Pants II: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly

Burda 03/2011-132

Oh my!  We have become intimate friends.  I am even showing you my belly-button, umbilical hernia scar and tummy roll!  It's all in the interest of showing you how the pants actually fit.  You need a few "land marks" to understand where the trousers/pants rest.  Given all that I am revealing, I thought I'd leave my face out of the picture!


I sewed a 44 for the back pieces and a 42 for the front pieces.  This went pretty well, though Irene pointed out in my last post that the side seam still pulls a little towards the back.  My fullest hip measure (for me the low hip) puts me at a size 46.  I am glad I didn't sew a 46, I don't think the extra ease would improve their appearance and they are not uncomfortable.


What follows is a slew of pictures showing my construction process.  I want to link my Sewing Pattern Review to this post.  I get a lot of help from that site.  People's comments on little constructions tips for a particular pattern are gold-dust for me.


I just couldn't understand the Burda instructions well enough to follow them so I went "off road."  I thought others making these trousers might be able to learn from my mistakes.  If you are an experienced sewist and see room for improvement, please don't hesitate to make a comment.


I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

Front panel with pleat and pocket added

Front panel with pleat and pocket from back

Pocket flap added

Side gusset added

Top stitching on side gusset

Bound (welt) pocket from outside

Inside of bound pocket

Bound pocket with top stitching

Bottom of pocket bag

Top of pocket bag added

Bottom piece of pocket bag trimmed up to be even with top piece of pocket bag

Pocket bag sewn together, corners rounded as a preference

Zip added following Sandra Betzina's Threads video

Fly from inside

Fly front held back

Centre back seam sewn up and top stitched and back gusset added and top stitched

Inside view of back with gusset added

Front with front gusset added and top stitched

Inside of front with gusset and fly finished

Front and back sewn together down side seams with side seams top stitched

Front and back gussets sewn together (not possible or necessary to top stitch)

Attach waist band (bottom ironed under to  catch neatly when top stitched)

View from outside with top stitching. (I interfaced the waist bands, but not the trousers themselves at the top, so the outside stretched while the waist band didn't)

I wish I had sewed on the fly cover to be flush with the top of the trousers.