Hi Minerva friends! I’m back today to share with you a super fun pair of pants I made using Robert Kaufman Colorado Stretch Canvas in the color Cadet. I’m sooooo happy with how these pants turned out! So let’s get started with the details, shall we!?

THE FABRIC:

I’m a huge fan of Robert Kaufman fabrics. They are always very high quality, they wash and wear very well, and just generally hold up well over time. This was my first time using this particular type of fabric, but as expected, I am very pleased with it.

The fabric has a nice stretch to it, which adds to the comfort factor, especially when sewing it up into a pair of pants. And let me tell you, these pants are very comfy!

The only slight critique I have about the fabric, and it’s relative to the project, is that it lacks some drape, and this is evident only in the bottom of the legs. Had I chosen a pair of pants with more fitted legs, this would be an absolute non-issue! But just something to keep in mind when choosing patterns/fabrics.

But taking that detail into account, it was a fabric that was EXTREMELY easy to work with! It held nice sharp creases, and there was no shifting around when sewing, basically it was glorious. 😊 That just made the sewing process so nice and pleasant, as well as adding a nice amount of precision to the project.

THE PATTERN:

The pattern is one I am very familiar with, and one of my favorites. The Chi-Town Chinos by Alina Design Co. I have made at least a handful of the shorts version of the pattern over the years, and they remain some of my most worn shorts in the summer!

This was my first time making the pattern into a pair of pants, and of course, I went for a pattern hack!

Thankfully, there is a beautifully done tutorial, complete with illustrations on Alina’s blog, which I used for the instructions, and followed to a T.

Using her instructions and her personal measurements as a guide, I made the adjustments to my own pattern pieces.

For reference, I am 5’3” tall, and quite short-waisted, but mainly short above the waist. My inseam length is pretty average, but probably erring on the side of short.
My legs are also a fairly petite length, as I usually get a better fit from petite length in the legs from rtw, and I tend to take length out of pants patterns pretty frequently.

So keeping those details in mind, here is how I altered MY pattern. You can read how Alina altered hers on her blog, I will link to those posts at the bottom.

To bring the pattern up to a high-rise, I raised the waist 1.5” front and back, following her instructions.

To alter from a traditional chino style pant leg to a cropped, wide-leg I used the following measurements. *Note that I did not widen my legs quite as much as Alina’s. This is based on the proportions I know look best on my body.

Front Leg:
• 26.5” Inseam
• Width added at ankle; Inseam: 1.5”, Outseam: 1”

Back Leg:
• 26” Inseam
• Width added at ankle; Inseam: 1 3/8”, Outseam: 1 5/8”

I also altered the pockets as you’ve probably noticed. I eliminated the slash pockets in the front and replaced them with patch pockets.

Following Alina’s suggestion, I also printed my back pockets at 110% to accommodate the longer rise. Then I played around with reducing the same pocket pattern piece to use it on the front of the pant as well. I ended up at 85% for the front pockets.

Back Pockets – Printed at 110%
Front Pockets – Printed at 85%

SEWING AND FIT:

After all that pattern altering, the sewing felt like a breeze! 😊 It did involve quite a few try-ons to get the waist well fitted since adding such a large amount to the rise can throw things off a bit. Alina addressed this in her posts as well, and I found them to be true for myself. I ended up taking in the darts, the center back seam, and the side seams to get a really great fit. How much adjusting is needed is also very dependant on the type of fabric used. Since my fabric had stretch, it involved a bit more fitting than a non-stretch fabric would have. The hips fit great from the start, as well as the legs. I made my usual adjustment to the back crotch curve, which is to make it 3/8” shallower than the pattern.

The hem length was spot on, and once all the waist fitting was out of the way, everything came together wonderfully, just like always with this pattern.

I am definitely loving this pair of pants! I love the cropped wide-leg style and this one is perfectly fitted, and I love the front pocket detail as well. Yay for sewing!!

Chi-Town Chinos Pattern Bundle: https://alinadesignco.com/product/chi-town-chinos-expansion-pack-no-2-bundle/

Hack Tutorial Part 1: https://alinadesignco.com/2019/02/15/chi-town-chinos-high-rise-wide-leg-crop-pant-hack-part-1/

Hack Tutorial Part 2: https://alinadesignco.com/2019/03/12/chi-town-chinos-high-rise-wide-leg-crop-pant-hack-part-2/

Thanks for taking the time to read my post, I can highly recommend the fabric, pattern, and hack tutorials!

~Heidi
IG: www.instagram.com/heidi_handmadefrenzy
Blog: www.handmade-frenzy.com

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