The Sewing Place

Quick trouser thing

Syrinx

Quick trouser thing
« on: September 01, 2020, 14:19:34 PM »
I'm making a pattern up with oversized slouchy trousers. I've shortened at the right points but can't for life of me remember where, if the are too oversized to take them in. Inside leg seam? It's been yonks since I've made trousers

Elnnina

Re: Quick trouser thing
« Reply #1 on: September 01, 2020, 15:22:06 PM »
I would take the trousers in evenly using both the inside seam and the outer seam that way you do not compromise the grain line which should be running straight down the centre of each leg.

Syrinx

Re: Quick trouser thing
« Reply #2 on: September 01, 2020, 18:19:33 PM »
But my pocketses!  :faints: hahaha

Surest1tch

Re: Quick trouser thing
« Reply #3 on: September 01, 2020, 19:36:17 PM »
I would take the trousers in evenly using both the inside seam and the outer seam that way you do not compromise the grain line which should be running straight down the centre of each leg.

I totally agree with Elnnina, if you don't use the seams on both sides you'll alter the way they hang.

Lilian

Re: Quick trouser thing
« Reply #4 on: September 01, 2020, 21:26:24 PM »
But my pocketses!  :faints: hahaha

Will be smaller  :)
Willing but not always able :)

Surest1tch

Re: Quick trouser thing
« Reply #5 on: September 02, 2020, 11:55:36 AM »
Will be smaller  :)

Put em on the outside then ooooorrrr think how much slimmer you'll look if you don't put em in and can't fill them with junk like I do  :dance:

Syrinx

Re: Quick trouser thing
« Reply #6 on: September 02, 2020, 14:08:00 PM »
Hahaha knowing my love of pockets, if they are too oversized I may rip the pockets out and redo them on the new seam line!

Got to gather the waist in and attach to waistband today, so I can try them on and take a picture to decide if too oversized or not!

Figured a way around the crotch too, as I have a flexible curve ruler so can just move it over. It will be annoying to removed my very lovely lapped zip though if I do have to pull it all apart and reduce width.

Elnnina

Re: Quick trouser thing
« Reply #7 on: September 02, 2020, 14:50:08 PM »
Quite a few years ago now I did an experiment in making a toile in actual muslin.  Various people had helped me with the fitting, anyway I took them in evenly all over and that was better.  I then proceeded into fabric and  for whatever reason decided to stitch all the seams using the triple straight stitch which is an excellent stitch especially for the crotch seam as  there are three stitches on top of one another this is less likely to pop.  The trousers were finished and I tried them on and they were massive.  So I had to undo everything and that meant clipping each and every single one of the triple straight stitches taking are not to slip and to cut into the fabric.  This of course took ages and ages to do.

Nowadays as I make smart type trousers, when I have cut out the fabric I firstly overlock all the edges as I cannot abide the trailing threads, and then press in a crease on the grain line on both the front and back pieces of each leg.  I use a special pressing cloth called The Rajah Pressing Cloth, this is a chemically treated pressing cloth that originated in Australia, was exported to the USA and then again over to the UK.  It is absolutely the most marvellous cloth, and my creases stay in  without the need to have an iron  repressing the crease.

Syrinx

Re: Quick trouser thing
« Reply #8 on: September 02, 2020, 16:50:20 PM »
So I've gathered and basted the waist (eugh) and tried them on. The top half fits very nicely, the straps are perfect length. The pocketses are glorious. Tha bum fits nicely, the length is good.

Bad bit. The center front is very baggy. It's really odd. The critch fits fine, the back panels fit fine, but front center above crotch looks huge when I look down. I've taken pics, because obviously fitting things on yourself is very hard indeed.

Are we thinking it all need ripping apart and inside seams shrinking? inside and outside seams shrinking? (though the legs seem fine) Or can I sort the center front out by taking the seam in there above the crotch? An enteriely different and unforseen problem! Or am I being weird because I'm looking down and they actually look fine.

Relaxed front pic


Hands in pockets spreading the problem area!


And well fitting (I think, for oversized trousers!) back



I'm tempted to draw out a copy of the trouser pattern and shrink them down to normal size rather than oversized as I think they'll look quite nice, might not even have to do such massive gathers!

Acorn

Re: Quick trouser thing
« Reply #9 on: September 02, 2020, 17:39:49 PM »
It looks fine to me - I mean the trousers are meant to be loose (if they're not you've got a lot of work ahead!) and they don't look disproportionately loose to me.  Very nice!
I might look as though I'm talking to you, but inside my head I'm sewing.

Syrinx

Re: Quick trouser thing
« Reply #10 on: September 02, 2020, 18:12:08 PM »
They are, I'm not sure they're supposed to be quite that loose though hahaha.
It's Kwik Sew 4138 and looks a little less trousery on the model but who knows. It's just the front above crotch area, the rest fits great. Maybe I'll finish this off and look at the trouser pattern for next make up, see if I can reduce the width of the legs and especially the above crotch front bit  :thinking:

« Last Edit: September 02, 2020, 18:13:56 PM by Syrinx »

Ohsewsimple

Re: Quick trouser thing
« Reply #11 on: September 02, 2020, 18:27:54 PM »
It doesn’t look excessively big.  Some of the reviews mention making a smaller size. 
Of course fabric plays a big part.  If the fabric isn’t soft it will stand out more.  A soft viscose would just fall gracefully.

Syrinx

Re: Quick trouser thing
« Reply #12 on: September 02, 2020, 19:06:54 PM »
Alas xs is as small as it goes! hahaha

Yeah I've used cotton twill as wanted it to be hardwearing. I've got my stripey suiting to use which has a much softer handle, though I imagine the twill will soften with use and washing!

I'll trust your judgement, and a friend's, that I should finish it up and wear it! I did want it for the stay awayas figured nice warm baselayer under it and a long sleeved top wll be lovely.

I'll take an inch off each seam on another swedish paper piece - or do you think 2" off each leg would be too much? Figure I'll copy the crotch curve and move it over with the seam.

BrendaP

Re: Quick trouser thing
« Reply #13 on: September 02, 2020, 21:40:31 PM »
@Syrinx   I think the legs are meant to be as wide as they are; it's the hips/abdomen area which looks a bit loose.  Could you take a little bit from the side seams and/or the front seam?
Brenda.  My machines are: Corona, a 1953 Singer 201K-3, Caroline, a 1940 Singer 201K-3, Thirza, 1949 Singer 221K, Azilia, 1957 Singer 201K-MK2 and Vera, a Husqvarna 350 SewEasy about 20 years old. Also Bernina 1150 overlocker and Elna 444 Coverstitcher.
http://paternoster.orpheusweb.co.

Syrinx

Re: Quick trouser thing
« Reply #14 on: September 03, 2020, 06:36:58 AM »
I think you're right it's the abdomen area @BrendaP and it's a front center seam problem. I've finished it all up now and I'll see how it wears but may take a good couple of inches out of the front seam when I get back and I'll definitely fiddle with the pattern pieces before I make it up again.