Pants Fitting, sewing pants

McCalls M5633 Cargo Pants-Entry 6-The Bum Adjustment Refined

stitchinstein

Friends, my theory tested with mixed results.

Just to recap, I had in my head that all I needed to do to correct the backside of my pants at the lower crotch level was to give myself an inch more of crotch room. All I really wanted to do was slide the crotch back about an inch and true-up the inside leg seam.  Here is a video of my alteration…

And then add on some fabric to my muslin

and re-sew up the muslin for a 2nd fitting.

After taking pictures, I’m a little bit mystified.  I thought for sure this alteration would work perfectly.  What could be going on here?

After some more thought I decided to take in about 1/2″ at the waist through the hips on the side seam.  For these photos, I only sewed the left side of these pants.

Surprisingly it was a little better.

And then after even further review I was beginning to wonder if I needed to change the angle of my crotch curve.  Could it be that my backside is sitting lower than my front side?

I cut out the excess fabric and tried on again for the third time now.

Was I getting somewhere?  I can see improvement but I now have some excess fabric that I’m just not so sure about.  I reach around and pinch in some folds.

Yes!  I think that’s it!  The left side looks a lot better than the right side.  There’s still room to tweak but I think I’m getting there.  Here’s a close up.  The inspiration cargos don’t have a lot of bagginess in the buttocks area so I think I might be there.

The fabric I’ve chosen has some stretch to it so I don’t want to have too much room on the backside.  Stretch fabrics tend to grow, you know?

I’m just slightly concerned that my muslin might be too light of fabric to give me a true sense of just how much excess fabric to remove.

I can only keep going though.  Next stop, the front.

Later!

~Cathy

7 thoughts on “McCalls M5633 Cargo Pants-Entry 6-The Bum Adjustment Refined”

  1. You’re doing a great job on your fittings! Fitting pants can be so tricky and requires alot of tweaking. But once you perfect the fit, you’ll be able to make an endless amount of pants. I need to go back and read your other posts. It seems I haven’t been doing a good enough job of keeping track of your sewing adventures so I’ve added you to my blog list. Looks like you’ve got great things going on (wink)! Good luck with your pants fitting. I’m about to start that adventure soon since I have no pants for the fall. Take care……

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  2. There seems to be a tug at the mid back seam. What do you think? Maybe you need a small amt. of extra room there for the back to fall easily. I’ll have to get out my Palmer Pletch pants fitting bood to see if the lines are duplicated there and what they did about it.

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  3. I recently came across advice that suggests one needs to add NOT to the inseam but to change the back seam line from the crotch to CB by hollowing it towards the top of CB (it looks as if you are making the pants smaller). Then add the corresponding material taken away on the CB crotch seam to the side seam of the back piece, from the waist down to below the hip line.

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  4. I think Anne is exactly right. In doing that, you are essentially darting out the fullness from the waist and pointing that dart right to the fullest part of the bumness on the center seam. That should work great. I should know, I have the best of bums.

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  5. Wow, the alterations that you are making is looking great! I,too have the best of bums along with a sway back!

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  6. This is the same problem I have, and many pants later, I still haven’t gotten rid of it. If you find a solution, please post it. Good luck!

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