Today I started working on a pair of lightweight knit pants to go with my lace shirt outfit.
I'm using a very soft gray cotton jersey and am trying for something more interesting than just plain old sweat pants. To construct them, I'm stitching the seams first with a narrow zigzag on my Kenmore 158.141 (just to hold the two layers together) and then going over the seam with a four-thread serge.
Working from an old Simplicity track suit pattern, I added five inches of width to both of the two fronts, and am using that fullness to create an interesting pleating arrangement, inspired by my book of avant-garde Chinese designs, Flatness Folded.
Another source of inspiration is this photo I found on Pinterest, though with cotton jersey I can't quite recreate the fullness of it. I'd like to try this in a stiffer fabric like linen in the future.
The crotch and side seams are all finished, so I'm just experimenting with how I want to arrange the front pleats before I finish the waistline, most likely by adding a waistband with elastic in it. I'm leaning toward pleating the left front beyond the center seam, creating a slight wrap effect.
For tips on finishing, I'm using a pair of H&M cotton jersey lounge pants I own. Also for adding pockets. They're very well constructed and have lasted many years.
I hope to finish these pants tomorrow, and I'll be posting my completed project -- pants and lace shirt -- on Thursday. I can't wait to show you the whole thing.
And that's it for now.
Have a great day, everybody!
I'm interested to see how these pants turn out in this fabric and also your take on the Flatness Folded book.
ReplyDeleteOk, now I gotta' make a denim blazer and Thai fisherman pants. Thanks, Peter! Haha! BTW, Happy Birthday!
ReplyDeletePeter - that seam looks great but how did you do it? I need more detail, can't picture running an opend seam through a serger...
ReplyDeleteIt's just an ordinary 4-thread serged seam.
DeleteDoes your kenmore do other stitches suitable for knits apart from just the standard zig zag? How do you enjoy using this machine? I use a 201k for straight stitch sewing, and I adore it. I need something compatible for sewing knits, and a lot of people seem to score the kenmore highly. Unfortunately, since I live in Scotland, I've never even seen one!
ReplyDeleteYes, it does a about four utility (stretch) stitches that look a lot like coverstitch stitches.
Deleteyour projects have the essential ornament that all mine do - puppy hair :)
ReplyDeleteLove your blog!
Amanda xx
The slight wrap is lovely! That photo from Pinterest is fantastic, love both the jacket and the trousers. Great inspiration.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see these! I agree that some H&M clothes are surprisingly well constructed.
ReplyDeleteI've been seeing fisherman pants on your pinterest page...was wondering what you were up to!
ReplyDeleteReally interesting. That slight wrap looks good and I also like your other inspiration picture.
ReplyDeleteAbout that one, I think it also has an unusually shaped side seam, which either has a point in it, or there's a box pleat at the side of the garment which only falls open completely at about knee height. Either of which would, of course, only work in a more solid and stable fabric than the cotton jersey you are using now.
By the way, now that I think of it, I have seen wrap effects on trousers in RTW fashion in recent year, just, you'll have guessed it, in womenswear. Which is funny because I think the look is (at least in part) inspired by traditional East-Asian unisex and menswear.