A new sewing
project to share with you this week – my Sew Me Something Portia trousers.
I had this
fabric in my stash from a post-Christmas binge in my local haberdashery and had
been debating what to do with it, maybe a dress, but with the big checked
pattern I wasn’t sure if it would work. Then I bought the Portia pattern from
Jules at the Knitting & Stitching Show and realised it would be perfect for
these wide leg trousers, especially as the wool blend would drape wonderfully
as well as being comfortable.
Tracing the
pattern from the pack is always a bit of a mission – the front and back leg
pieces just about fitted across the dining room table where I got the best
light, and this time rather than re-tracing with carbon paper I cut out my
pattern pieces to pin to the fabric and cut round. I also had to put extra pins
in the fabric once it was folded in half to make sure the pattern stayed
matched up, but this seemed to work pretty well.
With
everything cut out it was time to start sewing, and one of the first steps in
the instructions was the joined the front crotch seam and then insert the zip
fly. Well, this turned out to be a little more complicated than it first
appeared, but eventually, after consulting several YouTube videos, unpicking
three times and checking what I was doing against another pair of trousers I
came to the conclusion that one of the steps in the instructions wasn’t right.
The fly on a woman’s pair of trousers should cross right over left, but the
first stage of construction for this pair tells you to attach the fly extension
piece to the wrong side, leading to a left over right fly. I’ve emailed Jules
at Sew Me Something about this as I’m pretty sure that’s where the problem
started. Anyway, I’ve ended up with the zip fly ‘the wrong way round’ but as
I’m left-handed it doesn’t actually bother me in terms of using it. But at
least I know for next time!
The rest of
the construction was fairly straightforward. I was hugely impressed with my own
neat double topstitching to attach the back pockets, and am really pleased with
how the front pockets sit too. Oh, and pattern matching happiness!
Attaching
front to back introduced a few fitting issues. I’d cut out a straight size 14
based on the measurements given, which was fine around my hips with a
comfortable ease for moving and sitting. But I knew the waist would probably
need taking in, and in the end I took in about two and a half inches in total
across the centre back seam and two back darts. This definitely solved the
gaping back issue, but meant I had to remember to alter the waistband when I
attached that.
Waistband
on, belt loops attached, button hole made, button sewn on – nearly there! Just
the hems to do, which I had to get Mum to help with pinning them up to the
right level.
Done! I’m
really pleased with these, they’re definitely the most complicated thing I’ve
made yet, but not so scary that I wouldn’t make them again (now that I know
what to do with the zip!). The fit is still not quite right, I think I erred on
the side of caution a little too much with the waist and it could really do
with taking in another inch or two so that they sit better at my actual waist
line. I’ll do this after they’ve been through the wash in case there’s any
further shrinkage anyway (I did pre-wash the fabric before starting!). They are
really nice to wear though, and I’m delighted to have found a good pattern for
wide-leg trousers as I just don’t get on with slim or skinny trousers at all,
they plain and simple do not work for my body shape.
No comments:
Post a Comment