PRIMA Pattern, April 2016 - Wide-Leg Trousers

There's until midnight tomorrow to order the April 2016 PRIMA Magazine pattern by phone. For more info. please see Prima's own webpage here (it also seems that since their January 2016 issue, Prima have "finally" started to issue details of their patterns online, although not images of the technical drawings).

For April 2016, Prima Magazine are offering a wide-leg trousers pattern in cropped or *full-length (*with or without turn-ups). They have a shaped waistband and front zip. Optional extras are side-pockets or button trim. And, as usual the Prima pattern comes in Sizes 10 - 20 (UK).

See my old post here on tips for ordering their patterns: PRIMA Magazine: How to Order Their Sewing Patterns.

For my some of my thoughts on PRIMA Magazine's sewing patterns - and how I'd personally like to see them change to make things better and easier for sewing-fans - please see this link here Claire's Tuppence Worth... .

Will This Class End My Trouser Fitting Woes...?

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Ahhh, trousers, I've not really re-visited the pair I started for Sunni's sewalong this time last year. And it's been bugging me every since :(

I did go on the pattern making course I mentioned last year (in fact I took 2 short courses on the subject - but that's a topic for another post/s), and I did draft a trouser block/sloper based on my own measurements. But (should that be butt?), I never cut and sewed them up - therefore I never got to check the fit (my bad I know!).

Pics from last year's trouser muslin:

So, now I want me some properly fitting trews! So, I've sent the Princely sum of £48 (approx. $75.30 USD) to attend The Perfect Trouser short course run by Morley College (yup - the same place where Melissa recently attended her course on the Pattern Magic 2 book, and where Karen went to make her fab dress).

Course Description:

"  The Perfect Trouser   
   •  Course Code VFC083A
   •  Saturday 28^th - Sunday 29^th April 2012 - 2 sessions
   •  Times 10:00 - 16:00

If you find it difficult to achieve a successful fit when making trousers, this practical course is for you. The principles of what constitutes a good fit and how to achieve it will be discussed and demonstrated. Not suitable for beginners.

Every body shape is different and a pair of trousers that fit well is difficult to find for some people. Commercial patterns are for an ‘average’ shape and even patterns you may have made for yourself do not necessarily give you that perfect fit.

This practical course is for clothes makers and pattern cutters who find a successful fit difficult to achieve. It will allow you to explore fitting techniques and methods in a creative and supportive environment. The principles and skills learned can be transferred to other garments in general so will have a beneficial impact on all your clothes making or pattern cutting.

Previous experience in clothes making or pattern cutting is essential.

    What will I learn on the course?
    You will learn:
   •   to make a toile for a basic fitted trouser
   •   to apply appropriate techniques and methods to create a good fit
   •   to adapt a pattern accordingly
                                                   "

           [All text above taken from the course brochure found here]

The course runs over a weekend from 10am-4pm on both days - so perfect, I don't have to rush anywhere after a long working day.

According to the course brochure I'll need to purchase my own copy of McCalls Pattern 5239 in my hip size.

Image Source: McCALLS (Pattern 5239)

5239 is a Palmer/Pletsch pattern - and they are known for their great fitting advice and these great steps/tips are shared in their pattern instructions.

There are a number of favourable reviews for this pants pattern on PatternReview.com. It's not a style I'd usually go for when pattern shopping (or in ready to wear clothing) as I'm usually a low-rise fit kinda girl - and this pattern is cut to fit the waistband on your natural waistline. However, I sincerely do hope; that buy attending this short course and getting to [fingers-crossed!] sort myself out with a well fitting pattern, I can the move forward with other styles and have fewer woes!

The Labels Have Landed!

Yesterday, the postie brought me a most welcome little envelope containing blue and white loveliness - my labels had landed!

My actual labels - yipee!

The mock-up from the website

And, I reckon that they came out damn near spot-on compared to the mock-up that you can automatically generate on the wovenlabelsuk.com website (yay!). At least you know that what you see is what you get (excepting of course for the usual differences in colour you get between monitor screens vs. real-life etc., etc. LOL!).

They come stapled in strips stapled onto a little card

The card tells you how to attach the labels

I'm one very happy bunny now :) !

In other news... 

Last Monday (14th March) I finished my 9-week pattern making course, and I am going to use some spare time I have next week to make the tweaks the tutor suggested during the fitting session we had in class to the 2nd toile (muslin) for my basic bodice block. Plus, I shall be making the 1st go for the muslin of my trousers block (sadly I no longer have access to the tutor to have an expert assess for fit :( hoo-hum!). Hopefully... the sloper from the trousers will help me complete my unfinished work on Sunni's Trouser Sewalong (at last hehe!).

