Making a pattern from old slacks
June 16, 2008 12:55 PM Subscribe
Please help me make a pattern from my all-time best-fitting slacks--which no longer fit me.
A few years ago I sacrificed my favorite worn slacks so I could make a copy of them, but apparently I waited too long. I laid the pieces out on some snazzy slipcover fabric and cut them to size, put them together, and voila--Palm Beach golf pants for the woman I used to be, if I used to be a skinny golfer. What do I do now to get a more accurate pattern? I'm thinking I should add an inch around each edge of the slacks, baste with a 5/8" seam, and see how it goes, but if you sew at all, you probably have a better idea.
A few years ago I sacrificed my favorite worn slacks so I could make a copy of them, but apparently I waited too long. I laid the pieces out on some snazzy slipcover fabric and cut them to size, put them together, and voila--Palm Beach golf pants for the woman I used to be, if I used to be a skinny golfer. What do I do now to get a more accurate pattern? I'm thinking I should add an inch around each edge of the slacks, baste with a 5/8" seam, and see how it goes, but if you sew at all, you probably have a better idea.
Do you have a multi-sized pants pattern available to you for any other pairs of pants? Take a look at how and where they add more fabric to go up a size, and make similar adjustment to the pants you've got now. It tends to be evenly down the side seams but curved through the front and back crotch, and then evenly down the inseams again.
posted by jacquilynne at 9:30 PM on June 16, 2008
posted by jacquilynne at 9:30 PM on June 16, 2008
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There are two routes you can take here - basically, draping and drafting.
If you want to try to design a pattern, I suggest getting this book or one like it, and using the techniques described to size the pattern up. Of course, you will need to use the method described below to fine-tune the fit.
If you want to try to drape the pants, here's what you do. Baste a strip of fabric around the edges, so you have a good generous amount of extra fabric. Then take the new, gigantic pieces and pin/baste them together. Try the pants on. (At this point a helper, particularly a helper who sews, will come in very handy.) Now what you do is move the pins in/out until the pants fit, draw a line where the seams should go, baste on that line, try them on again, rinse and repeat until you have the fit you want. Then you cut out the new pattern (making sure to leave a seam allowance) and trace that onto some paper, and voila, you have your new pants pattern.
Bear in mind that you may need some additional patterns for things like the waistband, pockets, fly, belt loops, etc.
posted by oblique red at 1:48 PM on June 16, 2008 [1 favorite]