Burda Cargo Pants

I finally finished husband's new cargo pants, which I had been planning since last year - and I am not happy at all. This is only my third Make Nine in 2024, it seems I won't be making all the patterns I chose at the beginning of the year, again.

The pattern is #129 from an old Burda magazine - 04 / 2010. A curious detail - I bought the pattern a long while ago from the Burda.ru site together with the women's jeans pattern from the same issue and this year I made both of these patterns. BTW, the whole issue seems to be full of great patterns and if I come upon it at a reasonable price, I might consider buying it.

The main issues I have with the new pants are the pockets and the size - both remediable and not issues of the pattern itself but my execution. Although I took my husband's measures carefully, the pants came out really big. I think the reason is that I cut the pieces with very big seam allowances and I probably chose the wrong size from the start. I plan to make him a shorter city version and I'll try the smaller size - if it doesn't fit well, then I'll know the problem is not only in me.

On his first hike with his new pants husband wore them with a belt, as he usually does anyway and he said that the bigger size wasn't such a big problem for him, but a fitting size would still be preferable, obviously.

The other problem are the pockets - they seemed so big, but turned out too shallow for cargo pants, so a new iteration of the pattern would require rethinking of the pocket size, especially the front pockets and the side pockets.

 

Pattern: Burda 129 04 / 2010

Size: 50, lengthened

Fabric: cotton, very densely weaved

Time to make: in the course of a month in between other projects

Light Jack Joggers

I made another pair of Jack Joggers by Viki Sews, my fourth of this pattern and second for husband. 

When I bought the pattern some time ago, my husband was about 12-13 kg heavier and I bought the 44 size. However, he's been on the path to getting in shape and now he needs a smaller size joggers. I didn't feel like buying the next size, printing and gluing lots of pages, so I simply took off 2 cm width-wise from the front and the back pattern pieces and it worked like a charm.

Pattern: Jack by Vikisews

Size: 42 (M) Height: 178-184 cm

Fabric: cotton French terry

Time to make: 3 days 

The pattern is simple to follow and produces nicely proportioned joggers, which husband liked. The only frivolity I added is the yellow stripe at the pockets. I bought quite a piece of this light grey French terry and I plan a hoodie to go with it as well, with some yellow interest, added to the pockets and the hood there too.

Husband is such a sport for posing for my blog! Here he's trying to be funny :)

Colorful Calf Length Burda Jeans

Finally yesterday we had the long-awaited sunshine and warmth in a series of cold rainy May days. It's been so cold, that my bougainvillea, which I took out on the balcony in the beginning of May, counting on the fact that summer was just around the corner, began withering from the cold. And guess what - it's 9C and raining all day today. But that is today, and yesterday we took pictures of my new calf-length colorful jeans.

I've been planning on sewing a pair of jeans and dreaming of colorful jeans for long. Apart from all the jeans pairs I have in my Burda magazines, I specifically bought no less than 7 jeans patterns and I'm planning on testing at least two or more of them this year. Actually making a pair of jeans was N6 on my Make Nine list, so at least I can cross this one out.

For my piece of colorful cotton denim with elastane I chose Burda 6534 from their spring/summer 2017 catalogue. It is a classic jeans pattern, slim legs, two lengths - full and calf, slightly lowered waistline, at least this is what it says on the cover.

My first and most basic mistake was that I didn't make a muslin. I know I am not the Burda style figure type - that I have confirmed every time I sew with Burda patterns. Their model is much taller than me, with broader chest, shoulders and waist and smaller hip to waist ratio. I have wider hips, narrow waist, I am much shorter - how did I expect the pattern to fit me?

Of course, I made some adjustments for length at the length lines, but the main issue with pants is the area between the waist and the crotch - and there are so many variations there in lengths and widths between figures. Yes, now I know my lesson - if I want my pants to fit me well, I do have to make a muslin first.

One call I made right - I chose the smallest 34 size, although I am supposed to be 36 according to Burda tables. But I know that their pants run large on me, so at least that I made right. Then I measured the pattern pieces, compared them to my actual measures and decided that things looked OK. 

As it turned out - the front line is too long on me and the pockets are to high - I should lower it at least by 2 cm. Meanwhile I need to raise the back with at least 2 cm, as I have a fuller bottom and I need more length there. At the same time I had to take in the waist at the back by 5 cm! and additionally some 3 cm at the side lines, because the jeans were gaping awfully at the waist.

