Posted by Marks out of ten? I’d give it 6, maybe 7.
So I’ve noticed that a new Trouser Online Course, The Advanced Guide to Sewing and Fitting Trousers, has been released on the Sew Over It website.
Initially I felt a little peeved, as I’ve only recently purchased the Ultimate Trousers online course!
I bought the Ultimate Guide to Sewing and Fitting Trousers online course from SOI just after Christmas, when there was an offer on, but I can see that the ‘Ultimate’ one is still for sale, with this newer course aimed at a higher intermediate level.
Having bought and watched and re-watched and learnt so many things with the Tilly and the Buttons online course Learn to Sew Jersey, I was looking forward to a similar experience with the Ultimate Guide.
For reference, I would class myself as an advanced beginner. I’ve been sewing pleasing garments for a couple of years, but never made trousers or a shirt.
The Ultimate Guide to Sewing and Fitting Trousers came with 2 patterns, the Carrie Trousers and the Ultimate Trousers. They can both be bought for £9 each (pdfs) so with the course reduced to £25, was pretty good value. But was it the ‘Ultimate’ Guide to sewing and fitting trousers? No, not really. It was a guide to sewing trousers, showing the sequence of putting a pair of trousers together. Disappointingly the ‘fitting’ part of it came in a selection of pdfs which you selected depending on the problem area.
I was really disappointed in this and felt rather mislead by the title ‘Ultimate Guide to Sewing and Fitting Trousers’.
I know fitting trousers is complicated and the fact that we all have such different shapes and fullness at the front and at the rear means that a trouser fitting online course to address all these points would be a vast undertaking but that is what I thought I had bought.
So had I done my research before I bought it?
Yes, I did, but I only found reviews for the first half of the course, the Carrie Trousers, a pretty simple make with no real fitting required. The reviewers hadn’t reported on the subsequent ‘Ultimate Trouser’ part of the course.
These are my Carries. I wasn’t intending to like the silhouette; it’s not my usual style. I made them in a stash fabric, but I have to say, I rather love them and will definitely be wearing them this summer.
I made them initially in a 10/12 size but unpicked them and re cut them as a 8/10 as they were enormous!!
The Ultimates were next. I knew these would be trickier from a fitting point of view.
The lovely Lisa, of Sew Over It, led me through the stages but the editing really suffered from a lack of close ups. I couldn’t see what was going on at the times I’d have liked a little more detail.
I’m afraid it was nothing like the Tilly online course with excellent close ups, either taken from above or the side, showing you exactly what the process was. Just lots of video of Lisa sewing on her machine from afar.
I was surprised that the first instruction (after choosing fabric, cutting out etc) was to overlock all the raw edges. Why would you do this if you had not first made a toile and tried it for fitting?
The fitting advice was just to down load the pdf guidance for that issue that came with the course.
So was the course worth it for me, personally? Surprisingly you may think, but yes!!
Because without it I would never have made trousers!!
It gave me the confidence to sew up a pair or 2 of trousers and learn so much (although not from Lisa) about my shape and fitting. I’ve not cracked it yet but I know which areas are my particular challenges!
My full review of the pattern and how I tried to conquer my flat bum can be found here.
So my advice would be when attempting something new, choose a pattern that comes with a sew-along. There really is no need to purchase a course when there is so much free advice out there.
Saying that I bought the Introduction into Sewing Shirts Online course at the same time!!!
Love, Lucie xx
Love, Lucie 
Both pairs look good. Fitting clothes, especially trousers, is a nightmare and a course that claims to solve all the fitting issues for all the different body shapes is promising a lot. As you say, there’s a lot of help on the internet for free and there’s bound to be somebody out there with the same problem as you (flat butt?) who will have been there, done that and can pass on their advice or point you in the right direction. I love a pattern with online help. The coat I’m making at the moment has a few tricksy bits – the welt pockets for instance – and Deer and Doe do a very good ‘close up’ of the steps on their blog which, combined with the printed pattern instructions, made my life much easier.
