With any pattern, I always avoided pants because I was so intimidated by instaling the zipper.
But thanks to Sandra Betzina's zipper installation tutorial, I'm no longer afraid!!!
With my Marrakesh pants, I successfully installed the fly front zipper... twice!
So now I have this ambition to make me a fitted pants.
I always wear loose pants like linen drawstring pants.
My recent friends probably have never seen me in fitted pants, or jeans.
It's not because I don't like them. I love the look of it.
I just don't own a pair that fits me!!!
I used to wear them more often when I was younger, when fashion was more important than the fit.
So I do have alot of these pants in my closet, but when I went through them, there were maybe two that fits me decent.
Because my waist is proportionally bigger than my hip, it's just so hard to find a RTW pants that fit.
If I go with my waist, it's just too baggy, and if I go with my hip, I can't close the zipper.
It's even hard to find something that fits around my thighs.
So I decided to make Burda 7/2010 Trouser #103.
I like the jeans style of this pattern.
When I first saw it , I was drooling and thought it would be great if I can make this, but no... it's got a zipper. I cannot.
And ha! Now I can!
Since it's made with stretch fabric (I chose stretch gabardine), I can't really use my sewable tracing paper for muslin.
So I traced my size (36 at hip, 38 at waist) and gave a generous seam allowance, which is 5/8".
I wanted to make 1in, but I didn't have enough fabric.
I basted the pieces at seam allowance, and it was a little too tight.
So I tried it with extra 1/4in SA all over, and it was perfect!!!
So I think it actually ended up fitting just right without any alteration to the pattern.
Now I'm off to installing a zipper.
I just wish this pattern had back pockets.
It looks so much like jeans, but it doesn't have pockets.
But oh well, I didn't have enough fabric anyways.
With my next fabric (stretch denim), I have enough fabric so I'll try to add pockets.
8/3/2012
Phew, what a couple of days!!
I easily installed the zipper... That wasn't the problem.
The problem was the side seams!!
The back pieces were alot longer than the front piece, so I had the hardest time easing it together.
I tried it maybe three times, and thought that was my best, so I serged them to finish...
Then I *thought* I realized that front and back waistbands were different width, so I ripped the side seams apart, serged seam and all...
Then I realized that the waistbands were the same width.
I was looking at the waistband fabric that I cut wrong. :(
So back to square one...
I had to ease the side seams.
Which was actually not that bad compared to ripping the serged seams!
Then I moved onto attaching the waistband.
My waist size varies so much during the day...
I get bloated easily, so the pants that I wore in the morning cannot fit me, by maybe 2 inches.
I used Sandra Betzina's elastic waistband method.
I cut the waistbands at my biggest waist measurement, and cut the elastic at my smallest waist measurement.
After attaching one side of the waistband to the pants, I zigzagged the elastic to the seam allowance of the waistband.
Then I folded the waistband over to finish.
This is brilliant!!!
I tried it on, and since it's night time, my waist is at the biggest size, and it was still snuggy comfortable.
And I'm sure it'll be as comfortable in the morning because the elastic will put it back in place.
I think I could've added a little more to the elastic...
Even though it's no longer tight, but it's still more comfortable if I unzip a little. Haha
I'm almost done with this pants. All I need to do is hem the bottom.
I almost pushed myself to do it tonight, but I stopped myself to give me some rest.
Thank goodness this is almost over!!
I'm not complaining about the pattern...
It just feels like I've been working on this pants forever.
I really like it, and I'm thinking about making it in stretch denim after this.
The only thing is, as mentioned in the reviews, that this is pretty high waisted... Maybe 1in above naval.
I don't really mind it as I normally wear my tops over the pants.
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