Thursday, February 9, 2012

Pattern Review: Dapper Dillinger Trousers by Patterns by Figgy


These are snazzy trousers.  They have a flat front and elastic back, which means they look sharp but can come off quickly.  The contrasting fabric hidden on the inside of the pockets and waistband is a nice touch, and I love that I made pants not only with integrated pockets, but that the pocket seams are hidden from the outside.



Following this pattern did require a bit of prior sewing knowledge, though, since the directions weren't immensely clear, and it had some proofing issues.  For example, they referred to the "Jane Dress and Blouse" three times, but nothing about this pattern had a bodice or yoke.  Also, the diagrams for one page were repeated on the next page instead of the appropriate diagrams (which was a bummer, since I would have found the cuff sewing diagrams useful).  I found the cuff sewing section a bit unclear (perhaps the lack of diagrams?), and ended up making my own way with it a bit.  



The pattern also refers you to Figgy's website for sewing help, which I didn't find.  I needed to look up "understitching" and found a great YouTube video to help (after looking in the Figgy's glossary unsuccessfully for an explanation). But now I will use this technique again! How clever!

I also learned another way to assemble pants when making these.  She has you put the fronts together, then the backs, then sides, then middle seam up and down.  It is really amazing how many ways there are to put pants together.

Another drawback of this was a fault of mine~ she calls for 3/8" seams and I wasn't careful about the width of these. Mine were probably closer to 1/4".  As a result, my center front piece didn't fit properly, so I had to re-cut it to a different width.  

It was also unclear if the very top of the pants was to be topstitched or not.  I opted against it.

Also, they are meant to be wide-legged and they look huge.  I mean, so huge that when I held the finished pair against another of the same size, they were wider in the waist, legs, and longer. I put them in the "larger clothing" pile because I am sure they will just fall off my child.

All in all, these are pretty cool.  They are supposed to be "advanced beginner" level and I would think they would be "intermediate," but hey, that's just me.  These were a good use of the bottom of some curtains, and I hope we get a lot of use out of them.

Update: I made another pair of these a size smaller.  They fit better, but are still a tiny bit big in the waist.  They are cute on-- with really wide legs but nicely sized pockets and the contrast pieces are a nice touch.
Pin It

No comments:

Post a Comment

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...