Pants…not gonna lie, they kind of scare me as a seamstress. When I was given the opportunity to test the new update for the Pattern for Pirates SOS pants I really didn’t know what to expect. I knew I wanted to conquer my fear of pants and these were drafted for a knit so I thought it may be a little more fit friendly. Well, let’s just say my patience was tested. I am more of a quick project person and when the fit wasn’t perfect for me the first time, that was one thing, but striking out 3 more times… I started to wonder if I would even be able to complete the test.
I started doubting my ability to get the pants to fit and present you with anything decent. However, perseverance, coupled with some pattern changes and learning more about fit along the way ended up making me feel much more confident in making pants and am happy to say, I now love this pattern.
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Sewing the SOS Pants
So, let’s talk details a bit. I am confident drafting pants must be a small nightmare. We are all shaped so differently, so what works great for one body could be horrible for another. And during testing, a lot of time and care went into working on getting a more universally flattering pattern. That being said, you should always plan on making a muslin with pants first so that you don’t get upset or waste precious fabric if you need to make adjustments. The fabric I used for my pants was all found locally at JOANN Stores
It is a nice heavy refined ponte (with nylon instead of polyester to help with piling) and super stretchy denim. They aren’t cheap by any means, but if you can pick them up on sale it will save you some major cash. Since it isn’t the cheapest fabric, you could certainly look for something a little less pricey for a muslin.
Paired here with a Women’s Stella Top- blogged about here. This top is in french terry from LA Finch Fabrics
Around version 6 of the pattern test (yes…you read that right) I got the fit that was best for my body. I am so happy the designers kept pursuing fit changes and redrafting the pattern to help more people get a great fit. If my end took some time, I can only imagine what the behind the scenes workload was like. So let’s say I got really good at taping together this pattern! Some awesome features of this pattern are the layers (so you can select only the size you need to print) and the no trim pages. I always forget how awesome the no trim pages are until I use a different designer’s pattern who doesn’t do that. It is a huge time saver. Patterns for Pirates also includes pattern printing guides so you can only print the skinny or straight leg options and save time and paper. A great tip I picked up on the way is cutting out the back pocket placement on the back pattern piece. You can then use this to help place your pocket quickly and easily without having to transfer markings…this literally saved me huge amounts of time people, like huge!
SOS Pants Pattern Details
The Black SOS Pants above are paired with one of my favorite DIY Cardigans. You can read all about that one here.
This pattern comes in sizes XXS-3X and girl’s 3m-14. It allows you to grade sizes by selecting the ones you need on the file. I love that I can easily print two sizes at the same time and make easy adjustments/grading while I cut. Keep in mind that this pattern sits lower on the waist. You will want to make sure you are using your high hip and hip measurements accurately to get a good fit.
While getting the fit just right takes the majority of the time with a pants pattern, once you get it, putting these together can be quite quick. Depending on what options you choose, you can sew these up rather quickly. When adding all the pockets and top-stitching allow yourself more time, however the back pocket option only really comes together fast. If you use the pockets on the front make sure you use a thin lining fabric. The thing I dislike about my denim pair is the front pockets. They are a bit too bulky for me. I used the main fabric as both the lining and pocket and that wasn’t a great choice. I made my daughter a pair for youth testing using a cotton fabric for the lining and her’s are much better. So…watch what lining fabric you chose to get a great look. Some testers top-stitched the pocket in place to help hold it down. If you have a print on your pants, I think this is a great option.
My daughter’s jeans are paired with the amazing Dionne Blazer- available in women’s and girl’s. Find out more about this look here.
When top-stitching there are a ton of resources online to help you get the look you want. I used a pdf download from Closet Case patterns to create the top-stitching effect on the back pockets in the denim. This file has over 30 options for you to choose from. I simply traced the design onto the pocket using tracing paper. Backed my pocket with fusible interfacing and did most of the top-stitching prior to adding the pockets. I like to stitch the first line of top-stitching (at 3/8 of inch in from the side after pressing the edges in 1/2 inch) to help hold the pocket folds and pressing in place. Then, when attaching on the pants, I simply edge stitch the pockets around the outer edge. For my denim pair, I kept a pair of RTW jeans nearby for reference and copied the top-stitching details that I liked.
I created 3 different pairs of the skinny pant options during this pattern test. My first two pairs are made with a refined ponte from JOANN Stores. It was wonderful to cut and sew. It is a tad heavy and quite stretchy with great recovery. I made both the black and teal pairs from this refined ponte.
My 3rd pair was the high stretch denim:
For my daughter’s pairs I used a floral stretch crepe from Joann and the same denim to match my pair:
Testing is always a fun opportunity to learn new things and test your current level of skills. I am so glad I was able to work on my top-stitching and fitting pants for this test. But most of all, I am excited to have a pair of pants that fit me well!
If you enjoyed this review, here are some more reviews you may enjoy.
Until next time,
Happy Sewing
About 18 years ago I decided to teach myself how to sew. Long before blogs and resources available today which meant it was often disastrous. But I never gave up because I loved it so much. Today I love helping others get started on their own sewing journey. You can read more about my family and I