As for overlocking the raw edges. I’ve done that with the pieces for my coat as all the seams will be pressed open and the fabric I’ve used would fray terribly if I hadn’t. Perhaps, if the Ultimate Trousers seams are also pressed open, overlocking the edges would protect them without adding bulk to the seams which might happen if you just overlocked the seams together. I’m just guessing here and might have misunderstood your question.
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Ah, I’ll go back and reword that bit. Yes, the edges are overlocked and then pressed open. But I overlocked all my edges before construction, as Lisa had said, but then altered the fit so much, I had to trim back and overlock all over again, so actually ended up with bulkier edges. Not once did she say, ‘make up a toile’, which is what I would have expected.
I’ll bear in the the Deer and Doe close ups when I’m looking at their patterns. Thanks for the tip.
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I think your pants look fabulous, but with a figure like yours you would look good in anything!!!
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Too too kind!! But thank you xx
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Your trousers look great, I need to make some more, I’ve only ever made one pair!
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Had a similar experience with the ultimate trouser course but not put off by that I purchased the Chloe coat online course which was to be fair heavily discounted so I didn’t pay too much more than I would have paid for the pattern but I have to say it was terrible in terms of filming the up close essential bits with the accompanying pictures and prose being inadequate and although I eventually bumbled my way through it was more by sheer determination not to waste all my time and fabric rather than Lisa’s help. I emailed for help to sew over it but unfortunately didn’t find them helpful. Perhaps I should have gone with Tilly!
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I’ve just done the ultimate shirt course, bought at the same time, and that was a lot better. I’m not really convinced by the SOI patterns although a lot of people seem to rate them highly. Have you made any others?
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Ha Ha yes several. I’m afraid I got a little caught up in the hype of lovely Lisa. I have every respect for the woman and the way she has built a business but after the two online classes my faith in getting what I thought I was paying for was dented. I have made several items from her pattern range as downloading a PDF or an e capsule city break book is instant pattern gratification! I have had varying success with the patterns but that’s not unique to Lisa’s Range. I struggle with fit issues mainly because I tend to pick a slightly too large size and then try to rectify it rather than grading between sizes or making a toile and analysing the fit closely. Anyway…too much about me….liking your makes, keep going, it’s all very inspiring and nice to hear comments which reflect a true experience of using a particular pattern or class.
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Hi, I fell on your blog while looking at the Recoleta Dress. (really nice job!)
I agree with you about SOI – I’ve had more or less the same experience (did the trouser fitting course too…) I used to absolutely LOVE all her patterns but realised that actually I had big problems with the fit – especially trousers and gaping necklines. I was on the verge of purchasing the new vintage ebook but now I’m convinced I should stop myself.
Love your fabric choices too!
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I definitely think that there are those that swear by SOI patterns and others who just end up swearing whilst making them up! Thankfully there is plenty more choice out there these days run by similarly inspiring business women. Thanks for stopping by.
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Thank you so much for your honest review. I’m struggling with whether to invest or not as it really is the fitting I wanted help with. I’m pear shape so I know I’ll have issues and want to make my first pair of trousers without an elastic waist. I’ve been reading lots of fitting guides, watching videos and have the Closet Core Patterns online course with the Pietra pants. Unfortunately, the course does have fitting guides but not on the video. I have a similar pattern to the ultimate trousers so may just have a go first and consider the course if they are a complete disaster! Love the blog and your makes, thanks again for the review.
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Now I’ve a few more makes under my belt I shall go back and revisit these. I’ve learnt a lot from my elastic waist trousers makes regarding not being afraid to play with the crotch seams.
My advice would be to grade between sizes, especially if you’re more pear than straight up and down. My second advice is just to have a go!!! But I wouldn’t invest in the course. You can watch lots of free sew alongs on YouTube that will give you all this course will give you. Good luck!!!
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