I feel like I’m stuck in something of a sewing cycle at the moment where I am swinging from great success to abject failure – with not much middle ground in between.
And these Palisade Pants?
Well, in all honesty, I strongly considered not blogging them.
But one message I often get from readers (and that I myself share when I read other sewing blogs) is that it’s just as useful (if not more!!!!) to see the projects that didn’t really work.
And, in that vein, here are my Palisade Pants!
From my lack of sewing pleasure to your viewing pleasure…
Palisade Pants: the Pattern
The Palisade Pants are from Papercut Patterns. They feature a high waist, tapered legs, a partially elasticated waist and the best pockets in the history of the universe.
No, I am not at all prone to exaggeration.
These pockets are just incredible.
That’s double layer of huuuuge pocket space in there!!
Following on from those pockets, let’s start with what’s good about these Palisade Pants.
Like this ivory tencel pin stripe twill from Meter Meter. This fabric was lovely to work and is even more wonderful to wear. It is a bit lighter, however, than the tencel pinstripe pique that I used for my Rae Pants. Which is natural, since I actually bought this ivory pin stripe with a shirt in mind …
For a trouser-weight fabric, I would actually recommend the pique over the regular pin stripe twill as this fabric, ultimately, is maybe a tad too light for holding the shape of the pants. But these still make an acceptable summer weight trouser.
As an aside, does anyone else go through moments where they feel totally overwhelmed by their fabric stash?
I have so many beautiful fabrics that I desperately want to have time to sew. And I have a list about 12 months long of “to sew” projects. But, a side effect of this is that I sometimes get so overwhelmed by all these “planned” projects that I decide to just do something totally unforeseen with a fabric. That’s what happened here when I decided to abandon my planned pinstripe shirt for these palisade pants!
And you know what?
When I abandon well-laid plans on whims, well, I’m often unhappy with the result!
The search for the perfect pants…
Surely it’s not too much to ask to find a pair of pants that fit my body perfectly, are supremely comfortable, look put-together and work appropriate and disguise all the things I dislike about the lower half of my body.
Hmmm, maybe I’m chasing a pants unicorn…
I am feeling more and more drawn to separates right now, rather than dresses. But I’m finding some wardrobe gaps in this regard.
Between the Persephone Pants, Flint Pants and McCalls 7726, I feel that I’ve mastered the wide-legged pants zone of my wardrobe. I have been feeling, however, the need for something that’s not jeans but is straighter or tapered in the leg. You know, for the days when it’s pouring with rain and I need a pair of pants that is not so large and swishy that it soaks up moisture like a sponge.
I do like my Sasha Trousers but I’ve put on sufficient weight since making my last pairs that I will need to start from scratch with a new size and re-fit. I am planning to revisit Sasha, but it will be a bit of an undertaking. Which made me think that maybe I should, well, try something else, just to see…
I was tossing up between trying to make the straight legged version of McCalls 7726 or try something new. The Calyer Pants from French Navy also interested me. In the end, however, I couldn’t find any pictures of the latter on curvier figures, which put me off. I find it somewhat off-putting when you can’t see a pattern on any body shape that falls outside of the XS or S range. Although maybe I just didn’t scroll far enough…
This same issue was, indeed, why I almost didn’t sew these Palisade Pants. I really hadn’t seen them sewn up on curvier shapes. Then I saw Jen over at Sewing and Slapdashery speak highly of them and that was enough to sell me…
Well, that, and the fact that I wanted desperately to sew the most amazing pockets I’ve ever seen. They’re like cargo pockets but on fashion steroids.
Kudos to the imagination which bought these pockets to life – they’re pretty much a work of art in their own right!
My Palisade Pants
My Palisade Pants are a size L. The pattern range only includes one size bigger (XL), which means that it is a rather limited size range.
Sewing the Palisade Pants was actually much simpler and easier than I had expected. It’s also quite a fun sew because you get to start with the pockets, which are just a creative joy!
Word of warning, make sure you really take the time to get all your pocket pieces and the matching interfacing cut on grain. My pockets stick out a bit in the end. I think it’s because some of the pieces are slightly off-grain.
You sew the Palisade Pants by constructing the side panels first, then attaching them to the back to create the ‘back’ (i.e. the part with the elasticized waist). Then you create the front pants, with the regular waist band, and then attach the two together.
This construction method – like the Sierra Jumpsuit – means that there is hardly any scope to try on your Palisade Pants and fit as you go. This is definitely a project for a muslin guys!
My lack of a muslin means that these are too tight around the hip and there is sufficiently unsightly pulling and creasing to render these almost unwearable..
It’s a real pity because I actually really like the shape of the tapered legs on these Palisade Pants.
Too taper or not too taper
Tapered or straight legs are something I am still really struggling with. I love the way Closet Case pants fit me around the crotch and waist, but I have had issues with knee bunching in both the Ginger Jeans and the Sasha Trousers.
