed my fingers. It worked! So I guess you could say I’ve technically made the E size?? I still had the F for the waistband, and the “E” came in by about 10cm below the waistband seam.

crisp 4

I have to admit I got confunded by the zip instructions. I decided to follow the instructions as written, but then got to a part when I realised it just wasn’t going to work. The instructions are backwards! Next time I’ll do the fly the normal way, and change the centre front seam to allow for additional width. If you want fabulous fly zip instructions for jeans, read the Birkin Flares by Baste & Gather. You cannot go wrong with those. Anyway, I ended up unpicking much of what I had already sewn and topstitched in order to finish off the fly, but thankfully it doesn’t look too bad.

collage crisp 2

I do like the shape, and the fit is rather good, despite my fiddling and the incorrect fabric! So all this will be completely out of the window when I make the pattern again in the right fabric. But for now, I’m happy – and even happier because the other half, who doesn’t really like cropped, wide leg pants on me, likes these! I think it’s because of the fit at the waist and hip, so it’s not all baggy.

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Too many perfect buttons! I'm leaning towards the two at the top of the photo though. . . #isew #handmadewardrobe #buttonstash

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I love the colour, love the length and the width of the hemline. These pants fit into my wardrobe so well, the colour give the blues, greys and blacks a little pop, just like those rust pants I made in November, and the rust corduroy Kana’s Standard pants I made in October!

crisp 3

These pants have hit a record for me. They are the 100th project I’ve made this year! Since I started tracking my projects, I’ve never got this far, so Im pretty chuffed, although I think some in the slow sewing movement wouldn’t be as impressed! So now I need a new challenge for next year – and it won’t be to see how many more than that I can make.

crisp 2

Rust

FB_IMG_1519850097164 — My favourite colours, this is a wall of Cornish slate. I love the rusty tone with the dark navy & the greys

I broke my “please don’t buy any more fabric” ban last month. There I was innocently catching up on my blog reading when I came across a rather delicious looking pair of culottes in the most amazing colour by SewManju. The colour was exactly what I’d been looking for all year, and linen to boot! After asking which fabric shop she’d managed to find that beautiful fabric – and getting a reply – I managed to snaffle the last 3m!

rusty 1 — Burda cropped wide leg trousers 102 05/17

And I’m a very happy sewist-bunny, this was just the colour I was missing for my palette for this summer (and many to come). It was instantly washed, dried and ironed, ready for cutting. I decided not to faff around with different patterns, but to make another pair of cropped wide legged trousers using pattern 102 from Burda 05/2017. I already have two summer pairs, and another two in winter fabrics. It’s a pattern I can make in an afternoon – so I did!

rusty 2 — Out and about in St Ives in my lovely new trousers!

Usually I make the pocket bag linings from a contrasting fabric, something from the scrap box. Then I use that same fabric for the waistband facings. But the fabric I really wanted to use was only enough for the facings, so the pockets are all just linen. The waistband facings are in a pale greyish blue and white flower print Liberty poplin. Only tiny bits of that left in the scrap box now! The buttons for the pocket detail are vintage ones found in the depths of the button box.

collage rusty pants — Vintage buttons for detail, Liberty poplin for waistband facings

I truly, deeply, LOVE the colour! It goes with everything else I have, navy tees, white and black and grey tops, all done! So far I’ve only had a couple of cardigans in this shade of paprika/rust/cinnamon/copper. It’s really hard to put a lable on it! So, even though I had two cardigans in the right colour, I decided I needed another “top half”. And I had just the right pattern for the linen left after cutting the trousers.

rusty 3

I decided to make a pattern up from the Kana’s Standard II book, the jacket “A9”. I’ll show it to you soon, it’s just been way too hot for another layer….

