Pants! - V9303

I made some pants! I don't think I've made pants in over 35 years because they never seem worth the effort because it takes too much effort to get them to fit. Plus, these days, I just wear jeans or leggings, so it's easier to just shop for something that fits. However, I wanted to sew this Vogue V9303 pattern because I really liked the pocket details and the lower leg seam details and the pleat at the knee. Plus, it requires stretchy wovens and has an elastic waist, which makes them super comfy.

They are close-fitting pants, but not close like jeggings or anything like that. I used a lightweight denim fabric that has quite a bit of stretch. I did make some changes in technique. I knew that there was no way I could make the pockets look good by just turning in seam allowances so I made them as lined pockets. I used a lightweight knit for the lining. Also, I knew I could never make the zipper on the upper pocket look good by just turning in the ends and leaving the top side exposed, so I divided the pocket and used the zipper to join the pieces and the entire pocket is lined. Finally, I didn't sew the elastic to the waist band. I just encased it, and I used a 1.25" elastic instead of 1".

These pants fit pretty well, but it's a big effort to make them fit. I think that might be par for the course as far as sewing pants go. After wearing for a day, they did stretch out a tiny bit, but that's normal for denim. If I like them after much more wearing, I'll make another pair for winter with a slightly heavier fabric and a longer length.