Sunday 27 November 2011

Simplicity 3686 - wide leg pants

I'll apologise right off the bat for the terrible photos.  It has been pouring rain in Melbourne, everything is soggy and today is dreary and overcast so these are the best I could manage.

I bought Simplicity 3686 about 4 years ago when I really started sewing for myself.  Up until then I'd been sewing lots of kids clothes but hadn't really made too much for myself.  Then one day I stumbled across Erica B's blog and it gave me the jolt I needed to sew more for myself.


Anyway, back to the pants.  I made a version of View B.  I left off the pocket flaps and the side strip, I shortened the waistband so it finished at the front and I added belt loops.  There aren't any wrinkles when I don't have my hands shoved in my pockets.


I didn't realise when I bought the pattern that sewing patterns and RTW sizes weren't the same.  This pattern only goes up to a 14 and I need a 16.  So to adjust these so they fit me I added 1cm to the the side seams and only used a 1cm seam allowance and I added extra length (2.5 inches if I want to wear heels).  This time around I also added 1.5cm to the crotch curve by slashing and spreading the pattern and reduced the circumference of the legs by over 4 inches (these are really wide legged pants!).  I found that when I sat down in previous versions they were just a little bit too tight in areas you really don't want it to be!  It seems to have fixed the problem so I'm happy.


Overall I'm pretty happy with the fit of these pants, certainly they're a better fit than anything I could buy at the shops.

6 comments:

Marie said...

Your pants look fantastic. From the back, it makes your legs look really long. I agree with you about the fit, as I am two different sizes, store bought pants have never looked good on me.

Gabrielle said...

These look great on you - a wonderful fit. I know what you mean about the fit when you buy pants... the more you sew the more you notice! And then I guess ultimately you can't buy any clothes at all and have to make everything?

Sorry I haven't commented much lately - I was having commenting errors again but they seem to be resolved now.

Lynneb said...

Congratulations! Your pants look amazing! I hope you will find great joy and challange as you srw more and more of your own wardrobe!

Sewingadicta said...

Yay! This pant is a perfect fit! Certainly it is very difficult to find well-fitting trousers in the shops. Now you have no excuses. lol.Congratulations!

Bernice said...

You're looking very stylish and chic. The pants are a great fit and the style looks fantastic on you. I'm going to start sewing pants and shorts for the first time next year. It's my 2012 challenge.

Carolyn said...

Those pants are very stylish, and the fit looks wonderful! Congratulations!