Jeans

Ok, enough of the fancy outfits for the summer. Time for something practical - jeans! My mom gifted me some quality denim with a small amount of stretch for my birthday in July and I quickly sewed up this pair my using my pants block.

Pattern: My Mambo No. 5 jeans block

Fabric: 2 yds denim

Cost: gift

I think for now I'm finally happy with my pants block and done tweaking it. It's only taken me like three years! The block is for a fitted pair of jeans or pants and takes into account my hip to waist ratio, full bum, knock knees, and all my other little fitting quirks. I call it "Mambo No. 5" because it is a little bit of all the patterns I've tried: Ginger, Misty, Clover, etc. I think I'm really funny.

The pattern is not always adaptable to style changes like a higher waist, fuller legs, or other styles (I have other patterns for that) but this is my favorite silhouette and also the hardest to fit, so it's nice to finally have something down. 

I had originally planned for them to be a bit more of a relaxed fit. Here they are straight out of the wash - they do relax some with wear. 

The most fun part of these jeans was designing the pocket. I went with a random scattering of little stars.

As you may have noticed, I'm always wearing a new top in these photos. It's McCall's #7810. I really love it on the model, but she's got a much fuller figure than me and I just feel like I don't quite fill it out. This is even after sizing down to sew it in a knit rather than a woven fabric. And while the bust feels oversized, I probably made the waistband piece a bit too fitted. And then the white fabric is a bit sheer. I have already donated it. You win some, you lose some!

Hope you all are enjoying your fall! We had a week of cooler weather where I busted out my sweaters, but now we're back to 80 degree days - warmer than most summer days for us!

High-Waisted Jeans, Inari Crop Top, and a Note about Lengthen/Shorten Lines

I once heard that for something to be truly high-waisted, it actually needs to be above your natural waist-line. So does that make these pants just waisted?

Pattern: my Mambo No. 5 pants block & Named Inari Tee Dress
Fabric: 2 yds stretch denim for jeans, remnant t-shirt knit for the tee
Cost: ~$15

I have wanted to try out high-waisted jeans forever, just for funsies. I have a long torso, so the only way to get jeans to sit at my natural waist is to make them myself. As you can see below, my process was a bit experimental, but I basically just lengthened the rise on my regular pants block. I may have lengthened them too much as there are some front crotch wrinkles, but I am having fun with them nonetheless.

To go with my new high-waisted pants I of course then also needed a crop top. I decided to try out the Inari tee after seeing a ton of examples I liked on Instagram. The pattern worked really well for me. Following others' advice, I raised the armhole for more coverage by cutting the smallest armscye and sleeve, which worked like a charm.

On the subject of high pants and crop tops, I wanted to talk a bit about something I've been seeing a lot lately - people using lengthen shorten lines incorrectly. It is driving me crazy! So below are my two cents on when to use lengthen shorten lines, and when not to.

Lengthen/shorten lines are for making pattern adjustments to fit your body. For example, I am long waisted, so I often need to change where the waist sits on a pattern. In the example below, the pattern waist is much too high for the model's waist. To fix this, I would cut at the lengthen/shorten line of the bodice and spread the pieces to lower the waistline. A petite or short-waisted person would do the opposite, overlapping the pieces to raise the waistline. Similarly, pants and skirts can be lengthened or shortened for people with longer or shorter legs. This ensures that the knee of the pattern hits where it's supposed to, that it preserves the appropriate shaping at the ankle, etc.

However, I have seen SO MANY misunderstandings of the lengthen/shorten line lately. This line is intended for fitting, not changing the style of a garment. For example, if you want to change a top into a tunic, DO NOT spread at the lengthen/shorten line. This will throw off where the waist or other shaping is, and it won't fit you right, as in the example below:



Assuming the top fits you as is, what you want to do is extend the hem longer. Same goes for shortening/lengthening other garments like a knee-length dress into a midi dress, or a short coat into a long coat. So if the garment fits you as is but you want to change the length, make those changes from the hem:



In the case of my high-waisted jeans, I didn't slash and spread at the lengthen/shorten line. That would have made the waistband much too wide, as it is drafted to fit above my hips and not at my waist. Instead, I added length and tapered toward the waist to match my measurements. Similarly, the Inari tee fits me fine as a crop top, so I will simply extend the hem (and perhaps taper out toward the hips) if I want to make it into a normal-length tee.

New Job, New Pants

I started a new job last week! I have to say, it feels really satisfying to finally land a good gig - for me it was the final chapter in my adventure back to school. I am working at a new firm founded by some of my former colleagues and staffed by some of my favorite people. 