So that’s another project for this year’s Burda Challenge, and a huge thank you to SewManju for helping me to accquire this perfect fabric <3<3

Ditto

cropped 5 — BurdaStyle 7/8 trousers 105 May 2017

I’ve found another favourite trouser pattern to add to my list. I liked the cropped wide trousers from the May 2017 edition immediately and dived into the stash almost straight away to find something suitable to cut up! I went ahead and traced the 44 & 42 anyway. (44 for the waist, grading to the 42 at the hip and down) I had an idea that a piece of grey chambray I’d bought from Croft Mill last year to make a top just might be good for this pattern.

cropped 3

The fabric was narrow than that required, and although I had 2m, it wasn’t enough to make the trousers up as the pattern was. The bottom part of the trouser leg is folded in half to make a deep cuff, that was the first bit to go, no double folding, just a deep hem. Next, the easiest bit to change – the pocket linings. I used a scrap of Liberty lawn, black and charcoal with madly bright printed flowers.

cropped 1

I haven’t shortened the pattern at all, and I think maybe, just maybe, I should look at removing about 4cm from the length, in the main trouser section, probably a the knee line. I’m happy with the length while wearing them, but when I see photos I do think they could possibly look better shorter. Especially if I’m wearing flats. They’re almost culottes, no pleats or extra width, but wearing them feels like wearing culottes, without the extra bulk.

collage cropped 1

Enter version two!! I was digging in the stash for something else entirely when I dug out a large-ish piece of lightweight black linen. I immediately thought of the cropped trousers again, I don’t have a pair of black linen trousers yet. This was a piece that had already been cut into, I cannot remember what else I’d made from it! I used the pattern in the same way as the first pair, still not enough fabric to do the double cuffs. The waistband facing is cut from white and black polka dot cotton, which is used for the pocket linings too.

cropped 8

It just needed a bit of something else… I thought there might be some silver ribbon or something in the ribbon box that could be useful and came up with a bit of silver piping instead! It’s so cool on the edge of the pocket, but there is one drawback. The pockets are nice and deep, the angle of entry just “gives” enough to be able to shove your hands in comfortably. However, with the piping on a cotton tape this doesn’t really happen, not to mention the piping is not soft, the silver metallic threads are rough. So it’s not as comfortable to shove my hands in these pockets as it is in the other pair.

cropped 10

I love the back pocket, deep enough to hold my mobile phone 🙂 All buttons came from the stash, as did the zips, although I now have to replenish my stash of black invisible zips. I have yet to make the full length version, but as it’s quite similar to others I have, I might give it a miss, enjoying the cropped versions for what’s let of our British summer (which already feels like autumn….) I know southern Europe is struggling with the intense heatwave of the last few weeks, but I don’t think we’d mind if the Jet Stream shifted a little more north and brought us some of that heat for a little.

cropped 7

In the mean time, I’m working on a 1920s flapper dress in gold and black sequins for a friend to wear to a themed ball early in September, trying to get my Morgan Boyfriend jeans to fit better and find the time to run up a black linen jumpsuit before it’s too late to wear it. See you on the other side!!!

cropped 9

Silver Dream

It’s good to be pushed out of your comfort zone sometimes. I joined in with a Facebook Group sew-along that started in January where the challenge was to make 8 items using patterns already in your stash. The idea, to look again at what you had bought and never got round to using. Those poor patterns you buy on impulse because you like the cover, or you’ve seen someone online make it and you liked it but for some reason you just haven’t committed.

It all came to an end at the end of April, and my 8th submitted item was these trousers. The pattern is Burda 6689, I think I bought it about 3 years ago, intending to make Daughter No 1 a pair. Needless to say we never got round to it, so it was the perfect pattern to finish off my collection of tops. The fabric is from Fabric Godmother. Thank goodness there wasn’t a stipulation that the fabric all had to come from the stash too, because I’d have lucked out here!! Although, this is the only new piece I bought to complete the challenge.

Gratuitous bum shot, you can still see the pockets through the fabric…

I initially toiled the 46, then realised, as usual, that it was too big. After making the 44 the crotch depth had to be reduced by 1cm, crotch curves had to change (come closer to the body) and the back crotch scooped out a little more. The crotch length in the back was decreased, bringing the waistband down about 1.5cm. The inseams were taken in on the back only. That seemed to work, the toile hung straight and there were minimal drag lines. There was a hope that the final fabric, having more body than the toile fabric, would hang well and all would be good!

