Do you remember my attempts at sewing some pants last year? I was not very successful and do not wear any of these makes. But I decided to try it again. I just need pants and finding RTW pants that fit is also not an easy task.
So I started with the Kerry Cargo Pants from Style Arc. I actually made them back in September but somehow never got around to take pictures. They are loose fitting with a drawstring at the waist.
Fabric:
I purchased the fabric in a local fabric store. I am not sure if it is a cotton, linen/cotton blend or linen. I looked for something lightwight and drapey, but unfortunately the fabric wrinkles easily. I ironed the pants before taking the pictures….So my fabric choice is not the best.
Alterations:
I thought that with the rather loose fit I would get away without any or only small alterations. But in the end I had to change a lot. I started with size 8.
- shortening the legs by 6 cm (3 cm above the knee and 3 cm below).
- lowering the waist by 3.5 cm in the center back, tapering to nothing at the side seams
- lowering the waist in the center front by 1cm, tapering to nothing at the middle of the front piece
- adding 1 cm at the side seams at hip level, tapering to nothing at the waist
- slashing both front and back piece just below the crotch and adding 1 cm at the side seam (I think I did this to reduce wrinkles at the back leg)
- scooping out the back crotch by about 0.5 cm
- taking in the center front seam starting with 6mm at the waist, 1cm at the crotch curve tapering to nothing at the inseam
Pocket placement:
I read a lot of reviews for this pattern, and in nearly every review it was mentioned that the pocket placement of the back pockets was too high if you follow the markings on the pattern. Therefore I tested the pocket placement after basting everything together. I lowered the back pockets (5.5 cm), and I adjusted the leg pockets so that they would end just above the knee as in the Style Arc picture. In many pictures I have seen the leg pockets are at or below the knee.
Construction Notes:
The construction is straight forward and easy as there is no zipper to deal with. I serged all seams. The top of the pants is folded to the inside and stitched in place to form the channel for the drawstring. I added lining to the patch pockets, just because I wanted to.
Conclusion:
The pants are OK, but I am not happy with them. One reason is the drawstring closure at the waist. They fall off until you have tied the string. I was aware of this before sewing, but I did not think that this would be so impractical. I always have to adjust the side seams and gathers after putting them on. Together with the suboptimal fabric choice I will wear them only at home. The one feature I really love are the pleated patch pockets. They give the pants an interesting look.