Friday, June 20, 2014

My True Bias Hudson Pants

This week Kelli from True Bias released her first pattern - the Hudson Pant. I was lucky enough to be asked by Kelli to pattern test this pattern, so have actually been wearing these pants every day for a couple of weeks now. Yep, every day.


To me, these pants are super cool tracksuit pants. I have one pair of old-school Adidas tracksuit pants, and they never see the light of day. Michael would possibly divorce me if I wore them outside the house (hehehe). But these, the Hudson Pant, have been outside, to the park, to the supermarket, round to a friend's house and everything in between.


Now, these are my pattern testing pair. I haven't sewn up the final pattern (yet), but Kelli has told us she made the following changes to the FIT of the pants, according to tester feedback:
  1. added extra room to the calves and ankle cuff for a bit more comfort and ease (Kelli says that she doesn't honestly think that it is enough that you will notice in pictures, but that we will feel the difference.) 
  2. changed the way that the pocket detail is attached to the pant.  It is now a smidge smaller than the area it is attached to so that when stretching to fit it will lay a bit flatter against your hip.
So the final pattern will not fit exactly as these do, but I love these so much I really wanted to blog them. Kelli was fine about that. 

I whipped up a quick muslin of the testing pattern and found I need to lengthen the pattern through the leg by 7.5cm, and the front and back crotch by 2.5cm each. Kelli has drafted the pattern for a 5'5" woman, and I'm 5'8", so this was as I had expected. 


Some details. Including the fact that I did not stitch that bottom line of top-stitching very evenly! Whoops. 

My fabric came from Tessuti. The patterned fabric is a lightweight ponte, and the black contrasting fabric is a soft, medium weight ponte. Unfortunately the patterned stuff has pilled a bit. 

There's been a bit going on in blogland recently regarding pattern testing. To let you know, I wasn't paid to test (apart from receiving the final pattern for free), I was asked to test within a two week time-frame, Kelli was extremely receptive to feedback, and I loved doing it. I don't know how she selected her pattern testers - my guess for why I asked is that we did the Sew Bossy thing together and therefore 'know' each other through that. 

This is my most worn garment I've sewn this year. I need another pair so I don't literally wear these out. I'll have to start looking around for some fabric. So - how about you? Are you going sew a pair of the Hudson Pant? 

23 comments:

  1. Yah for stylish & comfy ponti pants! These look awesome on your long pins... She says with a touch of leg envy.

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  2. They look and sound great. Have just attempted my first pants, would like to give these a go.

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  3. They have pocketttssss!!! ;) yes, I'm in need of some comfy lounging pants, so they're on the list ;)

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  4. They look a great replacement for the old 'tracki-daks' ~ will def's have to grab this pattern soon ... J

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  5. Love these, bummed that the ponte pilled, I was about to look it up online and get some. Great that you are getting so much wear from these already.

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  6. They really look both wonderful, and comfortable - all at the same time! Love your fabric choice for them, too. Definitely on my list!

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  7. Gorgeous fabric. Shame they pilled though. At least we cant see it!

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  8. They are awesome. I need a pair of these.

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  9. Sadly I have too much "junk in the trunk" for these pants to come close to fitting me...pity as I think the style is great! I'm severely lacking in "lounge wear"...

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  10. I have bought these and hope to get some fabric to give them a go shortly. I have started cycling to work, so am hoping these will take me from the bike to office comfortably :)

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  11. That they will! I think they'd be very comfy to cycle in.

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  12. They'd be pretty easy to grade up I think. There aren't many pattern pieces and the lines are pretty simple. Love lounge wear.

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  13. You would look great in these Liza Jane!

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  14. I know! I'm still wearing them, but am pretty annoyed about the pilling - the fabric was $28/m, so I thought they'd last a bit longer than 2 weeks!

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  15. Thanks Mel. I think you'd look great in them. They are seriously comfortable.

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  16. Thanks Emma. It is nice ponte apart from the pilling. Very soft and a nice weight.

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  17. Yep, I think they're a step up from regular tracky-daks. I've been wearing them everywhere!

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  18. Love pockets! Can't wait to see your version.

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  19. They're very easy Barbara - definitely give them a go.

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  20. LOVE these SO much! Definitely on my "to buy" list!

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