[Liesl Gibson]

Hey all, I’m just about to put the finishing touches on a new pair of pants for fall and wondered if you could help me. I’d like to know which of our pants patterns has the best fit (both overall fit AND in terms of length) and what size(s) you felt were such a good fit. Or was it all the sizes? Thanks so much. I can make adjustments based on your comments, so together we’ll get a really great fitting pair of trousers for fall!

[with love Heidi]

Field trip cargoes! I’ve made a size 6 and a 12 and l am part way through a lengthened size 3 (very very tall slim child), but I could have gotten away with a straight 4 if she wouldn’t keep growing :). I also have a size 8 pair in line and I was impressed that after measuring the child the 8 would fit straight from pattern. The two pairs already made are in constant rotation and worn if they are clean.

[Nicole]

I found the after school pants fit perfectly.

For Matilda’s waist and hip the length was spot on.

[juliamom2009]

I’ve made the Sandbox pants and the Sailboat pants.

The Sandbox pants fit well, but style-wise were a bit high waisted for my taste. And the ones that I made were when my child was in diapers…in fact, here’s a photo of the gut area….http://www.flickr.com/photos/janice4839/6422554403/ and I believe that I made the length on these per the pattern and they were perfect.

I found the fit of the Sailboat pants were low in the back, and high in the front at the time of sewing the size I felt appropriate which was the 2T on my average but taller 2 year old. But, since then, my size 3-4 kid fits really well into the same size 2Ts. If she would only wear pants again….

What fits her perfectly spot on is the class picnic shorts….I know they’re not pants, but the rise was perfect. I made her a size 3T, again for a normal weight and taller now 3 1/2 year old.

[Lightning McStitch]

I’ll echo the vote for the Field Trip Cargo pants. I made a straight up size 5 for my almost five year old and they’re perfect. I love how the waist stays nice and high at the back and there’s no plumbers butt when he’s on the bicycle! They must be comfy too cause they’re always being picked out of the drawer.

After school in size 2 has been spot on for my two year old. There’s a couple of pairs of those in heavy rotation.

Nature Walk pants have to get a vote as well, although I don’t know if you’re thinking knit, as those little backsides look so cute in those pants.

[mcholley1]

Yay for more pants!

I’m not sure I’m the best to weigh in on fit. My now 3 year old son is tiny, long, and lean. Thank goodness I sew b/c other than $60/pair special order levi’s jeans…I’ve yet to find a rtw long pant that works for him. But, I can share what works for me…

Last winter I made the 12-18m afterschool pants when he was around 27# and still in disposable diapers. To get the fit I wanted…I added 1/2″ to the yoke by sewing the seam with a 1/4″ seam allowance. I added another 1/2″ to the top of the waist and several inches (though I didn’t write down hoe much) to the hem length. I really liked how slim these pants were and how quick they were to sew.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/35277885@N06/8185213514/in/set-72157633085444076

http://www.flickr.com/photos/35277885@N06/8185182987/in/pool-694451@N21/

I made the field trip in the 12-18m but lengthened to the 2T at the waist and the top front knee panel and back leg panel seams. Once again…I added indeterminate length to the hems. Looking at your pattern pieces…the straight 2T would have worked on the fronts of the legs but the backs were entirely too wide? I’m still using the same adjusted 12-18m this spring to make shorts for him at #30 and out of diapers. I really love the articulated knees and perfectly placed pockets. The folded pocket bags for the side pockets did get a little thick in some of the heaver fabrics I used without the option of lining the pocket with a lighter weight fabric. They weren’t quick…but well worth it.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/35277885@N06/8185173435/in/pool-694451@N21/

I second that the picnic shorts are fabulous. I’ve made the size 5’s and 6’s for my average build girl.

[Tamara]

We find the cargos excellent in the 10’s, a bit snug around the buttocks with not alterations in the 12’s but then she is getting to 14’s so altering is necessary. The afterschool pants were great if we went up a size for waist and hips but kept our normal size for length. Those two are our favourites. The sandbox pants were fabulous!

[Masha Richart]

I have only made the sailboat pants and the after-school and I would say the after-school was a better fit. I find the rise on sailboat to be short so I adjusted it when I made my second pair.

Now that I have a boy I am sure I will also venture into sandbox and field trip territory 🙂

[mrskanuckles]

I love the sandbox in sizes 2T. I think the 3t went extra long and a bit baggy. Seems to be a big sizing difference between the two.

The afterschool had a great fit with not to wide of legs in a size 6, very true to size.

But honestly, I am in love with the bedtime story pants fit. They seem to fit just right in all places, length, width… I wouldnt mind seeing a fancied pair of these. They seem to be more of a gap style khakis fit.

[bethasaur]

I love the after school pants. I’m making them for a (cloth) diapered 1.5 year old, so I do increase the seam allowance a bit (and adjust the yoke size) but I love the slim legs, the rise is in exactly the right spot, and the back pockets are perfectly placed.

