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I have been sewing more than I've been blogging - I have a backlog of things to photograph and just don't seem to get round to it.

I made a wearable muslin of the Jalie stretch jeans ages ago. It was totally impossible to tissue-fit this pattern. I used a rather thin, rather stretchy woven cotton lycra for the trial garment. Although the result is (just) wearable, it still has quite a few problems to iron out. Muslins are for learning from, aren't they?

Lesson #1: The correct size
I started with the size corresponding to my high hip measurement (as recommended by Fit for Real People), but cut wide seam allowances so I could adjust where necessary. This didn't work so well, and I ended up retracing all the top parts of the pants in a larger size to get the pocket placement etc right. Next time I'll trace the whole thing in the size corresponding to my widest hip m'ment. I'd rather adjust down than up.

Lesson #2: Extra seam allowance
I added 1" seam allowances from the waist to the knee, but not below (why waste so much fabric in an area where I won't need to adjust?). I had to use so much of that extra 1" in the thighs that I ended up with pants that tapered sharply at the knee - like a Victorian dustman's pants (think Alfred P. Doolittle in My Fair Lady). This is especially obvious in the pic at lower right.



Lesson #3: Crotch length
I used the so-called regular rise version of the pants, because I find low-rise jeans produce uncomfortable muffin-top effects. One of the biggest problems in the finished muslin is the front crotch length - it seems too long and produces weird creases in the front. I have never had this problem with RTW pants. A few days ago while reading a blog post on the Jalie jeans pattern, I looked at the pattern envelope photographs again - and noticed that the regular rise version shows those exact same folds on the model (look at the left of the picture below). The fly also doesn't seem to be lying flat. Maybe I should try the low-rise pattern after all?



Lesson #4: Lengthening
I'm embarrassed to admit this - instead of lengthening the pattern above/below the knee, I just cut an extra 2" at the hem, thus exaggerating the dustman's pants effect. I should have known better.

Lesson #5: Interfacing
I didn't use enough interfacing. I interfaced the fly as described in the pattern, but some stretching still occurred and the fly gapes weirdly. My feeling is that the interfacing should be double the width, so that the whole area where you topstitch is also stabilised. As per the pattern instructions, I didn't interface the waistband and the result is a pitiful stretchy shapeless thing. Next time, interface! Also, I forgot about interfacing the tops of the back pockets and they are droopy.

Lesson #6: Waistband
I used the straight waistband from the pattern. After cutting this out, it fit very well around my waist, so I didn't make any adjustments. But in the finished pants it is too loose. I think I'll use a curved waistband instead. I would also like it to be wider - the Jalie waistband is quite narrow.

Looking at the photographs above, I think I can see that there is not enough fabric at the front of the thigh, and too much at the back of the thigh. Pants fitting is difficult! I am now working on a different approach to solving the crotch fitting issue. More soon!