Sewing in the Sun 2019 - Unexpected Miracles

DISCLAIMER!!!
This series is NOT intended as a set of fit lessons. I am not an expert. This is just a record of what I am doing this weekend, for my body type with these patterns. This is not intended as a summary of the lessons learned Sewing in the Sun weekend.  This is just my projects, in the rough, with personal commentary.

This series is NOT going to be a complete review/play by play or substitution for attending the session.  What works for me will probably not be your solution. This became very obvious today, when all of us stood up and described the same fit issues (from our individual points of view) before we put out muslins on for analysis.  We all said the same or very similar words. But we all ended up doing did different alteration packages to achieve the same results. Why?  Because what we THOUGHT were our problems, really were not.

I have spent the past 20 years sewing pants. I have sewn jeans.  I have had varying levels of success before my weight and shape changes.  I had assumed that because I gained, I had to add where needed.  So I began chasing the Doormouse down the rabbit hole. Never getting where I needed (yes, I know, Alice chased the Rabbit, but Rabbit gives me wine, so I chase the Doormouse.  Because I hate Mice).  The amount of time I have spent never getting rid of wrinkles, frowns and smiles is legion.Other than my jeans, I usually wear a fuller trouser, so the issues that came up with the Tailored Track pants and the Miracle Pants were not as obvious and thus ignored. The more fitted pants, however, brought it front and center.

Thighs. Stairs, walking, hiking and a few years wearing combat boots have given me strong front thigh muscles.  By reading all the wrinkles and so on in the many books and DVDs, it seemed obvious ... it was crotch length and depth ...right?  Maybe?  Ish? Is the moon green on a Wednesday in June? Who knows?

Trudy knows.  She said your crotch is fine.  The bum is great (why thank you, lady!) and you really are OK in the belly. "But here ..." I pointed.  "And here?".  She shook her head and said "That is NOT your problem.  Your problem is your thighs. Lift your leg and see what I mean."  My head is still spinning.  Thighs. Not my belly. Way to boost my ego!  I have lost the weight of my world.  My belly is not the problem.  It is my thighs.

Two rounds of hacking and slashing later (and discovering that I had cut the inseam of the front at a size 20 and NOT the assumed 18), I cut into the ponte.  AMAZING!!!!  No wrinkles. Everything drapes so much nicer.
Edit point: This is where I also add that I cut back the inseam on the back one size to the 16 from the crotch seamline down. I maintained the crotch at th size 18 lines.  That, and folding up the hem, removed the back wrinkles in the muslin.

Somehow between muslin and ponte I lost height at CB, so I am doing an external application of the elastic.  (Had I remembered to add the Trudy suggested extra inch to the waist when I cut the ponte, this would not be a problem.)  As these are more of a lounge pant weight, it will work. That will be tomorrow morning.

I am NOT posting pictures of the alterations. I do have them, but I have been getting requests and messages asking for my notes so that people can follow along and use my alterations for their solutions.  As I learned today that does not work. So, if you were hopeing to see a play by play of this session, you won't.  You saw the before, you will see the after.  The in between, you will get highlights by text.