My next step is to adjust the inseam length to try to fix this but I haven’t gotten around to trying it yet…
As they are slightly roomier, these Palisade Pants actually look pretty good around the leg and knees, but I find them almost unwearable around the crotch and hips.
Now, it could just be that my Palisade Pants are simply too tight across the hips and with an extra centimetre or two around the hip, these could look fine. I’m not really sure though…
I feel like I’m probably going about this the wrong way, right?
I’m more likely to find a pants unicorn by sticking with one pattern and muslin-ing the hell out of it. But there’s just this little voice that keeps telling me – ‘Beck, maybe if you just try one more new pattern it’ll be the one that’s perfect for you.’
Hmmm, well, the Palisade Pants weren’t it. And maybe I just need to stop listening to voices…
Still, these aren’t a total loss. The leg shape is nice enough that I have been wearing it with tops that are at least crotch-length. Yes, kind of a waste of pair of high-waisted pants but, still, when the fabric is this lovely, one needs to salvage what one can…
Elastic SOS
I have a #sewingsos question for the sewing world.
Why do my elastic waist bands look so terrible???
Like many of us, I’m sure, I’m attracted to the comfort, but not the look of elastic waistbands. Which is part of why I was so attracted to the Palisade Pants. The flat front with elastic side and back seemed a good way to get the best of both worlds.
But, whenever I sew elastic waistbands, I just feel that they look terrible and bulky on me. I don’t find the same thing with RTW elastic waists. Is there something different about how they are constructed for RTW? any tips on how to reduce bulk around the waist when sewing my own elastic waistbands?
Confession time
Time to keep it real…
Do you ever feel like maybe it’s time to admit that a certain pattern company just doesn’t work for your body?
I’m starting to feel that way with Papercut Patterns. Which completely pains me because I really love soooo many of their patterns.
But now, in addition to these pants, the Nagoya Pants didn’t fit me well (although I was enough of a pants-virgin to not really understand that at the time), I didn’t like my Kochi Kimono and my Ravine Dress left me feeling lackluster…
My Sierra Jumpsuit is one where I like the end product but found the sewing a real slog!
Do you think some pattern companies just don’t work on some bodies or should I be making more of an effort to muslin things out and work through the issues I’ve been having? I just feel that, these days, there are so many great indie pattern options out there (picture me here singing to the tune of “The Circle of Life” from the Lion King ‘there’s more to sew than could ever be sewn…’) that I’m reluctant to put in the effort to modify something which just doesn’t seem to gel with my body shape when there is probably a better fitting (for me) similar pattern out there?
Regardless, at minimum, I vow to not make any Papercut Patterns pants without a muslin in the future!
You are all my witnesses!
Im really hoping this is just a bit of bad sewing luck because I already have the pattern and fabric for the Meridian Dress, the Pinnacle Top and the Sapporo Coat. Because I find the look of these beautiful patterns just irresistible.
So here’s hoping I can make them work for me…
And that the present Palisade Pants palaver can be a thing of the past…
Now excuse me, I’m off to chase a pants unicorn…
Oh and, finally, a little P.S! If you like to get your blog hits through Bloglovin’, feel free to follow me over there: you can find me here. And you can find me on Instagram here.
Thanks so much for writing this blog post. As you say, the fails are super useful for your readers too, even though so disappointing as the sewist.
And it’s an interesting pint you raised about giving up on pattern companies whose blocks just need too much work to fit your individual shape. I’ve had a similar thought process recently, only in relation to FBAs. My shape meant I had to start making FBAs very early on in my sewing journey. So I’m not bad at them. But having tried a few patterns recently that come with multi cup size options, it’s just been a game changer. It is so much faster to prep the pattern and their cup sizes have been professionally graded / drafted for my cup size, hence tends to gives a smoother line. With a few companies now doing these, I decided to only buy patterns that have my cup size.
But I’ve now slightly revised this decision! As I still see the occasional B cupped pattern that I love and has a really different design or drafting feature that I can’t find in one of my cup sized pattern companies. So I’ve decided I will make the effort to do ALL the changes to these interesting patterns when I see one I love. But otherwise I’ll stick to the companies that make patterns with blocks that fit my shape the best.
I think that’s a great way of approaching it. With the wealth of options out there it’s not every single pattern that justifies the amount of work it can take to adjust patterns to our body when the starting point of the block is very different. It’s great to see more cup size options and extended sizes popping up. I really feel that this is the next frontier of indie patterns. It’s a way for indie pattern designers to offer an experience which is truly targeted and differs from RTW – which is why we sew after all! If the patterns are all just designed on the basis of a RTW block without many options and without taking into account the experiences and preferences of the sewing community, it’s just DIY RTW, rather than a readily customizable sewing experience!
I agree with the elasticated waist here – I used replaced mine at the Arenite pants with a stretch hem fabric, and doing paperbag pleats in the Fremantle pants. Having the saem problem with dresses with elastic in the waist, by the way.
Good luck on your pants journey!