The fabric itself is yummy, quite soft and subtle with a decent stretch. However, I think it’s one of those fabrics that will lose colour on folded edges so although I ironed the front crease in well for the photos and first wear, I will not continue to do so. I think I will end up with a nice pale line down the front of my pants. I used a piece of left over Liberty city poplin for the pocket linings and inner waistband. This stops the waistband stretching out of shape with wear.

I love the back pockets, initially I wasn’t going to do them, but I’m glad I did. I took my time over them, with the stretch fabric I didn’t want things going awry. I basted and whipstitched and did all those things you’re supposed to do with proper pockets, rather than just whip my way though! All the insides are overlocked, I could have French seamed the pockets but was worried about seeing the lines through the outer fabric.

Burda 6689

Whipstitch holding the piping together while I make the rest of the pocket up

Completed back welt pocket

Front fly zip

The insides

(Click on the thumbnails to see full size images)

The finished trousers are pretty good. I think I still need to work on the crotch depth/length though. Might just be the fabric, during the day they definitely get baggier and looser around the bum area and I end up pulling the waistband up more. The front still needs work too, that’s a job for the next pair. Once I put them on I wasn’t so sure about the length! I’ve been wearing floor skimming Birkin Flares all winter so these tapered pants floating high above my ankles feel a little funny. So I unfolded the 3cm hem and dug out some wide bias tape. I’ve attached the tape with a 5mm seam and used that for the hem. So these pants are 2.5cm longer than they should be, I never thought I’d be lengthening a pair of Burda trousers for me!!!

I love the colour of these pants, they go with just about everything in my wardrobe and can switch between casual and smart with ease. If I don’t come up with anything else, I might even wear them to a wedding we have to go to in July. I quite liked using only patterns from the stash, not including the Burda magazines, I didn’t think I had all that many – turns out there are plenty, and still some I haven’t used (let alone printed off or downloaded…..). No more waste!!

For Me-Made-May this year I’ve decided to identify gaps in my handmade wardrobe and to finish them within the month, as well as to use more from my re-make/re-cut bag. So we’ll see what I come up with!

Geometric Trousers

Here’s another of those fabulous, “make me more than once” patterns. I posted a whole pile of my own tried & tested Burda patterns last month, this is definitely another, but for the girls this time. I have used this pattern, which comes as a petite in the magazine, five times now, all successfully.

The pattern is Style 123 from Burdastyle magazine, June 2011. Daughter No1 is the lucky recipient of this particular pair, and I used the pattern in the petite format, making them an extra 2cm shorter. I think the German ladies these patterns are designed for must have really long legs. When I made this pattern for Daughter No2, who is pretty tall, all I needed to do was to adjust the pattern for “normal” height. I had thought I’d need to lengthen it again for a “tall” person, but the length was just right. However, for Daughter No1, whose legs are a fair bit shorter, I actually needed to shorten the pattern some more! I took those extra 2cm out of between the kneeline and the hem.

Looking at the photos now, I think I’ll be taking them in a little more from just below the crotch line to the hem, they are a little too wide on her legs. I made the 17, which would equate to the 34 in the ordinary sizes. The fabric is pretty cool. I’d seen it on the Stitch Fabrics website, labelled as Prada twill and wanted it! It is a cotton/lycra blend, but hasn’t got so much lycra that it gets all stretchy out of shape. Originally it was going to be a jacket for me, but the beige is too – well, beige! 🙂

I offered it to Daughter No1 for trousers & she was definitely in agreement. It was she who suggested using this pattern as she loves the last pair I made in a black & white mini-houndstooth. I used a black grossgrain ribbon in the centre of the waistband. I love the way it looks like a belt, but it also serves a practical purpose. As the fabric has stretch, this stops the waistband getting sloppy through the day.

I used a hook & bar closing instead of a button, it makes for a smoother finish. The insides were all overlocked before I started sewing, and boy did that make me sneeze! There was so much fluff! I also used a stretch needle. I have found that with fabrics with a certain amount of lycra or elastene, that a normal needle leaves holes. I used a stretch 75/11 for these trousers. Overall I am happy with this make, I will go back and taper the legs a bit more but I love the print, it’s perfect for trousers!