Butterick B5391 East Pants, part 2!
Ready for part 2 of the Butterick B5391 easy pant sewing project?
Then let’s make a start!
NB – Don’t worry if you missed part 1. Click Butterick B5391 Sewing Project Part 1 to catch up and take part.
We should now be at a stage in the sewing project where we have pinned together and tissue fitted our sewing pattern to identify, and make all the necessary pattern adjustments to get that perfect fit.
In this tutorial, before we begin the actual construction process, we will guarantee a great fit by first creating a toile / muslin. This is to aid and check the fit, shape and proportion of the pattern itself.
For this stage, you will need a length of inexpensive fabric or old bed sheet.
When it comes to properly fitting trousers, especially for the first time, I always advise in the making a toile / muslin. If you’ve never made one before, you’ll be pleasantly surprised about how much you can learn about your lower shape.
The toile / muslin allows you to identify a style of trouser that fits to your unique body shape, and gives that extra advantage to show off your best assets.
The Butterick B5391 easy pant sewing pattern has varied styles of trouser to make so that is why I have chosen to make a toile / muslin for this sewing project.
Make sure you have your lower body measurements to hand. If you’re not sure of these, or any other body measurements, please download my FREE workbook which contains a handy body measurement chart.
The Toile / Muslin -
sewing
NB - Click each photo to enlarge and take a better look.
So What Exactly Have I Done!
1 – Introduction – The pattern adjustments are done and a basic toile / muslin has been sewn. (remember a toile / muslin is simply a tester garment)
2 – The toile / muslin front view – You are making a toile for fitting, and to identify any further adjustments, as you are now working with the properties of fabric. This is my front view. The center front (CF) is in good alignment but I’m not happy with the dart position.
3 – The Back View – A good fit around my bottom but I’m not happy with the darts. I feel they need to be moved a few centimetres / an inch or so towards the centre back (CB).
4 – The Side View – Good side seam (SS) alignment and good position at the waistline.
5 – Front dart – In this slide, I am demonstrating how I am beginning to move the front dart on the sewing pattern piece. Note, I am also shortening it.
6 – Back dart – I’m not having two darts as the sewing pattern indicates as I have a round bottom. This slide demonstrates how I am moving the smaller dart towards the centre back (CB).
7 – Time for my sewing buddy – I have unpicked my darts using my trusty stitch unpick / seam ripper. Want to know how to use one properly, why not watch Using a Stitch Unpick at FashionSewingBlogTV.
8 – The front dart new positioning.
9 – The back darts new positioning.
10 – All adjustments have now been made. Now the toile / muslin fits better to my body shape so I now have the security that when I make up the pants / trousers, they should fit perfectly.
Please keep me updated with your progress in this sewing project and any problems you’ve encountered so far. It’s always great to hear from fellow fashion sewers.
Join me by clicking or visiting – Sewing Project, part 3 – The Butterick B5391 Easy Pants, where I will be showing you how to sew your trousers / pants to completion.
Do you have any photo’s of your toile’s / muslins?
Why not upload them to the Sewing-ista Gallery.
Happy fashion sewing,
Colleen G Lea
