Adventures in Drafting: Pleated Trousers Part 3

The fabric featured in this post was kindly gifted to me by Minerva as part of their Brand Ambassadors program. All other supplies and materials were purchased by me. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

I did it! I am so proud of myself for making a pair of self drafted pleated trousers. This has been months in the making, not including all the sewing and drafting for other projects that I have built upon and has led me to this point. I am so happy with how they turned out. I really encourage all sewists to either try their hand at drafting or really dive deep into a pattern they love to get that fit just right. Nothing feels better than something that is so perfectly custom to you.

For reference I have been using the book Patternmaking for Fashion Design, 5th edition for creating a trouser block, and then designing these finished pants. I really recommend this book, but I also did take a course in flat pattern drafting and although we didn’t work on pants it helped create a lot of building blocks to feel confident in this journey.  I am by no means an expert, but I am happy to discuss drafting with anyone who’s interested. 

The above image show the changes between my trouser block, on the left, and then making them into pleated trousers on the right.

The final changes that I made to my pattern, taking the back seam in ½ an inch and then changing the legs to be a wide leg really wowed me with the final result. The fit is so comfortable, but I think they look really chic. I have been loving styling with neutral creams lately. That tone on tone vibe really makes me feel elevated in my styling.

And finally I got to sew with my Minerva Core Range 100% cotton twill in the color cream. I’m so glad I waited until I felt truly ready because I love this fabric. It’s got enough drape to work nicely with the pleats, but thick enough that it feels right for pants too. Even though some of the seams got a little bulky with pleats lining up with pockets and belt loops, my machine handled it well. It’s not as heavy as denim, so it’s great for trousers which have a looser fit. I also think this fabric will transition so well throughout the year. I am also loving the new Minerva labels. I think the colors are so cute, and it makes your garment feel complete. 

This has been such a fun Journey, I think next I might just try to draft my own jeans. I’ll keep you posted! 

Feel free to ask any questions!