Jeans... jean-ius or jean-uinley tricky?

Peter over at Male Pattern Boldness is running a Jeans Sew-Along starting on Monday 2nd May 2011. It's open to girls and guys alike - jeans after all are worn by practically everybody aren't they? However, for something we often spend an awful lot of time wearing it can be tricky to find a ready-to-wear pair that fits you well. Therefore, what better solution than to make your own? Butt (pun intended!), jeans are of course a type of trouser, and as is so often said in sewing circles trousers are bl***dy difficult to fit properly (hence I can see that Peter's sew-along will be a very handy resource for sharing tips and sewing-woes alike).

Ladies jeans patterns are pretty easy to find ("good" patterns are another debatable thing though LOL!), e.g. there's the much talked about and praised Jalie 2908 (made and much-altered by Tanit-Isis , Elaine and more recently by Melissa) it's been reviewed and talked about extensively over on PatternReview.com.

 Image source: PatternReview.com

Those 3 lovely ladies have both shared tips/thoughts on jeans-making too:

To Do, To Don’t, and What do I know?
The Selfish Seamstress answers your jeans questions
The first Jalie jeans

However, there are precious few resources out there for mens' jeans patterns.

 Image source: jeanshook.com

Having been inspired by Peter's sew-along, here are few places and patterns that I have un-earthed for men's jeans patterns.

In the UK the Kwik Sew 3504 Pattern (as mentioned in Peter's post) is available here: Jaycotts.co.uk and also at Sew Essential too.

 

Kwik Sew 3504                                              2-pictures of: Burda 7733

Or worldwide people can download 3504 from: SewingPatterns.com - Kwik Sew 3504

Also, for download are: Burda 7733 (Men's Straight Narrow leg jeans) I cannot find 7733 on the German BurdaStyle.de website, but this [translated into English] for the French site has more info. on this pattern

The Jalie Men's Jeans 2107 are also on SewingPatterns.com - Jalie 2107, or can be bought in the UK from Habithat.co.uk - Jalie 2107 too.

Jalie Men's Jeans Pattern 2107

Or, I wonder... if any of the many pages of Men's patterns on the Leko site could be adapted into jeans (maybe just tweaking the pockets into that familar rounded shape?) the advantage is that Leko let you download lots of their patterns in 1-fixed size for free!! But, you'd need to get grading if you choose the free copy :)

On a personal note I have the ladies Jalie 2908 (a Christmas present ;) ) on file ready to go! I'd mentally made a note to try making jeans toward the end of the year as I indeed feel that they are a tricky-make, however I can always save Peter's posts to file and follow along at later date if need be. Besides, I've only 2 more weeks of my pattern making course to finish and I hope that the trouser-block I make will help towards fitting a pair of jeans more easily too :) Here's hoping my jeans endeavours turn into jean-ius creations ;)

Making the Trouser Muslin: Part #2... Sewing It Up!

Further to my last post: Making the Trouser Muslin: Part #1... Tracing!, here's how I got on with sewing the pieces together... and a few pics at the end of how it looked and fitted when I tried it on!

I dutifully followed Sunni's instructions for the construction of my toile, and started off by sewing the back darts, followed by attaching the pocket lining pieces to the trousers fronts.


Then, I stitched the pocket pieces to the pocket linings. However, I had a spot of trouble wrapping my head around how this worked (seeing as I'm a beginner and have never sewn a pair of trousers before it's no surprise that some stuff will confound me a little along my sewing journey :)!)... so here's how I helped myself to figure out how the pocket should come together:

Making the Trouser Muslin: Part #1... Tracing!

Okay, so I'm a little it late with the trouser posts :(! I mean I only sewed the darn muslin (toile) out of medium weight calico on 16th of this month, and 2 weeks later I post about it... my bad!

I must be quite strange - because I quite enjoy all the tracing out onto fresh paper of the Burda Style Magazine patterns, and then transfering them onto the fabric is quite a soothing, calming pastime for me too (I gather most people find these stages tricky and tedious?).

Anywho... I had fun with my pencils, rulers, french curves etc. 'cept I managed to get grubby marks from my Saral Transfer Paper all over my fingers & consequently my brand new 60mm rotary cutter :( I was used the graphite (grey) colour transfer paper which was sandwiched between the pattern ontop and the fabric at the bottom. I lurve this transfer paper - it's the wax free kind that quote:

"A wax free copying paper that can be washed out of fabric and a hot iron will not set the lines. The same sheet can be used over and over again. 12" wide, 12' roll."

Weighing-Up Waistbands Sizes

I tried lin3arossa's idea to measure the flat pattern pieces for the waistband pieces (Burda Style Magazine 07/2010, Pattern #127 Trousers).

