Ruri Sweatpants, Named

It's funny how you sometimes just think you are going to make some sweatpants with some fun details and you end up with several muslins and some serious pattern alterations.

Edited: It's also funny how you start on a blog post in the end of March and it's now the last day of August and I just spent 15 minutes finishing this post. Sheesh, get it together woman!

But at least it worked out in the end.

This is a post about the Ruri Sweatpants from Named Clothing.

It think it was my initial expectation to the project (just some sweatpants) that made me cut straight into my precious Nosh denim sweatshirting straight away. Gah.

They looked pretty good from the front at my first fitting but when I turned around my heart sank. Lots of vertical lines/folds of fabric on my back thighs.

As the strangest of coincidences, a few days before I had helped a friend with some fitting of a jacket, and one of the things we did was to shorten her inseam on her sleeve to eliminate some lines she had on her back sleeve. That made we realize that the same technique might be useful here. Shorten the inseam of the leg, which basically changes the balance of the pattern. This is not something everyone needs and there is nothing generally wrong with the Ruri Sweatpants. Some bodies just require that for the pattern to fit them better. Unfortunately that is something that has to be done to the paper pattern and can only be determined after actually sewing and trying on the garment and then a new pair has to be cut. Those changes can't really be done to an already cut pair of pants (or sleeve for that matter). 

I did some of changes to the first pair I made in the Nosh denim sweatshirting but they should mostly be worn with long shirts and sweaters. They definitely does not have the fit I intended.

After all the pattern changes, I decided to just sew a quick muslin in some random fabric, to check the fit, before cutting into more fabric I would be sad to loose. Of course the pair in the ugly fabric that I won't wear turned out great, haha.

And finally it was time for the third pair and they are the ones you see here in this post.

Yay, no strange horizontal lines on my back thighs.

Lines from underpants and stuffed down shirts pretty visible though, haha.

I blame the fabric, which is this great cotton/rayon/lycra blend French terry from Mood Fabrics. The drape is great but it's still thick and stable enough for pants. Actually it's not very often that you find this thick fabric with that much drape. 

I'll definitely forgive it for not being super photogenic. I truly do believe rayon looks better in real life than in photos, where even wrinkles not visible to the eye in real life seems to form. Moving on!

I can't wear these types of pockets without them flipping open making my hips looks wider. Do I need that feature? NO, haha!
So I closed them with some bronze snaps from Snap Source.

Pocket in action shot! 

Time for a close up of my behind, gah.

But I want to show you the back of the waistband. It's partly elasticized and has been shifted backwards from the side seams. Follow the notches and you will be fine.

I checked Named's suggested tutorial for sewing this type of waistband and I think I can provide an easier way with same great result. 

I'm always saying, the more ways we know how to do something, the better chances we have to find the way we personally like the best.

My tutorial starts when you have sewed on the outer waistband (notice the back waistband, which is the elasticized part, is smaller than the back pants. Follow the notches on the pattern and you are golden!), sewed on the inner waistband at the top and under stitched the seam allowance on the inside.

1) Now stitch in the ditch. (see the absolute most helpful way to do that HERE). But only stitch in the ditch the back part of the waistband plus just about 1 cm (3/8") on each side of the seam. See my white markings on the photo. Press that part of the waistband.

2) Start pulling your correct length elastic through from one side, very slowly. 

3) I say very slowly because you have to stop when the end of your elastic is 1 cm (3/8") from the seam. See red marking on photo, that marks the end of the elastic, opposite end of the safety pin, which at this point is not all the way through the casing.

Sew with small stitches (so it lasts well) exactly in the ditch/seam between the front and back waistband. Your stitch will be invisible.

4) Now that your end of the elastic has been secured, you can now pull your end with the safety pin all the way through until it is 1 cm (3/8") past the seam in the other side. 

Repeat: Sew with small stitches (so it lasts well) exactly in the ditch/seam between the front and back waistband. Your stitch will be invisible.

5) Stitch the front part of the waistband in the ditch. And finish with two stitches on the back part of the waistband to keep the elastic in place.

If you prefer to sew casings in the back waistband piece and pull through smaller elastics, you can absolutely do that too. It's the absolute same way to do it but you just repeat step 3) and 4) as many times as casings that you have made.

Get your own Ruri Sweatpants HERE.

PS my turtleneck is the Paola Turtleneck Tee also from Named Patterns.

Thank you for the patience!

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