Sunday, August 19, 2012

Turkish Pants, Attempt #2

So even though I screwed up on my Turkish Pants, I still really liked them.  I wore them around my apartment for a little bit and decided that they were pretty awesome.  There was only one problem: They were made of polyester, which is not ideal for million degree heat.  (That is what I estimate Burning Man will be.  I might be off a bit.)  I was unsure of what to do about this, because these pants were meant to be day-wear, or at least were meant to be capable of being day-wear, should I wish to wear them at that time.  I let that thought roll around in the back of my head for a few days.

After a few days of thought, I went to the South Bay to pick up my classroom key and my work laptop.  I work less than a mile away from Fabrics R Us, so I paid them a little visit.  I got some really neat stuff.


The green flowers didn't come with the hat attached.  I put them there.  

I decided to use the loosely woven black and white material to make some new Turkish pants. (no idea what it is... Fabrics R Us labels nothing, including many prices.  It was in the back of the store near the suiting materials.)   I had other plans for the weird pink material and the flowers.  

This time, I sat down and really looked at my original pants (the ones that I didn't make).  


I noticed that the stripes changed directions, which made drafting out the swoop pattern that I wanted to make (the part I would cut out of the rectangle) a lot easier.  I also noticed that the back (the seat) of the pants was longer than the front by about 4 inches.  So, I counted out the stripes that didn't go all the way down the pants and measured that out onto a piece of paper.  Then I checked to see where the curve first started and where the curve got more dramatic.  I drafted this onto a piece of paper (with notes to myself about what it was when I found it in my pattern box a few months from now.  Did I mention my terrible memory?)


The next part was pretty easy.  I cut out the same amount of fabric that I did before, in big rectangle shapes, which I folded in half.  (You can read the measurements in the above picture, if you'd like to give it a shot yourself.  Bear in mind that I am 5'4" tall and have rather long legs.)  This time, I measured 4 inches down on the half of the rectangle that I designated as the front of the pant leg.  Then I drew out the swoop shape, starting 4 inches down from the top of the fabric.  Then I cut out the swoop.  Next I needed to angle the front of the pants (the waistline) down from the side, to that 4 inch mark.  I kinda did that by ear, folding it at an angle to the center of the pant leg, then cutting it.  (This is where I *wish* I had taken pictures!)  Anyways, I finished up the french seams and got elastic into the waistband and the ankles and voila!  They totally fit!  AND they feel exactly the same as my original pair!  

Yay pants done right this time!

6 comments:

  1. Woo! Welcome to the blogosphere! Your pants are looking fantastic and comfy my dear. If you're curious what the fabric is, maybe do a burn test?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ohhhh that makes perfect sence

      Delete
  2. It appears to be at least partially synthetic. It burned a bit and melted a bit.

    ReplyDelete