Sewing trousers: slim-fit jacquard trousers

My adventure in trouser making continues! This is the same gorgeous jacquard fabric that I used to make this dress. Because the fabric also has lots of stretch it suits very well for narrow fitted trousers. My last pair of self-drafted trousers had the same slim fit but otherwise they were plain. This time my aim was to create a pair of slim-fit trousers with a waistband and a pair of pockets.

I have been storing the trouser patterns here and there and had a lot of trouble locating the right pattern. With this project I actually ended up using a wrong pattern that I had to rip back to pieces once I noticed the bad fit. Luckily enough the pattern I used was still one of the midway patterns between the RTW linen trousers I started my drafting with and the narrow green pair that was my last make. So, I was able to salvage the fabric and I only had to cut the back piece narrower. After that the fit was much better. Sewing trousers is not easy!

Adjustments I made to my previous pattern

However, I wanted slimmer fit than the last time so I narrowed the legs further. Somebody also gave me a tip to get rid of the rest of the horizontal creases at the trouser front. Following the tip I straightened the center front seam a bit to make more room for my tummy.

The pockets didn’t need a pattern really, but to make the matters easier I took a random pocket pattern that I had in storage and used that after I modified it to fit to the front pieces.

I traced the pattern for the waistband following the curve of the top edge of the trousers (excluding the darts, of course). However after doing this I curved the tops of the front pieces a little more. I figured that if the waistband is a bit straighter it should pull the trouser fabric upwards and help to eliminate some of the creasing. Anyway, the waistband is 3,5 cm high and it has a front and a back piece plus the facings. I interfaced the outer pieces by using fusible interfacing. I sewed the bottom part of the facing by hand to make the neatest possible waistband.

This was also the first time I got to use my new zipper foot:

It worked perfectly. I did have to re-sew the other side of the zipper twice but it was only due to misalignment. To secure the closing I made a little tab and added a small button to the inside of the waistband. I think that this time I can really be proud of what my sewing looks even from the inside:

The result

I did not manage to get rid of all the creases but there are less of them than with the previous pair. Perhaps I should lower the front a bit the next time? However, I am happy that the pockets seem to lie pretty flat. In most of the RTW trousers the pockets seem to flare out in an ugly way and I hate that. I also think that I might want to tilt the pattern just the tiny bit from the knee down. I have slightly knock knees and it shows in a pair of trousers that are this close fitting.

From the back… I don’t really know if the fit could be improved here. It seems that the wrinkles appear and disappear depending on how I stand.

I can make them disappear almost completely, but then I have to stand quite awkwardly:

And now that I think of it, my trousers have been fitted without my shoes on. The heels do change the way I stand a bit so that might affect the fit of the trousers.

Anyway, I am happy with how this pair turned out. They are super comfortable and the waistband stays put even if I crouch down. I have still a 1 m x 1 m piece of this jacquard left and I wonder if I could make something small to make a complete outfit. A purse? A collar in a jacket? Must think of it…

The next thing in my trouser learning curve is sewing trousers with a proper fly. I might even go for a pair of jeans. I found very nice quality stretch cotton twill in both black and white at the local fabric store and I bought it to be used for trousers.

Thank you for reading and happy sewing everyone!

Katja