Burda 2/2013 #143

Have I mentioned how much I love Burda plus patterns for my lower half? well I dooooooo! :)

I was doing wardrobe assessment number 317 an realized that while I have a lot of pants -- I have 6 pair of black pants (they are all different silhouettes, leg shapes, fabric types), 4 pair of blue pants, 3 pair of camel/tan pants -- they are different, but there's so much repetition in color! 

I first sewed a Burda plus pant pattern back in 2017, HERE. That crotch curve was such a great match that I often check the Plus section for pants. The only problem is, they very often call for stretch wovens which is kind of annoying. Bleh. 

I have a lower left shoulder and higher right hip

I had a pair of ponte pants in a similar color awhile ago but they never fit quite right (not enough crotch depth), so while I wore them all the time because of the color, they just weren't comfortable. And as my sewing and fitting has evolved, I absolutely refuse to wear uncomfortable clothing. 

I'd located a couple sources of ponte in this shade but on an impromptu trip to SR Harris recently, I saw this suiting and jumped on it! Initially I thought it was a little too thick, but it works SO well. I was very tempted to go back and get more to have in stash should I decide on a jacket or wider leg pants in the future. So far, I haven't caved :)

I started these right before Christmas and they got to the basting stage at prime-PMS bloating time. I have a serious knack for this, it's crazy! On December 27th I started feeling bad and on December 28th I tested positive for Covid. So this is a 2021 project (I have yet to sew anything for 2022!).

I cut a size 46 with a 44 front crotch. I also decreased the leg width and now, I can't remember by how much! I measured a couple of ankle-length, cuffed trousers, searched online and found leg widths for a few pair of pants, and then narrowed it based on that. I'm thinking I removed 3/8" from each seam, or a total of 3". 

What makes these pants REALLY awesome? I used the Singer Reference Library, Sewing Pants that Fit to construct them. GET ACTUAL SEWING RESOURCES WITHOUT DEPENDING ON PATTERNS FOR CONSTRUCTION INFO!!! Sorry for yelling in bold. 

But for real. The more you expand your knowledge, the better sewer you will become. You will be able to construct as instructed by the pattern designer, or you can sub in something equally or more(!) suitable. 

For the cuffs, I pinned the hem up to the desired length. I ended up removing 1/4" when serging the raw edge. I then folded up a 2 5/8" hem, blindstitched this hem, then folded up 1.5" and tacked at the inseam and side seam. 

The pockets, the fly front, the waistband...all of it turned out so, so well. I ordered no-sew trouser hooks on eBay and while waiting for them to arrive from overseas, I ordered some from The Sewing Place. They are larger/more heavy duty and the sets that I received later are a match for my RTW pants. And of course, the day after I decided to go for it and insert them, the sets from eBay showed up. They have to be inserted prior to finishing the waistband as you stick the prongs through the fabric, add the backer, and fold in the prongs (I used a needle-nose plier).  My waistband was a bit narrower than my RTW pants so that's something I'll keep in mind for the future.

I also decided to add double-fold bias tape to the facing AND took the time to insert it properly. :-p -aka- in 2 passes. I stitched it to the right side, folder over and pressed, then topstitched. It's so much better than my lame attempts to try to keep the facing sandwiched between the bias tape for the entire length of the facing!

I decided to do the fold over on the front waistband and it took me forever to figure it out - COVID brain!! I got it all pinned out and it was nighttime and I refused to cut the excess. WE DO NOT CUT FABRIC AT NIGHT! Lol!!! The next day I was able to tackle it and finish up the pants.

And this pattern will for sure become my TNT trouser pattern. Adjustments to make for the future:
-allowance for high right hip

-tweak front darts
-tiny extension on the back crotch point to resolve those small folds at the upper inner thigh
-adjust waistband and facings to allow for the fold over style
-trace off another copy with a slight bootcut

I am SO excited to have a pair of pants this color in my wardrobe!! I think I'll be wearing them VERY often :)