Burda 01-2014-111–Jodhpur Pants and Sewing Bee Final Round

I made it into the final round of the Pattern Review Sewing Bee. I think there were 11 of us for this last and final round. Our challenge was to make a pair of pants out of non-stretch material. Of course, I decide that it would be a great idea. to try to make a pair of very fitted jodhpur pants. Because those need no stretch, right? Yea, well, they didn’t turn out as badly as they could have. Here’s the line drawing. They are in the petite sizing. Usually a size 17 (the petite version of a 34) works really well for me, but since this was going to be out of non-stretch fabric, I went up to the 18.

 

All in all, I think they turned out pretty well. They are much different than my normal style so that takes some getting used to. I think these would rock with black ponte doubleknit on the back leg sections and in a smaller size.

 

I do love the inside black inner legs. I think those are a really good accent. I think in order for these pants to really work though, they need to be much tighter. Like real riding pants.

 

Arg. I love the back seaming which you can’t see very well here. What I hate is that the back doesn’t chevron. I had the great idea of cutting them so they would be mirror image and then couldn’t do it because the plaid is uneven. Someone mentioned on PR that I could have turned the pattern piece around and it would have been the mirror image. That is a head slapping moment right there. Arg.

 

I think they fit well although that little hip wrinkle popped up in the photos and I hadn’t really noticed it before.

 

This is the first time I had sewn an in-seam pocket like this before. They are super easy to do and really cute.

 

I inserted invisible zippers in each leg at then ankle.

 

The seaming is awesome and could have been AMAZING with butt-chevron!

 

I’m embarrassed to show you the inside of my pants after seeing the inside of everyone else’s pants. Theirs were fully lined, or all the seams were bound, or whatever. Mine are just serged and pinked. Eeeek. Okay, people, I work full-time and have four kids. I tried. I did. 

 

My fly front turned out really well. I haven’t made pants in a long time. I should make more. I enjoy them. 

 

 

I really only had to make one adjustment. I have a prominent swayback so I took a wedge from the back to suck it in a little bit.

 

I took a corresponding amount out of the waistband.

 

Overall, I like the pants, but they aren’t my best work. I’m glad to have made it to the final round, and I’m in awe of the other ladies. They are amazing and I can’t believe that I was lucky enough to be among them for the finals. If you go to the 14th page of this discussion, you can see all the finalists and their garments they made. The winner is based on all the things we made for this contest, not just the pants. I have zero chances of winning. Really, that’s not me being humble, I’m a realist. It doesn’t hurt my feelings, they are really amazing sewists!

On a side note, I cleaned my sewing room tonight. It was like a hurricane hit it. I can’t image doing a Sewing Bee for more than four weeks!