And you know what a new job also means? An excuse to make new clothes!

Pattern: my Mambo No. 5 pants pattern block
Fabric: 2 yds stretch woven
Cost: $20

Sartorially, this job is an interesting challenge. It is remote, meaning I could stay in my yoga pants all day. However, I am NOT working from home. Our house is just a bit too small and we all know I couldn't give up my precious sewing space. Instead, I'm working out of a coworking space that was originally started by Mr. Made and some friends. In a serendipitous turn of events, he also started a new job this month so we did a little switcharoo and I have taken over his space while he commutes to his new office. This means I still have to look vaguely presentable during the work day, and also accommodate a short bike commute as well as any meetings or casual meet-ups with my co-workers.

The answer is something akin to the Yoga Dress Pant: stretchy, comfy work wear that can be worn just as easily on my bike as it can to an important meeting. Seriously, these pants are so comfy! The secret is super stretchy bottom-weight fabric with all the office-appropriate details. They have horizontal slash pockets in the front and welt pockets in the back, and a slim straight-cut leg. The fabric has enough stretch so they pull on without any closures, and a wide elastic encased in the waistband that makes everything stay put.

I made these up from my pants block with its latest set of fit tweaks - I am always perfecting this thing. Even with the small tweaks, it is so nice to have a TNT pattern for pants as you save so much time not futzing over the fit. As always, I used a 1" seam allowance on the side seams so that I can make any adjustments based on how tightly woven the fabric is. Basically, I sew everything up, then baste together at the sides to assess how much the fabric stretches and how tight I want the pants to be. This one extra step allows me to use this pattern for so many different types of fabric.

In this case, the fabric is from Stonemountain in Berkeley. I popped in there on my last day off because I had a feeling they would have some good stretch fabrics for me. I used to have to buy all my stretchy pants fabrics online, but in the past few years I have noticed more and more wonderful bottom-weight options at my local fabric stores. Those who follow me on Instagram will know that I found quite a few fabrics - I took home enough for at least four pairs of pants, as well as a few tops to go with them. It was a really satisfying fabric binge.

As you can see, my pants add a little pop of color to my first meeting outfit. Here I'm wearing them with my Granville shirt and my Simplicity Blazer for my first professional work retreat. It is so satisfying to have an entirely me-made meeting outfit, and also SO COMFY. Now all that's left to do is focus on work. 

Plaid Pants Love

If you know me, you know I love a good pair of pants. Patterned, pleated, stretchy, I love them all. What most people consider to be an afterthought to their cute shirts I think of as the star of the show. I fantasize about pants, I Pinterest stalk pants, and I have way too many favorites to comfortably fit in my closet. 

Pattern: Mambo no. 5

Fabric: printed plaid with at least 30% stretch

Cost: $10

When I saw Lisa's tartan trousers on the Tessuti blog, I had instant pants envy. While plaid pants may remind you of Christina Aguilera in the early 2000s, Lisa's are subtle, sophisticated, and totally work-appropriate. I had to have them. 

I finally spotted the perfect fabric at Fabric Outlet SF at the perfect price to try out this look. And unlike Lisa's, this fabric is very stretchy - my fave! The quality so far has been good and the pants have good recovery, but the print is printed on a white fabric so I am a bit worried about how they will wear. They are fun though!

As usual, I used my Mambo No. 5 pattern, which is a tried and tested amalgamation of all my favorite patterns. As usual, this round gave me some more ideas for alteration (I'm still working on some pesky knee wrinkles), but for the most part the fit is spot on! My secret is that the side seam allowance is a generous one inch, which allows me to baste the seam to test the fit with all sorts of different fabrics. In this case, I sewed the full one inch allowance at the hips but tapered to a 1/2" allowance in the legs to get the cigarette pants look I was going for.  

The other modification I made was to make these as pull-on pants. While I haven't had the best of luck with pull-on pants in the past, the fabric on these was stretchy enough to work perfectly. Previously I've had issues getting the waistband over my hips, so I really need a lot of stretch for pull-on pants to work with my proportions. I also inserted elastic into the waistband, which helps keep everything snug. 

I also enjoy playing with the pockets on my pants. I've been looking for something a little less casual for front pockets, and tried these long horizontal slash pockets in the front. It's more work-appropriate without worrying that things will slip out. The pockets have a pocket stay, which keeps them in place when pulling them on.

For the back pockets I experimented with a quicker way for doing the welts. I hate sewing welt pockets, but love that they provide a less-casual option. My results aren't perfect - I should have done a smaller opening so that the welt covers the whole pocket opening - but I'm excited to try these again. Hopefully, I can share more once I figure it out. I also tacked the bottom of the pocket to the pants so they stay in place. 

