Adventures in Drafting: Pleated Trousers Part 1

I have a few projects that I’ve been back logged in getting on the blog, so here is part one in my adventures of drafting my own pleated trousers:

I’m really trying to focus on what brings me joy in my sewing hobby, and one big part is learning how to draft my own patterns. Sewing has made a huge impact on my own body confidence, digging deeper into what I truly love to wear, and figuring out my own personal style. It feels great to make things that are custom tailored to my body, and I also really enjoy all the drafting and math.

A huge undertaking of mine has been to make my own trouser block. I’ve been loving the menswear inspired trousers lately, but every time I try them on in store the fit has not been right for me. Instead of buying a pair and having to alter them, I figure I would try my hand at making my own. The best part being once I figure it out there’s endless pants possibilities! A sewists Dream! 

I did take a flat pattern drafting class in a fashion design program about 2 years ago, so I’m coming at this with some knowledge and skills I’ve learned through that process. The book I use is Patternmaking for Fashion Design, 5th edition. I really like this book overall. The most important step I found was finding a sewing friend to help you take all your measurements first. I was lucky that right before the pandemic I did this with a group from my class so I have all those and just make some changes as needed.

What you can see in the video is a basic trouser block, which I’m using to assess fit. Once I like the fit I can add pockets, waistband, pleats, and all the style elements. The video is after I made a few adjustments from my first toiles. After this, since I was happy with it, I made all the changes to my pattern pieces. Next I’m going to start drafting the actual pants I want to make. 

The fabric I’m going to use is the Minerva Core Range 100% cotton twill in the color Cream. I received this as part of the Minerva Brand Ambassadors program. It’s a medium weight fabric which I think will be a great match for my project. I didn’t want pants that were super drapey, but I didn’t want them to be stiff either. So I think this will be really comfortable and give me the right amount of structure. 

Stay tuned as I continue to share more parts of this project!