You guys – I MADE PANTS!
Finally, after many years of sewing, I tackled my sewing nemesis.
While it did take me 3 muslin attempts, I finally managed to wrangle this 40’s pants pattern into submission. But it wasn’t easy. Oh dear, this pattern…
That first muslin made me really question my friendship with this pattern and making pants and so we took a break. We both needed some time apart. I needed to make patterns that weren’t completely different to the front and back cover images. And the pants pattern needed some time alone to think about what it had done.
After a few weeks, we sat down together, sort of made up, and muslin 2 came into being. I made a completely new muslin, straightened out the outer leg taper on both front and back pieces (at this point, I hadn’t connected the dots to realise that the inner leg tapered as well, because it didn’t taper quite as much as the outer). I also added some extra hip and waist room. I tried them on, and to my surprise, we were nearly there.
Onto muslin 3 and I unpicked the inner legs, basted on some extra muslin and straightened out the slight taper there. Now the legs were pretty much perfect. Looking much more Katherine Hepburn than Fresh Prince.
xx
Jen
16 comments… add one
The pants look great – excellent job making them behave
!
They look amazing! Great job!
They look great, and I love the colour!
They look great! And love the color! Good job making them just right, even if it did take some time.
Oh I love them – the colour is gorgeous
Well done!
Nice color!
Love.Them. I have a pattern very similar and I think you just inspired me to get on with it and make them!
Oh they’re perfect , first time ever I’ve seen the finished outcome looking better than the illustration on the envelope, well done!
Excellent job! But are your hems getting dirty?
Hehe, yes, I did make the hems a tiny bit too long. I couldn’t decide which shoes to wear them with so hemmed them longer rather than shorter.
1) Those are awesome! Pants are my clothing nemesis, too, and someday I will have the guts to attempt sewing them, and when I do, they will be hard-core, wide-leg, 1940’s pants. But I haven’t worked up to it yet.
2) I wonder if a previous owner didn’t re-cut the pattern? I’m looking at . . . well, it’s not that similar, but it’s the closest 1940’s pants pattern I have on hand: Simplicity 4757 (1943), and the back of the packet shows pants that are not tapered. Granted, they’re pajama pants and not really the same animal, but still. Although, the diagram for your pattern doesn’t appear to have tapered legs, either. Hmm. It’s a mystery, Charlie Brown.
These pants are fantastic! I’ve been wanting some flowy pants like this. Great color choice too.
My first thought, when I saw your #1 photo was Katharine Hepburn. So, though the road was long and arduous…you made it, and you made it well! Very nice look.
Sue xo
I have this pattern too, and I’m sad to hear that it’s a naughty pattern. Guess I’ll be putting it in time out as well, but it’s good to know what to expect.
I think yours came out wonderfully and I absolutely love the color!
Love those pants! So classy! And the colour is gorgeous!
There are grogeous, love the colour