not so glamorous lobster pants
pattern: butterick B4462
difficulty (1-5): 3
pattern size: 8
fabric: 2 yd of linen & rayon blend with lobster applique (55 inches wide), zipper, hook & eye
what was wrong with my lobsters? it was a pair of seemingly normal pants but only from the pictures. i love lobsters to death. sadly though, not on my pants.
first, what i like about the pants: the fabric. i found this fabric early in the spring, when i was just started to sew. pattern, too. originally i had envisioned myself wearing a handmade capri pants, tailored to my desired fit, length and everything so i don't have to get one from lily pulitzer. i still won't get one from lily, but it will be a while before i attempt to make another pair of pants.
honestly, there's nothing wrong with the pattern, it was all me. i was not happy with the waist portion of the pattern and had decided to modify for a low waist, no darts look (instead of finding another pattern). as it turned out, even with the smallest pattern size, the pants was grossly big (a side note: do any of you find butterick's patterns tend to run big? i do. what about other brands?). i eventually had to sew 3 inches worth of darting on both sides at the back. not glamomous at all. in fact, it looks odd.
my second hugest mistake was to blindly cut off the waist without even thinking that maybe using a ruler! i cut the back pieces the same height as the front (big no no)!! it did not seem so weird for you... but, i can definitely tell when wearing them.
i was otherwise pretty happy with my method of sewing the waistband. it looked semi-normal to say the least.
putting in hook & eye was a torture. i hate sewing by hand. absolutely hate it. and it turned out i may have sewn the hook too far off. have to do it again (which has not happened yet).
oh well... live and learn.
Comments
Awww, it does look good though. But I know that looking good isn't a subsitute for you feeling good about them. But you're definitely right, live and learn.
posted by Angela on June 29, 2006 09:24 AM
Bummer you are not happy with them :( Pants are hard. They look cute though. You should bring them.
posted by hege on June 29, 2006 09:48 AM
It's such a cute fabric. Sorry to hear it didn't come out exactly the way you wanted. Have fun on your vacation!
posted by Carin on June 29, 2006 10:24 AM
hee hee i think those are cute
posted by domesticat on June 29, 2006 10:41 AM
I really like them! But I guess it's all a matter of perspective - I'm looking at a picture, and you know what they feel like on. Either way - know that they look really cute!
posted by Kathy on June 29, 2006 11:39 AM
Sewing is like knitting - every project provides a bit more knowledge and insight. The lobster pants are cute, but I'm sorry you aren't happy with them.
posted by Stephanie on June 29, 2006 11:44 AM
From the picture alone, they are cute. But if the comfort isn't there.... Still, sewing pants is hard. Don't give up on -- it's an almost counter-intuitive process.
posted by Marianne on June 29, 2006 12:13 PM
Sewing pants is hard! One of my local fabric stores has classes that teach you how to copy a favorite garment, I'm sure some Atlanta fabric stores have similar classes. Maybe that could help in creating the perfect capri from a pair of pants that fits you well? The fabric is very cute, can you salvage it and turn it into a skirt instead?
posted by Steph on June 29, 2006 02:31 PM
They may not be your favorites but they definitely look good enough to wear. Butterick patterns tend to have funny proportions. High tight waist and wider thighs. McCalls and New Look tend to be better proportioned. Vogue has the best proportions but can run small.
posted by Saun on June 29, 2006 02:37 PM
I join everybody in saying pants are not easy to sew and if the fit doesn't feel right, I understand you're disappointed. The fabric is so pretty! But don't give up! Sometimes it can be a good idea to test the pattern on a very cheap fabric first and make the necessary adjustments beforehand...
posted by francoise on June 29, 2006 05:35 PM
The pants look great! I've given up on making pants for myself, it's hard to do.
posted by Kim on June 29, 2006 05:36 PM
My hat goes off to you. I would have stopped at the waist for sure.
posted by pip on June 29, 2006 06:34 PM
fit-wise, there is some apparent pulling in the second photo ... but, otherwise, i think the fit is good. pants are super difficult --- lots of shapes to fit around ---- lots of shaping relationships .... the rise, hips/waist, etc .... perhaps check out some books by the taunton press or vogue. pants are not the easiest thing to fit! but, i think your pants look good enough to wear in public. comfort is another issue though ....
posted by gray la gran on June 29, 2006 10:10 PM
I can't tell you how many projects I've had like this- where the fit or the fabric or the shape or the construction method I used just wouldn't make what I wanted, no matter how many times I unpicked or re-measured or re-cut. It's part of the sewing process. What does happen though, over time, is that we learn from our mistakes. We work out what adjustments are probably needed for our own body shape, what sort of farbic will work with which sort of patterns, and what sort of clothes we'll actually want to wear (rather than think we might wear).
Keep sewing!!!!
posted by di on June 29, 2006 10:23 PM
It really looks cute, I don't think you can look bad in anything :) but I understand if it doesn't feel good to wear. My last Simplicity skirt pattern was way too big and I had to use one of my own skirts as a guide to re-size it. I'm going to try some of the patterns in my Japanese sewing books next and see if I get a better fit.
posted by erin on June 29, 2006 10:40 PM
It always sucks to spend a lot of time on something and then not have it "feel" right. However, seeing as i can't sew to save my life, I'm really impressed with your finished project. You should still be proud of them - a great first attempt I say!
posted by nicole on June 30, 2006 12:04 AM
You know what? Those lobster pants have this sort of "lived in" look that makes them super cute. They are CUTE!! I am so impressed that you JUST started knitting this year and could figure out how to make the waistband lower with darts in the back.
Darts in the back are okay. When they are in the front, they become "mommy pants."
These lobster trousers look better than ANY Lily Pulitzer's I've seen yet!
posted by Jill on June 30, 2006 02:12 AM
Aw, I'm sorry they didn't turn out the way you had hoped. That's disappointing. :-(
posted by Charity on June 30, 2006 12:22 PM
Cute pants! I think they look great. I know how frustrating it can be when a project doesn't go the way you planned. But I think all your sewing recently looks really nice!
posted by mari on June 30, 2006 04:00 PM