How to Make Pants that Fit - Part 2

This is the second post about fitting pants that follows the first one I posted August 11^th.  I never expected it would take me this long to get the second part of the pants fitting done, but things happen.  Life gets even busier than normal and some things take priority over my sewing. 

Let’s recap what I discussed in Part 1.  In that post I discussed choosing the pattern and the size.  I indicated I was working with Butterick B6910.  The pattern includes instructions for fitting the pattern to your measurements.  The instructions in the pattern are the Palmer/Pletsch Tissue Fitting Method.  I explained I would be using the method taught by Sarah Veblen instead.  I took my measurements and compared them to the actual measurements of the pattern pieces.  Then I made the necessary adjustments to the pattern so I could make a muslin with the adjusted pattern pieces. 

There were two books I recommended in Part 1.  One was The Complete Photo Guide to Perfect Fitting by Sarah Veblen.  The other was Pants for Real People by Pati Palmer & Marta Alto.  Now I am going to recommend a third book for you.  It is Easy Guide to Sewing Pants by Lynn MacIntyre.  It was published by Taunton Press in 1998.  The pictures show outdated styles of pants; however, the information for fitting pants is exceptional.  I have had this book for years, but never really took a close look at it until recently.  It gives the best step by step directions for fitting and sewing pants that I have seen anywhere!  Page 39 of this book gives an “Overview of Measuring and Adjusting Procedures”.  It lists the sequence of adjustments necessary to fit the pants pattern to your body.  Those adjustments need to be followed in the order given below.  The book gives explicit instructions on how to do each step. 

1.      Indicate the following key reference points for your body: waist, high hip, full hip, thigh, and knee.

2.      Record your measurements on a measurement chart.

3.      Indicate the same key reference points on the pattern.

4.      Draw the lengthening/shortening lines on the pattern.

5.      Measure the pattern lengths and compare them with yours.

6.      Make any necessary length adjustments.

7.      Establish your width levels (distance from the waist) on the pattern.

8.      Measure the pattern widths and compare them to yours.

9.      Make any necessary width adjustments.

10.  Make any other necessary adjustments based on figure observations.

11.  Measure the pattern crotch length.

12.  Make crotch length adjustments.

13.   True the pattern.

Another book with good information for fitting pants is Patternmaking for Fashion Design by Helen Joseph Armstrong.  The pants fitting information is given on pages 674 – 686.

As I explained in Part I of this post, after comparing your personal measurements to those of the pattern and making the necessary adjustments, you are ready to make your muslin.  Place your pattern on your fabric and cut out the pants.  Make sure you transfer all markings from the pattern to the pants.  You will need them to make adjustments when fitting the muslin.

Machine baste the pants together.  Make sure you sew the darts.  Check the fit of the waistband before attaching it to the muslin.  The pattern (Butterick B6910) is designed to have the top of the waistband at your natural waist (in other words, at your belly button).  The pattern instructions give detailed information about using a 1” piece of elastic at your waist to help you fit the waistband.  If the band is too small or too large, you should add to or subtract from the band to make adjustments.   

Next, try on the muslin and remember if you added or subtracted from the waistband, you must do the same to the pants at the waist.  Baste the waistband to the pants to check the crotch length.  The crotch seam should just skim your body.  If the crotch seam does not touch your body, take a tuck along the lengthen/shorten line marked on the muslin just above the crotch across the front and back of the pants.  Pin the tuck in place and make sure to keep it even.  If you need to add to the crotch depth, cut across the lengthen/shorten line and baste in a piece of fabric to fill the gap.  Again, make sure to keep the added piece even across the back and front.  Measure the width of the added piece and write it on your muslin.  You will need this figure to make the correction on your pattern.

If the waistband is where you want and the crotch length is correct, you are ready to check the hips.  If you need more room in the hip area, add to the seam at the sides.  If you have too much ease in that area, take a larger seam allowance at the hips.   

If the pants are baggy in the back, you can rip some stitches out at the waistband and pull the pants up into the seam until they no longer droop and pin into place.  Mark the new seam line from the center back to nothing at the side seams.

