Closet Case Patterns Ginger Skinny Jeans Pattern Muslin #2

Time to make the dreaded pattern adjustments. From experience, making pattern adjustments really do need to be done one at a time, because the adjustments you make can have a cascading effect on the rest of the fit. Let’s get right to it, here are the key fit issues I talked about in my first post:

1. Gapping waistband at center back seam but waist length in general good
2. Pants are too high waisted, warbling fabric along side seam
3. Small excess fabric around the back derrière
4. Unsightly twisting and wrinkling around the knees and tight around calf
5. Overall length is way too short

How do you know what edits to do first? Trial and error? Guess? Learn from experience? I decided to tackle the high rise/warbling side seam first.

Is a swayback adjustment needed?

For the sake of clarity, I decided to draw up some diagrams showing my edits. I didn’t think pictures would turn out from my basement sewing room. Here are the front and back pattern pieces I started with for muslin #1.

The first edit I made was to cut along the line provided for you in the pattern and reduce the overall crotch length by ½” on the front and back pieces.

One of the reasons I wanted to make this edit first, was because the adjustment will change where the back yoke and waistband sit on my waistline. If I made the swayback adjustment first and reduced the overall crotch length second, then my waistband would no longer be in the same place. From experience, then the waistband is too tight.

By making just this simple adjustment, I found that the gapping along the center back seam nearly went away! And, bonus, the warbling fabric along the side seams also disappeared. Just because you have gapping around the waistband, doesn’t mean you need to make a swayback adjustment. It may actually indicate that your pants aren’t sitting in the optimal location.