When I Think About Pants

Although they come with a lot of ease and very little figure shaping, Marcy Tilton's designs also come with interesting style lines. It's no surprise that after looking through all the pant offerings at BMV, it was her patterns that interested me the most.




After reading the reviews, I opted to purchase a smaller size than normal. Everyone noted the excessive ease and in several sewn examples, the person looked more clown-like than stylish in their oversized garments. That's not the look I like.




Since I'm bottom heavy, I typically sew a size eighteen or twenty for my hips with a size sixteen or eighteen at the waist. With these patterns, I'd sew a size fourteen or sixteen for my hips. That's quite a big difference.

You might remember that I sewed a pair of dark grey and a pair of black trouser style dress pants a month ago just before I started working and that they were too long. They're still too long. I've never re-hemmed them as some part of me is screaming BORING rather loudly. When I think about pants, I think about something far more fun than those, especially working in a fabric store. It's a place where there should be more room for creativity.

I like the pull on aspect of both of these patterns. I'm rather tired of chasing my waist's fluctuating size. I also like the style lines shown in the technical drawings. As the quote goes - if you continue to do what you've always done, you'll continue to get what you've always got. After trying on different to me styles at the shop in Nanaimo, I'm ready to sew something different.

The top pattern - Vogue 8637 - is designed for moderate stretch knits. The skirt calls for 2.0 meters and the pants for 2.20 meters. I have, of course, been buying knits in one and one half meter lengths so I'm not sure I'll have enough of any fabric for these.

With the second pattern - Vogue 8499 - the skirt calls for stretch woven, double knits, and silk dupioni while the pants call for linen, stretch denim, and silk jacquard. Apparently, it doesn't have to be stretch. When I was in Portland a few years ago, I saw a sample of these pants at the Fabric Depot. They had a seamstress who sewed floor samples. Her office was in the sectioned off part at the back of the classroom where I was in taking a workshop with Pati Palmer. I would have loved to try them on only I wasn't brave enough to ask. She was an intimidating and talented seamstress.

SDBev wrote - I retired 4 years ago. Last year I thought I'd take a part time job. I swear it ate more time than a full time job plus I was always ill. Not bedridden but never felt good. After my first full check, I sat down and figured out my taxes. At that point I said this isn't worth the effort and quit. Hope you have better luck.

If I had to hire daycare or a housekeeper, buy a car or drive to Fabricland more often than I already was, or even eat out more than we were, it would definitely not be worth it since it's a minimum wage job. I didn't take it for the money although in one sense I did. By earning a lower salary and staying below the allowable amount, my husband will be able to deduct me as a dependent on his income tax and that works well for us in terms of a higher return. What the job does is get me out of the house, allow me to meet other people who sew, earn some income, and prevent me from spending so much time alone. So far, the hours I'm working are not too much and now I'm able to pay for my own entertainment - fabric and books - rather than using family finances. It's all good so far, just an adjustment physically. Whenever it stops being good, I'll quit as you did.

I'm off to work this afternoon - five hours. It's nice to have a slow morning first.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - that spring eventually comes