Standing before a full-length mirror, take a good look at the pants.  Any wrinkles will let you know where other adjustments need to be made.  It takes experience to get good at “reading wrinkles”.  That is why I always keep my copy of The Complete Photo Guide to Perfect Fitting open in front of me when I fit a muslin.  That way, I can see pictures of many of the common problems in fitting pants.  The book gives a picture of the tell-tale wrinkles with information on how to get rid of them.

One of the common problems is wrinkles at the front of the pants at the crotch area that look like smiles.  If your muslin has these wrinkles, you should rip the stitches at the front inseam and move the seam line over to gain more room and then taper the seam down about five inches.

If there are vertical wrinkles at the back just below the crotch, there is too much fabric between the legs.  You can correct this by removing the stitches and take in the back inseams.  Make a note of the amount you take in because you will need this to correct your paper pattern. 

After making the adjustments on your muslin, transfer them to your paper pattern.  If you think you have a decent fitting pattern, use it to cut pants from your fashion fabric.  If you think you still need other adjustments, cut the pants from muslin and make another trial “muslin” to check the fit.  If you have a friend that sews, ask the friend to take a look at your muslin for a second opinion.  Sometimes, if the pants fit okay, it is helpful to make and wear them.  You can always tweak your pattern before using it the next time.

Most of us are always looking to make that “perfect” garment.  It takes experience to get the pattern exactly right to make the “perfect” garment.  Many of us wear garments we buy off the rack that are far from perfect.  Maybe we just need to not be so hard on ourselves about the garments we sew.  In the case of sewing pants or any other garment, we can learn from each garment we make and tweak the pattern each time we make another.  Eventually, we should get the “perfect” fit we are seeking!

If you haven’t started sewing pants, I hope you will try to fit a pattern for yourself soon.  It is time-consuming, but worth the effort.

Judy

 

 

How to Make Pants That Fit:  Part I       

Do you want to make pants that fit?  Are you willing to take the time to learn to make adjustments to the pants pattern before you cut into your fabric?  If so, then you will be on your way to successfully sewing pants that fit!  Let’s go through the process one step at a time. 

There are several methods to fit a pattern.  The one I like best is the one taught by Sarah Veblen.  She is the author of The Complete Photo Guide to Perfect Fitting.  Sarah teaches from her home in Maryland and also online at https://sewing.patternreview.com/.  Another method is the tissue fitting method.  That is the method used by Palmer Pletsch.  With that method, you tape the pattern together; try it on and make your adjustments before cutting your fabric.

I am going to use the Butterick B6910 pattern.  This is a Palmer/Pletsch pattern with instructions for using the tissue fitting method.   If you want to use this method, Butterick B6910 gives clear instructions on how to do it.  Just be sure to read the guide sheet thoroughly before beginning including the instructions for fitting written by the Palmer Pletsch people.  However, I am going to use the method taught by Sarah Veblen.  Therefore, I will compare my measurements with the finished measurements on the pattern and make adjustments to my pattern.  Then I will make a muslin to use for fitting the pants.   I prefer to make a muslin because then I can easily see any problems with the fit before I cut my fashion fabric.  You can also do that with the tissue fitting method, but I find it is easier for me to do it with a muslin.

After you have your pattern, choose your size based on your hip measurement.  The hip measurement is the fullest part of the hip area, usually about 7 –9 inches below the waist.  When measuring, wear the underwear you will wear under the pants.  This will be a snug measurement.  Don’t measure with your finger under the tape.  The pattern will have built-in ease. 

If your measurement is between two sizes, choose the smaller size.  There is usually enough ease in the pattern to do that.  However, if you have a very flat derriere, go to the larger size.  This will allow enough room to take a tuck in the pattern backpiece to adjust for your flat backside.  This pattern has a series of lines drawn on the back pants piece to use to take a tuck if there is too much fullness there.

Trace your pattern onto pattern paper.  I use a roll of paper commonly used in a doctor’s office to cover the exam table, but you could use any tissue paper including Perfect Pattern Paper from Palmer Pletsch.  I do this instead of cutting up the original pattern because I do not want to destroy it.   Make sure you trace all markings from the original pattern onto the one you copy. 

Now you are ready to make adjustments to the hip and waist area of the pants.   Most people don’t make any adjustment to the length until after all other adjustments are made.  However, I know from experience the pants will be 6 – 7 inches too long for me.  So, I shorten my front and back pattern pieces by three inches just to make it easier to check the fit of the muslin.  I know I will still need to shorten the pattern after I make all the other adjustments, but it will be easier with less fabric at my feet. 