Elastic waists just suck!!!! But I find dresses often use a narrower elastic which is often not as bad as these wider pants ones! Thanks for reassuring me that I’m not alone in the struggle!!
I often feel similarly about elastic waist pants. I have RTW pants with a very narrow elastic that looks much less bulky than wider elastics. It also depends on your fabric (the lighter the better) and the amount of gathering in the pattern. You could easily reduce the width of the elastic in this pattern and make the waistband narrower.
Indeed! Thanks for the tips. I think I’ll also try to learn how to properly topstitch elastic down for a nicer finish!
Thanks for sharing your trials! I am more and more starting to see the wisdom in sticking with the pattern companies and T&T patterns that work for me. But it’s hard not to be distracted by all the new patterns and great versions others are sewing up.
I have the same issue around the knees with CC patterns (it also shoes up as diagonal drag lines above the knee at the back) and I think I need a knock knee adjustment. Just cut a fresh pair of Ginger jeans with this tweak and will let you know how it goes!
I’m about to cut the exact same thing out tonight- gingers with knock knee adjustment! We can see if it works together!!!!
I see what you mean about the fit in the hip area; definitely too tight. The only pants pattern I’ve tried so far that fit well without any adjustments was the jeans from Itch to Stitch. Unfortunately shortly after making them I put on extra fluff and don’t fit them anymore. I need to reprint them and have another go since they fit better than any jeans ever; but what I’ll probably end up doing is printing another of her pants patterns so I can sew something new!
It’s so hard to get excited about something that’s not new! But if the fit was perfect I should definitely do it again. I’m currently basting my second pair of gingers cuz my first pair doesn’t fit anymore either, so. For once, I gave in the temptation to just try something new (although I almost gave in to the MN ash…, I resisted in the end!)
I’m exploring elastic waists at the moment, the Calyer and Freemantles are on my ‘to try’list and I’ve just made some Marigolds. Ave you tried topstitching your elasticated waists? I got my guidance for this in the Hudson instructions but I’m sure there’s a sewalong or someone else will have written it. You do 2 rows of topstitching in a long zigzag whilst stretching your waistband to the extent of your fabric, a section at a time and it really flattens the waistband 😊 now to read your Zadie review, definitely one on my list!
I tried that in my Rae pants but the instructions for doing it weren’t so great and it liked awful! I will try to find some better instructions for revisiting that technique!
I think the fabric is bunching at the knees of your CC pants because the calves are too tight. Often if fabric is pooling or bunching, the area below is too tight and is pushing the fabric up. Pooling at the back waist is often misdiagnosed as sway back, when really the hips are too tight. The elastic waist problem is similar. The waist area is too large so the gathering is bulky. Too much fabric there. Take a wedge out of the back waist and see if that helps.
Thanks for the tips!!! On the CC I’ve also been mulling over whether it’s full calves or knock knees that’s the problem. It doesn’t actually feel tight anywhere around the calves which is what made me think it wasn’t this but who knows? I just cut out a new pair of gingers with the knock knee adjustment. If that doesn’t work – full calf it is! Thanks for all the practical feedback and suggestions – it’s infinitely useful!!
I just reprinted my Itch to Stitch Liana jeans pattern to sew a bigger size. My first attempt was just a couple inches short of zipping up. I opened the side seams and added a wedge, and planned to just wear them around home, but then on a friend’s suggestion I sewed a plaid ribbon all the way down the side. Unable to get sewn up legs under the sewing machine, I had to sew them on by hand, giving me lots of practice on my fell stitch. Instantly hiding my boo boo and turning them into ” designer jeans”. Then I thought I would try making a pair from one of the big three commercial patterns. When I compared the patterns the ITS pattern with its cute shape made the commercial pattern look like men’s work pants. So I will try the ITS pattern again with a larger size and sew those seams very carefully ( maybe I sewed the first pair’s seams too wide).
I agree that the pants seem to be hanging up on your calves. I recently saw an alteration for that, maybe on Pinterest. On your muslin, yeah the muslin we all seem to hate to waste time on, cut straight up the middle of the back leg to the high point of your calves. Spread the leg, and add a wedge of fabric. It will seem like it will make flared hems, but it doesn’t. This should also keep the pants legs from twisting which they seem to be doing in the picture. I love the pockets on these pants, and it would be a shame not to use this pattern again.
I’m a planner too! Completely relate. I’m sorry these didn’t work out because the pockets are wicked! Amanda from Bimble and Pimble made a great pair as shorts recently. If only these fit upstairs instead of downstairs, you could just cut off the legs and call it a day! Less effective if you *only* like the leg fit…
And yeah, I only sew from a few indies over and over, because even when their block isn’t published it’s usually clear what their preferred body shape is (and if it’s not hips, I’m not it).
This is a lesson I’ve taken a while to learn with the indies but I’m now fully on board!
This is old, so I’m sure you’ve figured it out, but YES topstitch the elastic. I had the same issue and then read the instructions on the Calyer pants and you just do a couple strait stitches while stretching your elastic/fabric to max. It looks SO much better.