Pattern: Burda 6534

Size: 34, needs adjustments

Fabric: cotton denim with elastane, 1 m

Time to make: two weeks

Yesterday I visited my favourite fabric store again, but alas, they didn't have any colorful denim fabric on stock, they had even ran out of this one, so I returned empty handed. I mean, of course, not literally empty-handed, I did buy some other fabric, as all normal people when visiting their favourite fabric stores do, but there won't be any other summer jeans soon and I did want to try my notes on another pair. However, I'll be testing one other Burda jeans pattern these days and I do plan to make a muslin first.

A cute squirrel we saw in the park, while filming the jeans

Jack Joggers for Husband

The second of my additional Christmas presents for family members is ready - another pair of Jack Joggers, this time for husband.

These are very similar to the ones I made for Alex, but this time I added 2 cm to the rise of the pants at the waist, as husband really dislikes low rise. Also, and as per his request, I made the inside part of the pockets out of red lining knit fabric, a remnant from my Houndstooth Hoodie. He wanted some hidden red for interest.

The fabric I bought for husband is his most favourite soft, thick and warm cotton sweatpants fabric, very similar to the one I used for his light grey Burda joggers. These latter sweatpants are his most favourite this winter and he's been asking for another pair ever since I made them last month. So, he's getting another one for Christmas :)

Pattern: Jack by Vikisews

Size: 44 (L) Height: 178-184 cm

Fabric: cotton sweatpants fabric, rib knit fabric for cuffs and waistband

Time to make: 2 days

Jack Joggers for Alex

Apart from secret (and not so secret :) Christmas presents, this year I decided to sew something for my husband and two children. These hand-made presents are not meant to be secret, in fact I insist on the recipient trying them on and giving me feed back, as I would rather prefer them to have something comfortable and fitting to their liking, than a useless surprise.

I'm ready with the first of these presents - a pair of joggers for my son. The pattern is classic joggers called Jack by Vikisews, a Russian sewing company, with deep pockets and elastics at the waist and the ankles. I already tested it last month, when I made a pair of short joggers for Alex.

This time I decided to add just a touch of red, so I sewed red piping to the opening of the pockets.

Most of the seams were done on the overlocker, but I did additional strengthening seams on the straight machine at the sides and at the waist. And of course, I added my customized label at the back.

What I would change next time - I would make the waistband shorter, as Alex is one of those very sleek slim young men with broad shoulders and ridiculously tiny waists. And I also find the rise of the joggers a bit low, so probably 1.5 cm addition to the overall rise at the waist would be more comfortable. 

Although Alex did try them on (several times) during the sewing process, he hasn't received them yet, so no modeled pictures. Maybe I'll manage to persuade him to take a few photos after Christmas.

Pattern: Jack by Vikisews

Size: 42 (M) Height: 178-184 cm

Fabric: cotton/polyester  double knit

Time to make: 2 days 

Jack Joggers by Vikisews

These are the short joggers I made for our son together with the Burda shorts for myself out of the remnant cotton French terry fabric. For his shorts I used the newly acquired pattern from Vikisews, as I was not happy with the cut of the Burda pattern I used for my husband's joggers. To liven them up I added a strip of grey to the opening of the pockets and some labels from discarded old shorts.

I'm quite happy with the fit and I really like how these turned out. He's modelling them together with the grey T-shirt I made for him earlier this autumn.

And as my husband is absolutely in love with his warm joggers, I plan to sew a new pair of Jack joggers for husband, using some thick sweater knit cotton fabric.

Pattern: Jack by Vikisews

Size: 42 (M) Height: 178-184 cm

Fabric: cotton French terry

Time to make: 3 days

 

Capri Pants

I've somehow missed to show you a pair of pants I made at the end of August. 

I'm looking at the pictures now, sitting in my wool cardigan by the heater, while it is raining outside, it is 6C in Sofia and Vitosha peaks already had their first snowfall and I feel so nostalgic for the summer. Alas, we are "enjoying" a cold and wet autumn this year, nothing like the golden months long Indian summer we had last year.

The pattern of the pants is from Burda 06 / 2021 magazine. I had a small piece of cotton/polyester/elastane twill, which I bought with a pair of Capri pants in mind. However, I did not feel like buying a new pattern, as I did want to test these Burda pants, so I decided simply to cut them as long as my piece of fabric allowed.

