Patrones Niños
Nigh on a year ago, I made Tyo a set of camo capris. The pattern is from this issue of Patrones Niños, which I got from Her Selfishness back in the day. And Tyo was thrilled, with one exception—the rise at the rear was very low, and tended to give her a wedgie.
The pattern of choice (#12)
Unfortunately, while the capris technically still fit—as in, the width of the hips is still sufficient to go around her hips—the low-riding wedginess has reached a point where she doesn’t really find the first pair wearable anymore. So, a while back, I snooped around my local Fabricland and grabbed some lightweight, vaguely camo-esque twill fabric in a shades-of-blue print, to make a replacement pair. I bought two metres, more than enough to make the new pair plus another later when she grew out of it.
Then I went and made fishing vests out of the stuff.
Oops.
Needless to say, Tyo was not completely thrilled. So this past weekend, whilst she was off camping in the mountains with a friend, I pulled out the scant remainder (just over half a metre) and did my best to eke out the next size up on the capris.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. Before we get to the issue of fabric availability, there was the issue of fit. I traced off the size 12 (the first version having been the size 10), but this time I made a few tweaks:
Pattern alterations.
- I extended the back crotch to the line of the next size up at the inseam, tapering to nothing along the leg. Hopefully this helps with the wedginess.
- I added a generous (2 cm) wedge along the CB curve. I’ve had good luck with these wedges in the past, but I’ve never done one this big. Hopefully this helps with the rear rise issue.
- I took not one, not two, but three tucks in the yoke pattern, to help it curve in at the top. I will also be using buttonhole elastic in the waistband, but this will help reduce the excess of fabric above her well-rounded butt.
Due to my vest-making enterprises, it was an extremely tight fit on the remaining fabric. There is selvedge in seam-allowances, and the waistband is in three pieces. Actually, that worked out really well because instead of making buttonholes for my buttonhole elastic, I just left a small gap in the piecing seam for the elastic to thread through. I predict this will be a win. I hope. With any luck. I’ve also added a small amount of piping (piping a random gift courtesy of Claire of Sew, Incidentally, some time ago—Thank you, Claire!), since I find that camo-type prints really make it hard to see the jeans details. Gee, camo making something hard to see!
Not finished.
Of course, I also spent most of my “free time” this past week and weekend madly cleaning house so that the landlady could start showing it, and then avoiding being in the house so as to not mess it up again. So I can’t tell you if my alterations were successful or not, as the new capris are still a goodly ways off being finished. But here’s hoping!
(and thank you, everyone, for the kind words on my last little post. 🙂 )
Tanit-Isis Sews 
You’re welcome re: the piping 😉 ! And the camo pants need to be modelled with the vest + some face matchin’ paint, and posed a la Arnie in the movie ‘Predator’ methinks!!!
should say “matchin’ face paint” – it’s the end of my work day in the office + my ability to type a cohesive sentence has left me!!! LOL.
Yeah, that may be in order. Too bad there won’t be enough scraps left to make a Rambo-esque bandana…
Now all I need is a shades-of-blue jungle…
Just – piece it together any ‘ol how – underline with some other random scraps… it’s only for a 1-off photoshoot :D!!
Your girls have the coolest mom. I hope they know it.
We will fit in another meet up before you go. The Hubs made great progress organizing my sewing room while I was away. Nice to have good help. 🙂
Nice! Mine got de-organized (or at least, a bunch of stuff got put away.) /sigh.
Yes, we must get together. 🙂
I’m anxious to see how this works out because Felicity has much the same problem in terms of bootyliciousness. She has inherited my posterior. Leh Sigh
Heh. The joys of curvaceousness. I do the yoke-tucks all the time, so I’m pretty confident about that one (and if not, elastic), but the others are a little more nerve-wracking. In particular, I’m wondering if I should’ve “scooped out” the back curve more. But messing with the curve itself scares me. We’ll see. I’m not aiming for a tailored fit or anything like that, just enough room that it’s not pulling down or giving her wedgies. 🙂
Oh they look really good so far! The piping makes it perfect. I hope they fit well and that the sprog is thrilled that you got them eeked out. 🙂
Thanks for showing the pattern alterations you made! I always find it extremely instructive when you show/explain your changes. Also, I am continually amazed that you actually take the time to make clothes that are guaranteed to be outgrown. I get panicky thinking about not being able to fit into the me-mades that I’ve spent so much time fitting within an inch of their lives.
LOL! Well, theoretically the hand-me down sequence helps (I have two girls, and then two younger nieces)… however, in this case I’m pretty sure Syo will never wear these, and doubtful that my older niece would either. The younger one is a bit more of a tomboy, but she’s also only 4 so who knows. I find as long as they can wear them for about a year I’m OK emotionally. I get really frustrated when they outgrow stuff after a month or two. 🙂
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