by Sandra Betzina
Scripps Howard News Service
A flat seat is common and very noticeable in pants. If you choose a fabric that has a bit of stretch, such as a lycra blend, you can fit the pants a bit closer under the seat and make the pant still comfortable.
For starters, you need to use a pattern with a well-fitting crotch. My three favorites are Vogue 7027 for a tailored trouser, Vogue 7179 for a pleatless pant with a faced waistband and Butterick 3015 for an elasticized waist pant. Butterick 3015 and Vogue 7179 have the additional seams in center front and center back leg, a bonus in enabling you to take in the seam a bit under the seat for a closer fit.
Since these patterns are multi-sized, start out by tracing the sizes that correspond to your body measurements, making smooth transitions between sizes. If you have short legs, beginning at the knee, move to a size smaller by the bottom of the leg so that the leg circumference will be smaller. If you need to shorten or lengthen the pants, make the alterations just above and below the knee, dividing the alteration amount between the two spots. This maintains the integrity of the style. Shortening from the bottom of the pant results in legs that are too wide without proper shaping.
If you have a flat seat, your crotch curve needs to be shorter. Cut a size smaller on the back inner leg only. If you are using the smallest size in the pattern envelope, cut off 1/2 inch from the back inner leg at the crotch point, tapering back to the original cutting line by the knee.
If you have a really flat seat, the following alteration takes out extra fabric right under the seat. On the back pant piece, draw a horizontal line across the pattern from inner leg to outer leg perpendicular to the grainline, one inch below the crotch point. Begin cutting the pattern apart along this horizontal line at the inner leg, cutting all the way across the back leg, leaving a hinge where the pattern is still attached 1/2 inch from the cutting line on the side seam. Overlap the tissue pieces 1/2 inch at the inner leg, letting the overlap taper to zero by the hinge at the side seam. Redraw the grainline by using the grainline below the knee as the unchanged one.
Because the back inner leg is now even shorter, we will have to stretch the back inner leg slightly when we are sewing the inner legs seams together. Pin the inner leg seams together with the back leg facing you. Place a pin at the crotch point and at the bottom of the leg so that inner leg seam lengths match at these 2 points. Pin the back to the front leg together from the hem to the knee on a one to one ratio. From the knee to the crotch, clip the back inner leg seam allowance with 3/8-inch deep clips at one inch intervals. The clips will allow you to stretch the back inner leg to fit the front inner leg, pulling the leg in closer to the body.
(E-mail Sandra Betzina at powersew@aol.com or write to Power Sewing, 95 Fifth Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94118.)
Resources pants patterns - Butterick/Vogue
Butterick 3015 - elasticized waist pant
Vogue 7027 - tailored trouser
Vogue 7179 - pleatless pant with faced waistband
Butterick / Vogue
Website:
www.butterick.com
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