Papercut Patterns Guise Pants!

Hi, guys! Hope you’re all well and enjoyed a lovely weekend! I had a great weekend enjoying the beautiful May weather and hanging out with my visiting in-laws. I even managed to sneak in some sewing and a trip to see Mad Max: Fury Road! How about you guys?

Question: do you fear trousers? Even though I love wearing them, I’ve been a little nervous at the thought of sewing them. Welt pockets, a front fly, fit… there’s just so much to think about! But after sewing up two pairs of trousers for my second semester of ladies’ tailoring this spring, I was stoked to take on a pair for myself! So I was excited when I saw the Guise Pants in the new Papercut Patterns collection- I was really hoping to find a pattern for pleated trousers! Katie kindly sent me a review copy for free… thank you so much!

The pattern features front pleats and a fly closure, with side pockets and back welt pockets. A unique feature of the pants is the elasticated back waist- I’m not usually very excited about elastic waists as they can look a little too casual, but my waistline fluctuates constantly by a few inches, so it’s nice to have some flexibility there. Plus, I never tuck in my shirts, so you’ll never even see the elastic in the back!

My plan was to make these in a nice soft wool, a pretty mint green, if I could find one, and if I couldn’t, in grey. But somewhere along the way I had the idea to cut into this strange synthetic jacquard from my stash. I bought 3 yards from Chic Fabric ages ago for something like $7/yd, planning to make an Elisalex for a winter wedding, but I didn’t have time and it’s sat in my stash ever since. It’s a pale gold that’s really metallic (hard to tell from the photos), and the wrong side is actually mauve. It smells a little funny when you press it, frays like crazy, and is super scratchy. So maybe not the best choice! But it was really fun to use! The thread, button, and zipper were in my stash, too, and I had *just* enough elastic to make it, so these are a total stash bust! Yay!

Here’s a shot so you can see where the rise sits on me (a few inches below my natural waist).

OK, let’s talk construction. These are a very straightforward sew and nothing was too confusing or difficult. I followed the instructions for the welt pockets and fly and everything went smoothly. One thing I noticed is that Katie refers to “left” and “right” as you’re looking at the garment rather than as you wear it, the way some pattern companies do. It’s clear from the diagrams which side is which, though. There’s a typo on step 7- it should say 3/8″, not 3/4″. And one little thing I did differently from the instructions was to finish the curved edge of the fly facing before doing anything. It’s just easier for me that way. I also finished the hems with seam binding to help control the fraying.

As you can see, this fabric is pretty stiff, and these pants would probably look much better in something with more drape. I had to omit the button loops from the back pockets- they were just too bulky in this fabric. It’s kinda funny… in my tailoring class, I realized that I had most success with welt pockets when I chose fabrics that don’t fray easily, but for these trousers, I picked a jacquard that seemed to disintegrate in front of my eyes! Oops!

Next time I make this pattern, I’ll add 3/8″ to the lower edge of the waistband facing- Katie has you neaten the waistband edge and topstitch it down from the right side, but I prefer the seam allowance to be folded under. And I will add a bit more room through the ankle- I have been noticing lately that I just don’t have enough room there in almost every pair of RTW pants I own. I could stand to take these in at the side seam a bit, but I was afraid to fit these too snugly since the fabric is so ravelly! I thought I might blow my seams out if the trousers were too fitted!!!

Overall, I really like these pants! I know this relaxed fit isn’t for everyone, but I like to wear this tomboy style and am excited to work these into my wardrobe. I’m thinking I should wear them with a black top, or maybe a classic white buttondown? What do you guys think? I’m hoping they’re not too “mature lady”, as Man Friend described them. :D

Alright, fess up- are you afraid to sew trousers? If not, do you have a favorite pants pattern? Any you would recommend to me?