Tuesday 24 November 2020

McCalls M7726, Paperbag Trousers


The Pattern
Full length or shorts variation, wide ot narrow leg. The main feature of these trousers is the pleated waistbandwith 8 pleats in total to create a paperbag-style top. There are three belt loops (though I guess you could add more), allowing for the opportunity to accessorise with any belt, and lovely deep pockets so you can carry all your essesntials.



The Process
The pleats are the most iportant area to get right, as they will determin where abouts on your hips the trousers wil sit. My first toile turned out to be massive! So I scaled down to a size 10. The only changes I needed from there were to narrow the lefs a little, though I think you don't want them to be too narrow, as the pleats create a lot of butt/though room where they are released and you don't really want to create a narrow/wide/narrow silhouette that could end up looking a bit... farmer!?!



The pleats being the main visual feature also means You should pay close attention to getting them perfect! I would recommend not skipping any of the tacking steps as they really add to the accuracy of the pleats. The top stitching is also essential to get that professional finsih as well as adding an extra level of reinforcement.


To add to the structure of the trousers I added a light interfacing to the fold-over area of the waistband. It doesn't need much, but I found it really helped to define the pleats.


This pattern was my first go at making a fly zip. I waqs a bit intiidated to start with but if you follow the instructions and your fabric is as well behaved as mine it's simple enough. I used carbon baber and tracing wheel to transfer all the pattern markings to the fabric so there was as little toom for error as possible. There are a lot of fold lines and stitching lines to follow so it's important to get everything lined up correctly. 


The Fabric
I chose a plain fabric with it in mind that the trousers would look really classy with a simple belt to help accentuate the waistine created by the pleats. I do think if you can be bothered with pattern matching, plaid or checks would look really awesome too- though they would definitey highlight a dodgy pleat!
My fabric was less than £5 a meter, I bought 2 meters but could have got away with less. 



The Finished Product
Wearable trousers that fit, suitable for dressing up or dressing down! The legs are still a bit wide so instead of just increasing the seam allowance I will look at taking some more out of the pattern before I cut my next pair. The shape is great and I love the paperbag-style top. Fit-wise they don't feel too tight around the the bum or crotch and the pockets are so practical too. 


I assume taking a little less in at the pleats would allow the trousers to sit a little lower on the waist if you were less of a fan of the high-waisted look.. but I dig it!



x

Location: o2 Academy, Sheffield
Currently listening to: Love and Pride, King

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