pattern tester roundup
London Ponte Pants Pattern Tester Roundup Part 1
The London Ponte Pants Pattern Tester Roundup Part 1. Good day to you all and I hope that you are all well and happy. We are in the middle of – I think anyway – our last splash of hot dry weather. Yesterday was 38degC and we may possibly have this heat wave for yet another day.
And today we are showcasing our first installment of our London Ponte Pants pattern tester roundups.
Crisp and classic, these figure-flattering London Ponte pants are an effortless way to dress up your day look without sacrificing comfort.
Designed in both a bootleg and a semi flare leg, this style has been curated to shape your curves with a modest and flattering cut.
Each of our pattern testers made a few small fit tweaks so you will see what wonderful fit they have achieved.
And to help you on your fitting journey we have 3 very informative posts you can use to help you achieve your fabulous London Ponte Pants.
Adjusting for your Back Rise
Adjusting for your Front Rise.
Adjusting for a Flatter Front Mound.
So, without further ado here are our fabulous posse of roadies with their own London Ponte Pants stories.
Love to you all.
They would like to share with you the following:
1. Your name and where you live?
2. What fabric combinations did you choose and where did you purchase.
3. What sewing tips can you share when sewing the London?
4. What was your style choice for the London?
5. What fit alterations did you have to make to the London?
6. Have you worn your London yet and what compliments did you receive.
7. Any plans for future combinations of the London?
And the finer details; (AU/UK) 6 – 30 (US) 2 – 26 (EU) 34 – 58
On Sale for a limited time only – $9.50
Very Confident Advanced Beginner and Above Sewing level.
Hello, I’m Ashley R from London.
I’m excited to share my experience with the beautiful new London Pants pattern. These pants come with the option of welt pockets, front pockets, and pin-tucks. For my project, I chose a lovely royal blue and rust-coloured Ponte knit fabric from ABC Fabric.
Here are some sewing tips based on my own journey:
Measurements Matter: Make sure to carefully read the measurements chart to ensure you’re creating the right size.
Trial Run: Before cutting into your good fabric, consider making a trial run using old fabric of a similar weight. This way, you can fine-tune the fit and avoid any surprises.
I paired my London pants with the Yvette top, which is also a Designer Stitch pattern. Achieving the perfect fit required a few adjustments:
Leg Length: Since I’m only 5 feet tall, I shortened the length in the legs.
Front Fit: I also removed some fabric in the front by adjusting the pattern. Specifically, I took 1.5 cm from the front, tapering it to nothing at the sides. This tip, courtesy of Ann, worked wonders.
I’ve already worn my London pants several times—whether out for lunch or meeting friends—and received compliments. Expect more pairs in my wardrobe soon, they’re super comfy and very stylish! https://linktr.ee/madebyashley
HI, my name is Brenda from the Netherlands and I made the London pants in the widest option with pintuck in the front. I also added all the pockets, fake and functional because they give a lovely toutch to the pants.
The pintuck is one of my favorite features to this pants, it is making it so chic.
Pants are not complicated to sew, but you do have to take note of a couple of things. I for example added 4 cm to my back rise to not have a hungry bum, and I removed 3 cm to the front rise to remove extra fabric from there. How to do this is explianed in the tutorial and in one of Ann her online tutorials.
The fabric I used I bought at www.driessenstoffen.nl and is a lovely Ponte.
If you want to follow my sewing journey you can check out my Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fabricfairybrenda/
Love Brenda
Hello! I’m Luana and I live in Raleigh, NC in the US. For my London pants I used a ponte fabric that I’ve got from Fabric Mart.
The best advice I can give when sewing the London pants is to make a toile and take your time to get the proper fitting. It took me a while and a lot of help from Ann but I’m so happy that I finally have pants that fit me well!
For this pair I did the most basic version to make sure the fit was exactly how I wanted it to be, but I already have a new pair cut out with all the pockets.
I made multiple alterations since my crotch length is shorter from what the pattern is drafted for, and I also had to add some room to the center of the back leg.
I’m wearing my London pants right now and I love them! They’re not just very comfortable but also very stylish!
My Instagram https://instagram.com/lmfcrafts
The best advice I can give when sewing the London pants is to make a toile and take your time to get the proper fitting. It took me a while and a lot of help from Ann but I’m so happy that I finally have pants that fit me well!
For this pair I did the most basic version to make sure the fit was exactly how I wanted it to be, but I already have a new pair cut out with all the pockets.
I made multiple alterations since my crotch length is shorter from what the pattern is drafted for, and I also had to add some room to the center of the back leg.
I’m wearing my London pants right now and I love them! They’re not just very comfortable but also very stylish!
