Fibremood Billie Trousers revisited and lazy trouser fitting

Meet my new Billie Trousers, a Fibremood pattern from Edition 6 of the Fibremood magazine but also available a standalone pattern.

I miss my previous summer Billie trousers made in autumn 2021. All the trousers I made around that time are now too big so I’m slowly replacing them using many of the same patterns as I really liked the styles.

I was leafing through my stash and a came across a small piece fabric left over from my previous blue Billies.
Knowing that I was almost starting from scratch with a different body shape, I knew I really needed to toile again, hopefully creating a wearable one, so I made up the Billie Trousers in the left over fabric a whole size down. I had to find some complimentary fabric for the waistband facing and for fitting and speed, I left off the pockets.

I made up the size 36 ( UK size 8 – which I am not!). The table is a little misleading as the size 36 is for a 27.6” waist and 37” hip. Although the finished waist measurement is stated 30”.
I am currently 30” waist and 37” hip, but from my previous blog post I knew that if I followed the prescribed size the waist came up generous. So I gambled on the size 36 all over and lengthened by 2 inches, as the Billie Trousers are very cropped – even on me!

The only thing I had to do for fit was to scoop 1cm from the back crotch curve at the seat of my bum as my bum was looking a little fabric hungry. I was half happy with the result.
However, once I took a video of me wearing them as opposed to looking at photos or twisting my head around using a face compact mirror and a full mirror – me walking in real life appears a lot more forgiving than that static images. I need to bear that in mind for the future.

I’ve since done some research on the hungry bum issue and can across this really interesting article on ‘To scoop or not to scoop?’
The 4 experts interviewed in that article essentially argue that scooping out the rear crotch could solve, or hide, the hungry bum issue, but the problem could be better addressed with extending the rear crotch extension.
Then that lead me to another article on the Sew Daily blog where I learnt that my crotch curve scooping is actually having the effect of lengthening the crotch extension.

So, this rang a bell with me. I have a decent amount of thigh and gluteus maximus muscle and it is probably just this adjustment that I need. So that is what I am going to try next time. I’m going to allow for extra seam allowance in between the thighs, extending the crotch extension.

I’m also going to have a go at shortening the front crotch extension. In many of my rtw trousers, and in me made too, I do find I have a pool of fabric where my ‘crown jewels’ might be, if I had any. I do appreciate I need ease but I think I can do with a little less!

Meanwhile I’m happy in my pocketless Billie Trousers!

Love, Lucie xx