Itch to Stitch Blog Tour 2019

Hello, and welcome to the Itch to Stitch September Spotlight Tour! I’m happy to be adding my latest Itch to Stitch make to the lineup. Besides being treated to some lovely pattern inspiration, each day on the tour discount codes will be provided for the specific patterns highlighted.

Use the code 920itsblogtour25 for 25% off all the Itch to Stitch patterns highlighted today: that includes the North Point Trousers, Mt View Pull-On Jeans, Irena, La Paz and the Jacqueline Hoodie.

Today I’m showing off a pair of slacks I made recently with some lovely brushed Bengaline suiting fabric from Minerva. These pants are modified Mt. View Pull-On Jeans and I’ll explain below why that hack was necessary.

Mt View Pull-On Jeans

I had planned on making the North Point Trousers, but upon checking the stretch requirements, I realized my fabric had 25-30%. This is too much for this pattern, so I chose to use the Mt View Pull-On Jeans pattern. I’ve sewn this pattern a couple times before. (You can see my other versions: shorts here and dark wash jeans here.)

The best thing about this pattern is the back seam down the center of the leg. I am able to remove excess fabric in the bum, thighs and calves to achieve a great fit here. This is the only pattern that ever has flattered my backside the way I always wanted.

How to Remove the Yoke

Although I didn’t end up using the North Point Trousers pattern, I made some changes to the pattern to make the pants look more like slacks. I combined the back yoke with the back pattern pieces. This blog post is super helpful for learning how to remove the yoke. The only difference with my pattern is that there is a seam down the back of the leg, so there are two back pattern pieces to deal with.

North Point Trouser Pockets

I added a couple elements from the North Point Trousers pattern to my jeans pattern, first were the welt pockets. This was pretty easy, to modify. I also omitted the curved inset front pockets and drafted slant pockets similar to the ones on the North Point Trousers. Mine start a little farther into the center of the yoke. The 2nd best feature of this pattern is the elastic in the yoke because it stretches with my midsection. Yay!

When I received my fabric in the mail I discovered the stretch was on the cross-grain instead of being on the widthwise grain. What’s a sewist to do? Turning my pattern pieces 90 degrees meant I could still have the horizontal stretch I needed. This fix can affect the drape a little bit, so it lends itself better to form-fitting garments. You’ll notice a bit of wrinkling around the legs because of that, but I think it still made a nice pair of slacks.

The weight and drape of a fabric affects the fit! The denim Mt. Pose Jeans I made prior to this pair had about the same % stretch as this suiting fabric. It also had a firm recovery. The black slacks have rayon (which creates great drape but doesn’t have as great recovery) and as a result the slacks were baggier on me. I took in the side seams to compensate, but I didn’t get the perfect fit in the crotch I was looking for.

It’s almost fall here in upstate NY, and I’m definitely digging the colder weather. You’ll also notice that I’m sporting an Uvita Top I made from Minerva’s faux angora sweater knit. A perfect set for cooler weather! (I’ll be talking more about this sweater on the Minerva Crafts blog in October.)

So Sew English Fabrics: Prize of $40 Store Credit
Sly Fox Fabrics: $25 Store Credit

Prize #2
Itch to Stitch: 3 PDF patterns of choice
Beautiful Textiles: $100 Store Credit
D&H Fabrics Co: $50 Store Credit
Surge Fabric Shop: $20 Store Credit
Knitpop: $50 Knitcoin Credit

Rafflecopter begins Monday September 16th and will close at 11:59pm ET Sunday, September 22nd. 2 winners (1 per prize package) will be drawn and announced Monday, September 23rd.

a Rafflecopter giveaway