Pants Fitting Techniques – Part 2

Having made my first test piece for these trousers, I had a better idea of what alterations I needed to make to my pattern pieces.  I re-watched the videos from the Pants Fitting Course on Craftsy, and got to work with my pens and waxed paper.  I made a lot of small alterations, here is what I can recall:

  1. Swayback adjustment – removed 1/2 inch from the top of the center back waistband.
  2. Drew out the pattern for the full legs, tapering to a smaller size from the crotch downwards.
  3. Took in the princess seam on the middle top of the front legs 1/4 inch on each side, to replicate a dart, about 5 inches long.
  4. Removed 1/4 inch from the front crotch seam at the waist, tapering to nothing at crotch curved part.
  5. Cut waistband a smaller size to accommodate width removed from front.
  6. Took 1/2 inch at top of leg at the back crotch, tapering to nil by about 8 inches down.
  7. Stretched top 8 inches of back leg, while sewing back to front.
  8. Removed 1/2 inch from back leg at one inch under crotch, tapering to nil at side seam, to simulate a horizontal dart to remove excess fabric under bum.

Undoubtedly the trousers do look a lot better.  All that excess fabric at the front is pretty much gone and the front view and the front legs are good.

The side seams are fixed by the swayback adjustment and now hang straight down instead of towards my toes.

You can see from the side pic that the fabric on the front leg is smooth and hangs straight down.  But I still have quite a problem at the back leg.  There still seems to be far too much fabric between the bum and the back of the knee and it can be especially seen from the side where all this excess folds up into a big crease and there are lots of lines of fabric in folds running from outer hip to inner knee and calf.  I can still fold lots of horizontal fabric here.  Even the cat looks very critical and not pleased with what he sees !

It's like the center of the back leg is much longer than it needs to be even though the side seams match.  I'm not sure how else to describe it.  It's like I need a horizontal double-ended dart with a lot taken out of the center and nothing at the inner and side seams.

I've got one more adjustment to try.  Apparently I can take a little off each side of the center princess seam underneath the bum.  I think this will taper the leg a little more, but I don't think its going to get rid of all that extra ‘length' in the center back leg fabric.

I'm open to all suggestions please how I can make the back leg a little smoother hanging.

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