Sunday, February 17, 2013

Burda 7192----Loving My Charcoal Gray Pants!!!

It's day 17 of the Fearless February Sew Along and I finally have my first garment to show for!!! Don't worry, the other pieces should role out more quickly. You may recall that I started off the month trying to sew up Jalie 2909 and wasn't able to resolve the back leg wrinkles so I switched over to Burda 7192. I'm so glad I made the switch and although I had a few issues trying to tweak the fit eventually I figured it out---yay, I figured it out (Thank you Jesus!!!!) and I've made a pair of pants I'm pretty proud of!

Now, I must admit that these pants are a SWEET VICTORY for me! I've been trying to learn how to fit pants for YEARSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!! I've studied how to fit pants for YEARS! You may recall the posts I've done on the subject. But even with that I still couldn't quite get it right. Then on last week the "light bulb finally came on" and I did it. I had an epiphany of sorts. I'll be honest---it didn't take rocket science or brilliance. Actually, just a little work and ingenuity. That's it---plain and simple. I'll tell you what I did in the next post! But for now, let me show you my pants. They're not 100% perfect but I think they turned out great! I wore them for the past 8 hours and have been all over the place---in and out of the car, at church, at the store, etc. and they still look pretty good--only had a few wrinkles. That's my usual test on how good a garment is---by the way it holds up to wear! So these definitely get an A+. So here's my review......

(Yayyyy, my pants after 8 hours of wear! They still looked great!)


Time to Sew:
These weren't too bad at all. I was able to tackle it in a few hours.

Sewing Ease (scale 1 easy to 10 difficult):
Not hard at all. I'd give this about a 5. As a whole pants without any fancy designs are pretty easy to sew. You just sew up the legs (front/back piece)--put the 2 tubes in each other and sew up the crotch curve. Then progress with the rest.



Pattern Description: 
Pants with mock yoke pockets.

Pattern Sizing:
Size 14

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
YES!

Were the instructions easy to follow?
For the most part. I had to pull out some other resources for clarification. For instance I didn't understand how they recommended sewing on the waist band. They recommended sewing it on as 2 separate pieces and then sew the center back seam. It could've been just me, but it was a tad bit confusing.


What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
The pattern is WELL drafted! I loved the wider leg and the slimmer fit at the waist. There were little "mock" pockets---I mean they were pockets but hardly usable. They could've just omitted them.

Fabric Used:
Charcoal gray suiting fabric. I think it was a medium weight gabardine. It was perfect for these pants!

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
I didn't really make any major changes. I adjusted the fit of the pattern to suit my body and get a good fit such as crotch curve changes, etc. I'll discuss that in my NEXT POST. I did lengthen the pattern by 2". That actually ended up NOT being long enough--especially to wear with 3" heels. So I could only do a 5/8" hem on it. I knew I should have made it longer---especially since I have about a 34" inseam. I did have to eliminate the gaping in the center back of my waistband and that was easy to do---just added a dart in it.  I also skipped adding the crease. Also---I made some "unintentional changes"---aka mistakes.--LOL!!!I had a little snafu with the zipper insertion but recovered from it. It's sad because I clearly wasn't paying attention---I've used Sandra Betzina's fly front tutorial countless of times and have never had a problem with it. It's the best tutorial out there.
(no crazy back leg wrinkles!!!!!!!!!!)

What would you do differently next time?:
I would probably leave off the pockets since they aren't very useful.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
Not sure if I'd sew it again but I highly recommend it. Since I'm so short-waisted, I usually wear my shirts out and thus don't need a pants with all of the pockets, belt loops and such---no one ever sees them. I like pockets and stuff in my fitted jeans/capris but not so much my slacks. Might not make much sense but it's my preference.

Wardrobe Versatility:
It's charcoal gray---it practically goes with everything. I'd love to pair it with bright colored sweaters (hence the bright pink) like bright yellow and orange. I think these are definitely a wardrobe staple.

Conclusion:
Very nice pair of pants!!! I couldn't be more pleased!!!!!

Ok, I have a few more garments to work on. Off to do some more sewing.....

41 comments:

  1. They're fantastic! Especially in the derriere :-)

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  2. Great fit, well done! I like the style a lot and your legs look super long. Still working on my muslin and hope to make some progress this week.

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  3. Great Scott!! Those look AMAZING! I'd say worth every hour you've spent sweating over the fit. Can't wait to see how you achieved it!

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  4. They fit nicely - everywhere. Good job Victoria.