Pattern: #103 from Burda 06 / 2021

Fabric: cotton twill with elastane 

Size: 36

Time to make: 5 days

Although the pants look straight and narrow on the pictures in the magazine, the pattern comes bigger than expected. I cut my 36 size, but I should have chosen the smaller 34 size, as I had to make quite a lot of corrections to the back - I made the darts there bigger and took in the seam in the middle of the back and also the side seams as much as I could and the pants are still a bit wide. 

 

I was deliberating over adding darts to the front too, but in the end decided that they would spoil the look and wouldn't match the fly front zipper. 

I'm also not very happy with my choice of length and the turned cuffs and I'm planning to remove the cuffs next summer, to slim the pants down the leg and to make them as long as possible, as I think I prefer something closer to a 7/8 look. However, absolutely love how they match my Rhapsody blouse.

Ruta Pants by Viki Sews

A few days after I finished my wide legged Marlene trousers mid August, I made another pair of elasticated trousers - Ruta by the Russian pattern company Vikisews. These are made out of knit fabric and are more on the sporty side and I've been wearing them quite regularly on my walks in the park or when out shopping groceries. A month passed but the opportunity for a photosession of these trousers just didn't come. So when yesterday husband and I were walking in the local park during probably the last of the Indian summer days this year, it occurred to me that I had to have a few pictures of these, then or never. And here they are, just a couple of casual phone pictures.

The fabric is very pleasant to wear navy blue ITY, drapey and fluid, but still with enough body for trousers. The pattern calls for 1.14 m of fabric for the pants and additional 30 cm lining material for the in-seam pockets, but I managed to squeeze the two more likely to be seen pocket pieces out of the main material and I cut the other two pieces of the pocket bags out of matching navy blue cotton knit, a remnant from another project.

Pattern: Ruta by Vikisews

Size: S 

Height 154 -160 cm

Fabric: ITY 1.12 m

Time to make:  two days

I made the pants without any modifications, only shortened them a couple of centimeters, as they are designed to be floor length, which is ridiculously impractical. The fit is very comfortable and flattering, despite them being only simple elasticated knit pants; now I understand all the hype about this pattern in the Russian vlogging world. Summer here is over and it's time to take out the warmer clothes (it's been raining all day today and the temperatures have dropped by 10 degrees), but next summer I'll definitely be sewing another pair of these.

Knip Mode Cargo Pants

A pair of hiking pants I sewed for my husband. I finished them last month, but because of the heat this summer it was only yesterday that he put them on for the first time.

The pattern is from Knip Mode 06 / 2020, a Dutch pattern magazine. I bought it as a pdf pattern with Russian instructions from Burda.ru site. Dutch patterns are a bit different from Burda patterns - they are designed for taller and more massive body types. The height for women's patterns is 172 cm, bust C cup and for men's patterns - 183 cm.

I have several Knip Mode patterns, bought from Burda.ru, but this is the first I have actually printed and sewn. The overall fit impression - according to their sizing table, my husband is size 52, but the fit is actually quite loose on him. However, as he prefers ease in his clothes, if I make this pattern again, I would take in the pants at the waist and down the legs, but keep the ease at the hips.

The pattern envisages a cut under the knees, I suppose for plasticity? However, as they have used a short model for the pants in the magazine and the pants are obviously enormous on him on the photos, it is not quite clear where exactly should the cut fall, so I sewed it without adjustments to my husband's figure. However I do wonder if it should have been higher, immediately under the knees or as it is?

 

Pattern: Knip Mode 06 / 2020

Size: 52 

Fabric: cotton twill, 95% cotton 5% elastane

Time to make: one week

My modifications: 

1) I added pockets at the back. The pattern has false pocket flaps at the back, but I added real pockets with flaps and buttons, as my husband keeps there his documents when hiking.

2) The pattern doesn't have a waistband. I initially sewed it as per pattern, but didn't like the fit and the look, so I cut the continuous waistband and added a proper waistband with belt loops. 

3) The pockets close with operational buttons and not with snaps

Overall I am satisfied with these cargo pants and I am curious to try my women's Knip mode patterns too, though my figure is more suited for Japanese and not for Dutch patterns, so I'm afraid I'll have to make a lot of adjustments to get the fit right.