I only measured the top edge of the waistband pieces (I didn't of course measure the seam allowances). BTW didn't measure the hip size on the pattern - as I'm not sure exactly where on the main trouser pattern peices the natural hipline is supposed to sit (and it's not marked on it so I cannot tell - plus, being a beginner I'm too daft to make an educated guess LOL!).

Pattern Stated Size	Actual Size of Pieces (As measured by moi!)
Size 88 • Waist = to fit 82cm (32.3") • Hips = to fit 106cm (41.7") Size *90  • Waist = to fit 86cm (33.9")  • Hips = to fit 110cm (43.3") Size *92  • Waist = to fit 90cm (35.4")  • Hips = to fit 114cm (44.9")	Size 88 • Waist = measures 87.8cm (34.6")    2.3" bigger than stated size Size *90  • Waist = measures 91.4cm (35.9")      2" bigger than stated size Size *92  • Waist = measures 96.6cm (38")     2.6" bigger than stated size

So assuming I know how to handle a ruler ;) and.... even taking into accounting an allowance of up to 2.5cm (1") of ease as part of the waist measurement (i.e. 1" ease would be where the finished garment is 1" larger in size than the actual person's waist measurement) the waistband front and back pattern pieces come up significantly bigger than the body-size that they are stated to fit.

Therefore, knowing what my own body measurements are - I shall be making my muslin for a size 90 waist & a size 88 in the hips.

I am cutting the calico fabric tonight, I'm out of the house Thursday - so sewing it up & resolving fitting issues will be on Friday evening (I am soooo behind & Sunni has already made 3-posts about fitting, including c-r-o-t-c-h adjustments!!) 

Most Common Pant Alterations 

In which I finally talk about the word..... 

Discussing, at length, Crotch Length

*The pattern only goes up to size 88 - I traced onto the end an extra few sizes myself.

An "a-ha" moment!

Subtitle: Or, how I fudged my way around altering the size of the trouser waistband pieces!

Nope, I'm not becoming an *Alan Partridge impersonator, nor am I attending the pop concert of that 80's **Norwegian Pop Band LOL!

Not what I am doing

 

I was staring at the pattern pieces for my trousers debating to myself about "properly" grading up the size beyond the maximum 88 marked on the pattern - when I noticed (and I'm sure I'm not the first person to spot this) that on multi-size patterns the increasing sizes align next to one another in a uniform sort of pattern (patterns within patterns - who'd of known it?!).

A (Small) Change of Pants-Plan

Okaaaay then, following on from my last post The Trouble With Trousers and my comment on Sunni's Snipping up your Trouser Muslin post in her sewalong, to which Sunni replied:

"Me: Oopps! I've hit a snag... size wise it turns out I'm bigger than the largest size on pattern #127 (Burda Tall 88 = Regular 44), however I have a plan :) !

Sunni: Oh Claire, I'm so sorry! I was shocked myself that I was only 2nd to the last in this size range. Ha. However, I will say that after my first muslin I had to cut down a size because they were quite large all around. Hopefully this is some consolation. You could always grade..... "

So, this (the bit in orange highlighting) got me thinking - has anyone else experienced the same thing (the trouser pattern coming up a bit big in the waist-fit)...? 'Cos if so, then this will save me a whole lotta of a) tracing out of my 2nd choice pattern (#406/407 from Burda Plus Magazine Autumn/Winter 2010), or b) grading the already traced out #127 pattern, and c) wasting my supply of cheapo Greaseproof paper (aka "Sewing Tracing Paper for Claire" - not be be touched by other persons on pain of death... or worse.).

The Trouble With Trousers

Oh dear me! I was feeling all smug with myself and super-duper prepared. I really thought that I was ahead of schedule on Sunni's Trouser Sewalong - but not so it seems :( !

On Sunday evening I spent a *happy 2 hours tracing out the pattern #127 from the July 2010 issue of BurdaBurda's Tall sizes 72-88). The size I painstakingly copied was the biggest size this pattern goes up to (NB: the size 88 is same as their regular height women's size 44). 

Link: Burda Style - Size Chart (this link is from their German website, the link is to the English translation by Google) the chart [I believe] should apply to Burda Pattern Envelopes, as well as the patterns posted in the magazines.

However, I'd just blithely assumed it would be big enough for me. Having re-measured myself tonight a dawning realisation came upon me... I've *ahem* put on a few lots of pounds since my last measure-up which was in early summer '10 - and I now I need a Burda Tall size 96 for my waist, and a 92 for the hips (i.e., aside from the leg-length/ height differences... the same as a Burda regular size Waist-48, Hips -46).