The pattern allows one-inch seam allowances for the side seams and inseams.  You can use some of that one-inch seam allowance to make the pants larger if needed.

Measure the waist of the pants from seam line to seam line on both the front and back pieces and double that for the total waist measurement.  Do not include the amount covered by the dart area.  Compare your personal waist measurement to the waist area of the pattern.  That will tell you what amount you need to add or subtract from the pattern’s waist.  Take that amount and divide it by 4.     To increase the waist, measure out that amount from the side seam and redraw the side seam from the waist to the hip area.  Conversely, if you need to make the waist smaller, measure inward on the side seam by the amount needed and then redraw the side seam from the waist to the hip area.  If you know your personal front waist measurement is different than your back waist measurement, that adjustment can be made when you fit the muslin.

Before you add to or subtract from the front waist on Butterick B6910, you must pin the side front piece under the slanted pocket opening and add that piece at the waist.  The pattern guide sheet will show you how to pin it.   It is important to transfer all the markings on your pattern when copying from the original pattern.  You will need those markings on your copied pattern as well as on the fabric when it is cut.

Next, compare your measurements to the finished garment measurements at the hips.  Plain fitted pants usually have 2-3 inches of ease in the hips and classic trousers with slanted pockets usually have 4-8 inches of ease at the hips.    Measure the hip area on the pattern just as you did the waist.  Then compare your personal hip measurement to the pattern’s hip measurement to see if you need to add to or subtract from it.  Take that amount and divide it by 4.  Then measure out from each side seam and add that amount to each side seam on both front and back pattern pieces.  If you need to make the waist smaller, you would move the waist inward by that amount.  Then true that line from the waist to the hips. 

If you make adjustments to the waist on the front and back pattern pieces, you will also need to make the same adjustments to the right and left front waistbands as well as the back waistband piece at the side seams.  Butterick B6910 has a contour waistband.  With this type of waistband, most people prefer the top of the band at the belly button; however, you can fit it where you like.  I like to make that decision when I am fitting the muslin.

Now, after making adjustments to your pattern for the hips, waist, and waist band, you are ready to cut your muslin.  You can use actual muslin to do this or you can use some other fabric about the same weight as muslin.  Just make sure your markings can be clearly seen on the fabric.  It could be a piece of cotton that you no longer like and will never use.  This would be a good way to get some use from it.  Make sure you transfer all the markings from your pattern onto your muslin.  You won’t wear your muslin, so it is okay to use a ball point pen.  You want to use something that will not disappear because the markings will be essential to fitting your muslin.  Those marks should include any darts or pleats, notches, and any other marks that designate hipline, waistline, and lengthen and shorten lines.  Just make sure you transfer all markings.  Don’t overlook any of them.  The markings will make fitting your muslin much easier and more accurate. 

At the beginning of this post, I asked if you are willing to take the time to learn to make the adjustments necessary to successfully sew pants that fit.  Therefore, before you start fitting your muslin, you should do some research on how to do that.  Although I plan to write about how to fit the muslin in my next post, I can’t possibly cover everything about fitting a muslin in a blog post.  It would be helpful to you if you prepare by perusing some good sources on the subject. 

There are two books that I reccommend.  One is The Complete Photo Guide to Perfect Fitting by Sarah Veblen.  She covers fitting pants on pages 192 – 211.  The other is Pants for Real People by Pati Palmer and Marta Alto.  The entire book is devoted to fitting pants.  Both books have lots of pictures and show how to make many adjustments.  If you don’t have either of these books, I suggest you contact your local library and see if they have a copy.  There are other books that address the issue of fitting pants and there is a lot of information on the subject available on the internet.  Try to familiarize yourself with an overview of fitting pants.

In my next post, I will begin by talking about sewing a muslin.  Then we will discuss how to make adjustments to the muslin and transfer those adjustments to your paper pattern.

Good luck with your pants fitting research.  Remember, there are lots of ways to fit pants.  You just need to know more about the subject and then pick the method that works best for you.  Most of us learn by doing.  So, educate yourself on the pants fitting process and then make some pants for your wardrobe.  You will improve your personal fitting process each time you make pants!

Judy