Trouser master pattern

I've made a muslin for a pair of trousers this week. They are very simple trousers with a side zip and faced waist. I was mainly making them so I could work out my fitting changes before I made up my newly purchased Marfy trousers, one of which has sixteen pieces!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Though I will admit, I had thought the simple trousers would be nice in a linen type fabric for summer if they worked well.

I made the muslin on Tuesday. It then languished for days. Why? Well, the lovely drawing in Marfy showed these trousers as being lovely straight legged, svelte creatures, cropped just below the knee, with a split (which I had sewn up). What came out of my sewing room was a super wide legged, baggy crotched, oversized monstrosity not fit to be seen in public. Which I couldn't really understand since Marfy is so consistent in sizing and normally the pictures are really close to reality.

So I compared the pattern to my trouser pattern which I had fitted at the tailoring class. Erm, not really all that close, which is a bit weird given that they are both Marfy's. But, it did give me an idea which I have spent the day exploring.

I've made what I hope will be a master pattern from the tailoring course trousers. I've traced the tailoring course trousers onto Fabribaste (which is sort of like a thin interfacing in appearance but more plasticky and can be sewn, drawn on, and doesn't tear like tissue would but is still see through). I pinned all the extra bits onto the original tissue to give me a single piece, so the pockets were pinned to the fronts at the side, the fly wasn't traced, the yoke was pinned on the back and so forth. I also added the depth of the waistband to the top then slashed through that area vertically so that I could fold that part down for cutting out in fabric, or for comparison, and not lose the curved top of the trouser. The lines for yoke, waistband etc were drawn on the Fabribaste master pattern and I traced and cut a separate pattern piece for waistband and a yoke so that the master pattern can be used to compare trousers with and without waistbands and yokes. And indeed, so the master pattern can eventually be used to actually make, or even design, trousers with different detailing.

To check that my master is exactly right, before I start comparing things to it, I have cut out a pair of black wool/viscose mix trousers, using the master and hopefully will get those sewn up tomorrow. These will have a side zipper and waistband, but no yoke, fly or other detailing. If those work, I have just enough fabric to make a second pair, this time with no waistband, and a petersham band added inside in lieu of a facing since I am interested to find out whether cutting the pattern out with the waistband area still in place rather than folded down, would work to give me a very smooth, faced waist trouser.

I do hope that actually writing about something planned rather than achieved won't jinx the whole thing.