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  5. Wow - you're totally rocking your new trousers! I 2nd K.Line's observation, too ;-) You've inspired me to dig out my Burda pants
    pattern; they have a reputation for having a really great fit, especially for those of us with a little extra bootay! I can't wait to read your 'how I did its'!

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  6. Fantastic! I can't wait to hear about your adjustments!

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  7. Those pants came out great!!! Good job!!

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  8. You did an excellent job on your pants...very encouraging! It's been a while since I've been able to sew (pants) for myself...lov'n the fit!

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  9. CONGRATULATIONS VICTORIA! Looks like you concurred that pants fitting demon! These are some really nice fitting pants and they look this nice after 8hours too...wonderful!!

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  10. Those looks so good on you! Well done!

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  11. It fits you well. I am so impressed. The last time I made a pair of pants, the fit was horrible with loads of wrinkles on the back. Well done!

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  12. Those are fantastic! I love the style and fit!

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  13. Yaaay, you did it and you did it well ! The fit is terrific.

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  14. You did a great job! They look fantastic.

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  15. Conbratulations! You look great and the pants are fabulous!

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  16. You need to make a thousand pairs!!!!! They are fabulous and perfect! Enjoy your accomplishment.

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  17. congrats on fitting the pants just right, they look great, I think you absolutely deserve the credit.

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  18. They look great on you, Victoria - Congratulations!

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  19. I know what you mean about Burda instructions. The pants fit perfectly! And look great.

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  20. Great fit and agree you should make several of them. Love the pop of pink.

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  21. Your pants look G.R.E.A.T on you! I can't wait 'til tomorrow to hear about the changes.
    I made Burda 7447 not too long ago, they were my first and only pair of pants I ever made, so I learned a LOT from them. A video that helped me immensely was :http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=NGVnQxyj6FI
    I agree with you about the two piece waist band. I remember they gave me a headache. Next time around I'll just cut it in one piece.
    Burda 7447 has the best pockets I ever had in a pair of trousers.

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  22. Nice pants! Great fit! I agree that Burda pattern directions can be hit or miss, but I really like their crotch curve. For me, it's the best around.

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  23. They look fantastic! I am surprised you say you probably won't make them again. Why? If you have pants that fit so well use them for all future projects, just reshape the legs for variety, especially if you don't want/need pockets and other design details. Well done.

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  24. Great pants! I prefer grey over black in pants.
    Especially great fit in the, ummm, posterior.

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  25. Hi Victoria - you wear those pants beautifully, the cut is so flattering for you. Can't wait to see how you solved the problems. I am surprised you have had so many fitting challenges - you've got such a lovely figure. My Fearless February challenge is also pants - and I've had two muslim fizzles already (they are on my blog, sarahlizsewstyle.blogspot.com) With two piece bands, I tend to ignore a lot of the instructions - I pay attention to the front and then add extra to the back and chop that off when all is ready to go. I like two piece bands because if you gain weight you can just alter the back band. Men's tailored trousers are like that.

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  26. It's never the first thing I think of, but there's almost nothing better than a really great pair of pants that goes with everything. Good for you! They look like they fit great. I just drafted a pair of high-waisted pants (the muslin version is pants, but the real ones are going to be shorts) so I feel like we are both sharing a similar experience haha.

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  27. Very nice! Your pants are a 10!

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  28. Great pants and congrats on fitting them so well. Pants fitting is a NIGHTMARE!!

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  29. These slacks are absolutely beautiful. Very good fit! The fabric looks like it's very easy to take care of as well. You did a great job.

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  30. You did a great job on those! I've seen people swear by Burda pants patterns (I'm a novice) but you just scared me with the "confusing instructions"! :-O

    I was on "The Google" and came across your blog as I've never used a Burda pattern. Hancock is having Burda for $2.49 starting Thursday :)

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  31. OMG, How did I miss this...lol, have been waiting for it..ahahaha, gorgeous pants, you did an awesome job on this. YOU ARE SO FEARLESS, Great job

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  32. They look great! Such a good, classic pair of pants.

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  33. I think you've found the fitting answer. These look fabulous! congratulations!

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  34. I am so jealous! I have made many pants and never had a pair that fit so well and looked that good. Congratulations! Now you should make about ten more pairs with that same pattern!

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  35. These look great. I have this pattern cut out but I lost the instructions, can you help with the finishing details? I'm lost!

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Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and for following me on my 10,000 Hour Sewing Challenge:)

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