Back to the Wrap Around - Part 2

Phew, such a big backlog of garments waiting in line for their blog appearance, thanks to all my procrasticrafting, and surprisingly there's almost as much for me as for the kids. So, here I am, butting in again, loudly claiming it's my turn.

Let's go back to the wrap around again....

 

No sooner had I made my seventies wrap around skirt than I found myself in a big barn of a second hand market convinced there would be some pattern treasure to be found...

I found surprisingly little, although the shop assistants told me there were "lots of sewing patterns". but I did come away with this seventies gem: Butterick 4137

To be honest I had no intention of trying to make the flared trousers, I just wanted to make the skirt, but then something came over me and there I was cutting out the pants.

I had some medium to heavy weight linen in the stash (from Eliza) that may have cost all of $6/metre and I figured I had nothing to lose.

Holy Cow. Wide leg pants are THE BEST. I think I've always known this, but I forget and try to get on the narrow leg bandwagon every now and then. But give me big, wide, long and swishy and I am in trouser nirvana.

So where's the wrap around bit, you ask?

At the back! Please excuse the double tie outfit, but we had a sudden spring cold snap and my merino fleece modified Metro T seemed the perfect thing to wear with my trousers - at least from the front it did.

These pants are odd and kinda genius in their construction. The waistband comes from the back and includes the pockets and side front sections then closes with buttons (or snaps if you're lazy like me) at the centre front.

Then the front portion comes up forming the front waistband and hiding the pockets openings to tie at the back.

Arguably you could adjust the waistband ease and the ties to accommodate a big lunch, but realistically you can't. Or at least I can't in this size. If I was to loosen off the front flap then the underlying pockets would start to peek out and it would get a bit ugly.

But blessedly I needed no adjustments at all. I got extremely lucky with a crotch curve and waist height that is just fabulous!

I need to remember this pattern as a reference for other pants patterns. The back darts are just right and the depth, curve and shape of the fit is amazing. That is to say, I never make pants so I have no idea, but I'd like every pair of pants I might ever make to fit like these do.

I kept the original length, which, as you can see is quite long. Half the fun of swishing about in super wide leg linen pants is wearing some heels with them. The pattern cover has me half tempted to track down some cork platform wedges and a headscarf :)

The only changes I made was to use bias binding to finish my pocket and front flap seams as well as the raw edge of the hem.

Practically I think I need to make another pair and cut them at that much-more-modern7/8ths length so that I can wear them with any shoes. But now, I just want to swish about all summer long in my seventies flares.

Details:
Pattern: Butterick 4137 circa 1970something - single size 28" waist
Fabric: Medium weight steel gray linen.
Notions: interfacing, snaps and bias binding.
Swishy fun factor: 10/10