Remember those two identical pairs of usefully neutral jeans? Well, I have made Jalie 2908 at least six or seven times. In every single instance, I substituted a curved waistband (taken from an ancient Burda Magazine pattern) for the straight one supplied by Jalie. I traced it with generosity, that is to say I added length allowance at both ends (this waistband necessarily has a CB seam, due to its curved shape) so that I could get it the right length.
I always interface the waistband to ensure it does not stretch. The pants are made from the same pattern. You'd think these two factors would ensure perfection every time. Nope, "getting it the right length" involved trial and error in every single case.
Do you know what? If you wing it every single time it will always turn out differently.
Exhibit A at left, is a stack of five pairs of pants made from the same pattern. I lined up the waistband on the other side. This is how much difference there is between them. There is 4cm difference between the loosest and the tightest. The blue jeans and the green capris are pretty comfortable. The black ones are really too loose.On the top are the most recently made ones. I discovered after committing to making them a core part of my travel wardrobe on a recent trip that the waistbands were tight enough to be uncomfortable. Not unwearable, but uncomfortable.
Grrr. Luckily I have enough fabric to re-cut. You know this is not my most favourite sewing project. Methinks I will document (finally) the right length for this waistband!
In happier news, I had an exciting week of sewing-related meet-ups. Cidell and Jordan visited Ottawa and I got to have dinner with them last Thursday. No pictures - phooey, what were we thinking?
Then on Saturday I went to Montreal for an extravaganza on St. Hubert Street with quite a number of people including world-famous Cousu Main winner Carmen, PR entrepreneur Deepika, bloggers Anne-Marie, Vicki, Caroline, (among others) and pattern designer Heather Lou.
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| Clearly it was a very serious conversation! |
As a result, I'm quite too tuckered out to tackle those pesky waistbands tonight.
Well I have been sewing the same length of time as you and the same thing happens to me . I think it is the different way in which each fabric responds to body heat and so I have given up on anything that doesn't have a lot of lycra in it . I am very tired of baggy pants that start out fitting well when I put them on in the morning and then end up looking like ??? at the end of the day . Especially when they are all made with the same pattern which fits well.
ReplyDeleteOh what a fun weekend... better you didn't spoil it with changing waistbands! I made a pair of trousers in not special fabric for a test, they were great, made another in my real fabric, won't even go close to fitting??? I just can't work it out. Made a third pair, fit great? Who knows.
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