Well, there comes a time in every quilters life when you find yourself, buried in quilts. This past year I recently downsized and moved and found I had about 3 times as many quilts as I could ever need or store. I have been funneling my efforts more and more into fashion or garment sewing. Pants have eluded me. But, this month, I finally managed to put together a comfortable nice fitting pair of pants, with pockets and a fly front.
Being a short obese older woman, has made finding comfortable fitting pants difficult. I spend much of my time in stretch knit pants when I am home, and in skirts and dresses when I travel out. Ready to wear just does not come close enough to my unique shape. Being from the northeast, I miss the warmth of pants in the winter most of all. So, I started my quest for perfect pants pattern.
I tried several published pants patterns, by the Big 4 pattern companies, and several independent pattern companies, trying to use only patterns that included my waist and hip measurements. But, nothing fit and looked quite right, until I used the Sure Fit Designs system and drafted my own pants pattern. My first muslin was very very close, and my second muslin was wearable.
For the gory details, my measurements are 45″ waist, 55″ high and low high hip, 5’4″ tall, with short inseam, and a very challenging crotch curve. I am intermediate sewist, and this was my very first fly front. I am planning on making my next pair in blue gray twill, and my third pair in a lovely black linen. The thought of comfortable pants in cool and attractive material has me over the moon.
