I appreciate the comments regarding the fitting of pants as I, too, have had a problem of pulling across the front of the thigh. I was fortunate to have a fitting buddy with considerable fitting skills who zeroed in on the problem area: the crotch. We used a weight on a crotch length string to determine the point where the crotch seam and the inner seam cross. On me the front crotch needed to be lengthen almost one inch. This process does require two people as I would never have been able to mark the exact point on the muslin.
Thank you for the instructions for using Joyce Murphy’s method. I had remembered reading the article, but could not remember the details.
I am please to have so much information, especially on my first excursion into the discussion group. sewcheck
Replies
If your fitting problem is in the butt/hip area, adjusting the crotch is the answer. However, IMHO, if it is actually in the thighs, whether genetic or because of physical activity, adjusting the crotch will only give you a strange look in the crotch. I do not purport to be an expert by any stretch of the imagination, I just know that if one has developed the musculature of their legs -- quadriceps and/or hamstrings -- the pants may fit the hips and butt well, but be way too tight for the legs. In that instance, adjusting the thigh area of the pants pattern should give good results.
Don't you just love this forum? So many times questions are asked and answered in various ways that can help all of us, not just the questioner. So much talent and expertise here.
Thanks for the info. I noticed that you also referred someone to a blogger who adjusted the thigh area with a fish eye dart. will you send the link to me. Sewcheck
Yes, I'd be happy to. I wish I felt free to post a link to her blog so everyone could have access to her pants remedy as well as the many other things she does. Incidentally, it's not really a dart, it's a fish-eye "expansion", if that makes any sense.Check your email in a bit.
Edited 1/28/2009 6:33 pm by JunkQueen
JunkQueen,I am not sure as to why you don't want to post someone's blog address. The reason someone has a blog is for viewers to read and comment. I am a member of PatternReview.com, and the members of this site post blog addresses so we members can review great information. There is even a forum for people to review websites and blogs.If one has a blog on the Internet, it certainly isn't "private" information - heavens - that information is for the world to see!This is just my opinion, but if I find great information on the Internet, I type the address in my post so other folks can read, enjoy and learn.Woggy
Woggy, actually there ARE some blogs that are private, but when they are marked that way, it won't let you in without permission from the blogger. Usually, those are for a closed group of people (possibly a family or a specific club, etc). Other than that exception, I believe you are right. Can't imagine why anyone else would not want their blog address posted. If they don't want a stranger reading it, it won't let you in.
Try the blog: stitchesandseams.com. Debbie Cook is the author of this blog and she has some excellent sewing tutorials for review.She has done a wonderful job of mastering pants pattern fitting using various alterations. The "fish eye dart" term was used by Kenneth King, a designer in New York City. He wrote an excellent article in Threads a few years ago about this concept. He has a CD book on drafting Trousers with a section on removing different wrinkles from the pants - especially the ones found in the back of pants.His concept is to remove the fabric (the wrinkle) then add it back in another area of the pants - such as if you removes fabric from below the fanny, then you need to put it back somewhere so you can walk in your pants.This CD book has some great graphics explaining removing the fabric and adding back in other places. I have been struggling with making a decent fitting pair of pants for a long time. I am sorry I didn't buy his CD sooner (just got it last fall) because his ideas for removing wrinkles are very good.Hope this info helps.Woggy
Edited 2/1/2009 5:56 am ET by woggy
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