Vogue 2948Pants. Why is it so hard to find the perfect fit? I get how to fit a dress, skirt or even bra, but it seems that I just don’t get pants. Luckily for me, recently I was asked to review a Craftsy online class: Pant Fitting Techniques. I love Craftsy’s sewing classes so this is perfect for me!
Vogue 2948The class is about 4 hours, divided into nine chapters, and taught by Power Sewing host Sandra Betzina. It includes Vogue 2948, a pattern for classic trouser with princess seams in sizes A-J, that will be shipped directly by Vogue.
If you live outside US like me, the pattern might need sometime to reach you. I got my pattern about three weeks after I signed up. In the mean time, I spent my time watching all the videos and took notes. No time should be wasted!
Sandra Betzina is a good teacher with wonderful, quirky personality. I would absolutely love to attend her class in person and learn so much from her. She seems to be so full of knowledge that she is eager to share. However I feel that this class is not edited or reviewed really well. Sandra often doesn’t finish her sentences and got distracted by other things that she wants to share rightaway.
She also makes all the fitting adjustments on the same pattern, and as the lesson progresses the pattern is full of lines in different colors that get rather confusing. I also wished that there would be more samples of figure problems, for instance how a swayback looks like in a person, or some before-after samples. I don’t think that the problems lie on Sandra though because all that she’s sharing are valuable knowledge, it’s just that they are not properly delivered. Well, I can just make video notes all over then!
When the pattern arrived, I immediately got to work. I cut my pants in the smallest size, size A. The waist seems to fit me fine, but there were lots of folds and lines below that needed fitting adjustment. Unfortunately I made the mistake of choosing the wrong fabric for my muslin. The fabric is actually really nice, but it ravels quite easily and the tiny houndstooth pattern made it hard to see all the marks that I’ve made on them. Lesson learned!
Here is my pants after the adjustments. I have shortened the length, made swayback adjustment and other fitting adjustments. The princess lines are great! They made it pretty easy to make fitting adjustments and also to understand the adjustments better. I think I might have overfitted them around the hip area because there are some horizontal lines on the front. But overall it is much better than before. This is my wearable muslin though, so I didn’t make the pockets. I still need to adjust the pants to make them fit properly and comfortable before I have the real thing, but I’m so glad to have joined the class. I finally feel that I understand pant fitting better now!
If you are interested in joining the class, Craftsy is offering a 40% off discount for you. You can get the class for USD 29.99 instead of the original price USD 49.99! Just click this link to get your discount: Pant Fitting Techniques with Sandra Betzina.
12 Comments
Hi Novita,
Thanks for the very useful review!
After I recently signed up for this class, I read some of the reviews where the pattern came late or some still hadn’t received their patterns yet. However, I have received mine and I’m looking forward to going through the class…I’ve always loved Sandra Betzina since her own show years ago.
your pants look great! I thought the pattern wouldn’t look so nice but seeing it on you makes me reconsider it.
I also followed the class but used a different pattern….the original one took 2 months to arrive. I also had mixed feelings about the class. She is very knowledgeable but I think the class lacks hints for smaller sized people…e.g. how to take in the pattern. I also agree about swayback info missing.
Thank you! I’ve heard about the pattern taking so long to arrive, but 2 months??!
I hope Craftsy will fix this, I’m afraid people who’d taken the class would lose interest already by the time the pattern finally arrived….
These pants are perfect on you. Pants have always scared me, but you’re inspiring me to give it a try!
Thank for sharing your review. I am considering this class. Your pants are looking great.
I’m signed up for that class but haven’t started it. You’re making me want to skip work and do it…just kidding on that part tho.
The pants fit really well – I assume the fabric you’ve made them from is a non stretch woven. If you made them from a lightish stretch cotton on denim the fit make be pretty perfect…in case you’re making more versions that is.
Skip your work and just do it! lol
Thank you for the suggestion. I think you might be right about the fabric. I only have two pants and both are jeans so I definitely need more!
Wow – your pants look great. I’ve also signed up for the course. I’ve made 3 test pieces so far and thought I was satisfied by my 3rd piece until I saw your trousers. Yours look just liked I hoped mine would look – but mine are just so big and baggy compared to yours – I’m so disappointed. I’ve spent hours and hours, but it is my first trousers and I’ve found it hard. 1/4 of an inch here, 1/2 an inch there and I’m at a loss how to get them to fit like yours. Any tips and suggestions?
You can see my 3 attempts on my blog at http://so-sew-easy.com/pant-fitting-techniques-part-3/
Thanks
I think your pants looked pretty good already, maybe it’s because of the muslin fabric? Frankly I just pinched here and there, especially on the princess seam, until all the folds disappeared. I also didn’t make any changes to the crotch. I wish I could be more helpful!
I took the Craftsy course, but have yet to make the pants. It was very interesting, but I agree with you. It got a little confusing with all teh pattern changes on one set of patterns and could have been better edited. I would also LOVE to see proper before and after photos showing specific changes for a certain set of problems. I would also like to take course with Sandra and work on my pants specifically! But living in the Philippines, this is the best I could do!
These look great on you, and thanks for the honest review! Sometimes I learn from video, sometimes not. But I really need to finish any pair of trousers… I’ve started a few ;).