I’ve made the sailboat pants in a couple of sizes, and they just don’t seem to work well for my kiddo. Maybe once she’s out of diapers we’ll have better luck. I hope so, because they are ca-ute.

[Rpankow]

I have to admit, I have yet to try the after school pants, (this fall hopefully), but I have to say I just got done with a pair of sandbox shorts (ala Cindy) in a size 5 (22″ waist) and they were quite big. She will not be able to wear them this year due to the size of them but hopefully next year. I have made the pants and felt they ran a bit short as I added length. I do find the rise to be a bit high as well. As for the sailboat capris I also found them to be rather roomy as well in the legs. Made a size 5 as well this year and had to take in at least an inch on the inseam to make them look less “homemade”. It’s amazing how fit will make a difference in how an item can look either store bought or homemade. I do find that your more recent patterns fit my daughter so much better than the earlier patterns with the puppet show shorts being the exception.

Thanks so much for letting us chime in on this topic. It’s so interesting to hear what other people run into.

Rebecca

[Jennifer1568]

I have made all the pants except the Sandbox in sizes 6 and 7. My daughter is long and lean. I love all 3 patterns, AS, FT, and Sketch Book. I have also made Nature Walk and Sailboat. The fit is different because the styles are different. I think adjusting the length is a given when you are sewing for an individual. The Nature Walk I made from knit and were too short. The rest of the fit is cute. After School, I also added length but they are form fitting and make my daughter’s butt look really cute. I love the little back pockets. Sketch Book are roomier in the seat and so are Field Trip. My daughter will be 8 in November and the next pair of AS shorts I make her will be an 8. If I make her another pair of Sketchbook shorts it will be a 7. My daughter is still wearing her size 6 Sailboat pants. I had to cinch up the waist with elastic last summer and then this summer I have lengthened the elastic. I think the class picnic shorts are also wide but not long. She is still wearing last summer’s class picnic shorts, too.

[Sarvi]

I have only made the Sketchbook and Sailboat, and prefer the Sketchbook but wish they were a touch higher in the back for less plumber when squatting/playing. After School is the one everybody keeps telling me I will like but I just am way behind in my sewing.

[meleliza]

I have to admit I’ve only made the sandbox pants just the once for my boys back when I was desperate to sew anything for them and dresses were not an option. I remember thinking how easy and fun they were to make and how easy and how well put together the pattern was and how I was glad I bought both sizes of the pattern and that I’d probably make a million pairs. But I didn’t. I think they fit perfectly fine, and they boys seemed happy to wear them and play in them but I guess we don’t really have too many fit issues. Reading above, I suppose the sandbox pants were a little roomy in the front crotch for the one who was not in diapers at the time. so yes, they probably did look a little on the homemade side. Or just loose casual pants.

My oldest is quite tall and thin and has absolutely no waist or hips (isn’t that pretty normal for boys?) so it’s true that we don’t always get a great fit in ready to wear. However, and please don’t be mad at me for saying this – aren’t boy pants pretty much just all the same? My boys don’t seem to really care all that much. So I can’t bring myself to sew up too many pairs of boring pants. (OK, none) The only time the boys get new pants is when they’ve worn out the knees completely or when they’re so short I’m embarrassed to send them out or I’m convinced they can’t possibly be comfortable around the waist any more. The boys themselves do not care about any of those things. They care even less about the rise or plumbers crack or which side they “dress” to. I suppose in theory girl pants could be lots of fun, but my daughter just doesn’t wear pants. I even think she looks kind of funny in pants except leggings or super skinny jeans. I’m not sure why, maybe her legs are short? Maybe I’m so used to seeing skinny pants everywhere that anything else looks silly.

If it’s helpful, the puppet show shorts are wonderful for my daughter. they’re comfortable and easy to wear right out of the envelope. I haven’t yet made any changes to them for her. They fit perfectly well over her cloth diapers. I’m just getting ready to start on a few pairs for this summer for a hopefully diaper free bottom so I can’t speak to that just yet.

The sleepover pj pants seem to work out great for my tall, slim and hip-less son. I adjust them for him in the hips, i.e. I cut an 8 in the waist and leg but a 10 through the hips and for length. He likes them.

[violetvata]

Sandbox larger sizes- long and lean, good fit around bum and waist

Sailboat- Good fit smaller sizes (but are low ride in the back), larger sizes seem way too wide and spacious in the crotch and thigh, I can fold out many inches and make them work, especially on the back leg pattern piece.

Field trip- larger sizes- fit well size 10, good coverage over bum and good waist.

For pants for my boys, who are all slim but not similar in build otherwise pants need to look okay drawn in with elastic and then let out again for the next kid, since oldest is super slim. Most oliver and S pants have had a good fit this way, they tend to be fitted and not be too boxy so they don’t look hilarious on a slim kid without doing structural alterations, which i avoid since they are handed down.