With the holidays approaching, I think these will be the perfect festive pants. I love a good plaid this time of year, and the stretch means that there will be plenty of room for eating.

Happy American Thanksgiving to those who are celebrating!

Mambo No. 5 Jeans

Pattern: frankenpattern
Fabric:  1 1/2 yds stretch woven
Cost:  ~$20 per pair

Ladies and gentlemen, this is Mambo No. 5, where I combine all my favorite girls into one great jeans pattern. Let me explain...

I like the sizing on my Closet Case Files Ginger Jeans. I have fiddled with the waist to get them snug, and tapered the legs just so. However, they have a number of fit issues for me. This goes back to my thoughts on big Fit vs little fit. They fit, in that they are comfortable to wear and stay on, but they don't Fit in that there are little drag lines and imperfections that my other pants don't have.

That's where my other patterns come in. My Colette Clover pants have a really great crotch curve. It is L-shaped, which works well for me. J-shaped curves make it look like my butt is trying to eat the fabric - lots of diagonal lines going on there. However, the Clovers aren't my perfect pants either. The fit in the legs has always been a bit funky, most likely due to the fact that I need a knock-knee adjustment. They also slant a bit inward at the leg inseam.

So in comes a third pattern. I really like the leg shape of my Style Arc Misty Jeans/Barb Pull-On Pants. Compared to the other two patterns, they slant in the right direction to ensure that the side seams do not pull around to the front or the back. This is crucial to avoid that dreaded slanted inseam.

So with Ginger, Clover, and Barb, I set about drafting my perfect pair of pants. All the names remind me of the ladies in Mambo No. 5: "A little bit of  Ginger in my life. A little bit of Clover by my side. A little bit of Barb is all need. Really great pants is what I see." Haha! Ok a bit silly but you get the point. I guess I could have also called these my All-Spice pants, because using Ginger and Clover sounds like I'm baking and not sewing.

Anyway, back to pants drafting. Another feature I wanted in my perfect jeans was a wide seam allowance. While I drafted most of the seams with a standard 5/8" seam allowance, for the side seam I gave a generous 1" seam allowance. This is because pants REALLY vary with the amount of stretch in the fabric. I have never had the same pants pattern sew up the same way in a different fabric, so I wanted to give a generous allowance to account for different stretches and weaves. I can simply take it in a bit for a pair with good stretch, and let it out for a tighter weave or less stretch. This little feature would have saved me a lot of heartache over the years, and I highly recommend all you pants-makers do the same.

So how did they turn out? Not bad! Mr. Made agrees that the back is my best one yet. The only lines you see in the back are the little horizontal lines under the butt. While you could draft those out, in tight-fitting pants they are necessary to allow ease of movement. However, what you don't see is diagonal lines or other puckering, meaning my crotch curve is working! On the front, I also extended the curve a bit to try to eliminate some whiskers there. My first version is the black pair.

For my second version, in brown, I made a few minor adjustments. First, I needed to true up the side seam by 3/4 of an inch. While I measured the seams when drafting, I forgot about the yoke! D'oh! Next, I removed a wedge from the front and another from the back, as both were drafted too long and sagging a bit. Finally, I did one last 1/2 inch knock knee adjustment. While I tried to build it in, with all the other changes I was making it was hard to tell if that change was going to transfer over. That got rid of a little bit of bunching around the outer knee, although some is inevitable. However, I may have compensated a bit too much. I think I need to decrease the width at the knees instead of make a bigger knock knee adjustment.

The fabric for my first and second pairs were beautiful stretch wovens from Stonemountain and Daughter in Berkeley. When I first started sewing pants several years ago they didn't carry much in the way of bottom-weight stretch wovens, but since then I have been finding more and more great things there. I also finally met the owner last time I was in, and she's a total sweetheart. I will definitely be checking back more regularly for pants fabrics, as I much prefer to inspect them in person than blindly order through the mail.

On  my second pair, I also modified both the front and back pockets. For the front, I added a pocket stay, which keeps the pockets in place as you take the pants on and off. I may have to recheck the drafting on this though, as I think it may have contributed to some wrinkling in the front.

You'll also notice I drafted some welt pockets instead of patch pockets. If you're interested in making your own welt pockets with perfectly finished seams, I've got a tutorial up on the BERNINA WeAllSew Blog.

While I am just frankenpatterning things together, altering these patterns to fit me has taught me a lot about pants fitting. Four years after making my first pair of pants, I feel like I am finally able to diagnose fit problems and know how to fix them. While no pair is ever perfect, I am working on it slowly but surely...