My Instagram https://instagram.com/lmfcrafts
Hi, I’m Diane from the UK. I used a lovely ponte roma jersey fabric from Northern Monkey Makes in the UK which was perfect for the London trousers. The fabric drapes really well and had the perfect stretch for these stylish trousers. When I made my toile in size 4 it was apparent I needed to make a few small adjustments for the perfect fit, so my final pair I graded to a 3 waist and took out 1cm in the front crotch. Believe me it is well worth making a toile for a perfect fit! The instructions are very clear and give various options. They can be dressed up or down. I wore my trousers to my friends 60th birthday party and dressed them up with a lovely blouse, but they are so versatile that they would look equally as good with a more relaxed top. The best thing about them is comfort!
I made size 4 in the long length but graded to a 3 in the waist. I am 5’2″ so I shortened the legs by 2″.
Hi, I’m Karen from Belgium. I made two London pants, one dark blue basic and an eye-catching purple pants. Both are made from viscose punto. First of all, the London pants are a lot easier to sew than they look. Take your time for a nice pin tuck on the front and don’t be afraid of the welt pocket. If you follow the instructions, they are piece of cake.
The only challenge is to make the pants fit perfectly, therefore you follow the instructions about alterations.
Since I made my London pants, they are the most worn. They fit perfect, feel like a secret pyama, but look so stylish.
You can find more London at https://www.instagram.com/_sewkaren_
Hey, I’m Girl in Uniform Lieve from Belgium. For about three years now I have only been wearing homemade trousers. The London Ponte Pants are the perfect addition to my collection. The fit is sublime. although I do recommend that you make a trial version so you can make minor adjustments before cutting into your beautiful fabric. I sewed the straight leg version and am absolutely in love with my pants. She combines comfort and style. I used a fabric from Framalo for these pants and I still have some nice fabrics lying around for a second, and maybe third pair of London pants!
My name is Synthia, I live in central Ca. I can’t say enough about the London pants, both with or without the pin tuck in center front. first made a muslin because I struggle with pants fitting me. Both the black and the green plaid London pants are made from a Ponte fabric. Once I got the fit to where I felt comfortable, I loved my new pants. I have been searching high and low for a pin tuck pants. The compliments I get are that I look slimer and look nice, I’ll take that, lol. I highly recommend to use the recommended fabric, make, make, a muslin to get the proper fit, grade size if needed, and enjoy this great design. Thank you, Ann, for designing the London pant. https://sewsynsewn.blogspot.com/2023/
Hello everyone, I’m Tina from California and I’m here to tell you about my London trousers. I’m beyond pleased of my London pair because pants are always trickier for me to get that perfect fit. I definitely recommend you make a trial pair and see what adjustments you need to make before cutting into your favorite fabric. I ended up having to grade between a few sizes, remove some lenght and adjust the center front crotch seam to achieve my perfect fit. I love my Londons so much I pair two pairs with plans for many more. These can be dressed up or down depending on your fabric. For my casual pair I used a Pink Ponte I had in my stash and for my dressier pair I used a Sequin Ponte from Amanda’s Bundles. I’ve never looked or felt better in a pair of great fitting trousers and so will you!
Hello! My name is Sue and I live in South Dakota.
I have been craving comfortable but stylish pants. These are perfect for my needs.
Not all ponte fabrics are quality and not all react the same after you have painstakingly made them. I highly recommend making a practice pair and wearing them for a day before sewing your final pair.
Typically I lengthen pants at least an inch and a half and need to add an inch to the total crotch length as well.
For my practice pair, I did neither and they don’t feel or look as good as they could.
Use a high quality ponte with outstanding recovery so they hold up to wearing all day and hold their shape.
I’ve made three pairs and love wearing them all!
Styling can be dressy or casual, depending on how you feel.
Don’t hesitate to make these pants. They feel so good on!
You can see more of my makes at https://www.instagram.com/sue_glasparrott…
Hey, I’m Hannah, I’m from Winchester, England. I used a Ponte di Roma from pound fabrics https://poundfabrics.co.uk/?gad_source=1… for my London Pants. I absolutely love this pattern with the tuck down the centre leg this makes them smart enough for office wear, bang on trend and they are so comfortable. I love the detail of the faux welt pocket too. I graded from a 9 at the waist to a 5 hips. The grading was straight forward and they fit very well. Make sure you check your rise against the specific front and back rise measurements in the pattern to get this right. They sit high on the waist but this is great for shorter tops not showing any belly!
I’ve enjoyed pairing these with a bodysuit & blouses. I think another pair for work is due and then maybe a fun pair in a really high lycra content stretch denim for home I want to choose some lighter fabrics to really show of that pintuck
I can wear these trousers for 12 hours in the office and be perfectly comfortable and that is a huge win for me!! Try them – they will become a wardrobe staple I promise. https://www.instagram.com/house_of_burke
Hi everyone, I am Genevieve from the UK. Ponte is one of my favourite fabrics to use to sew pants. I love how comfortable Ponte is to wear.
The London pants are a beautifully drafted pattern with so many options, which means that you can make a pair of pants for any occasion.
Thanks to Ann’s instructions I can now make pants that fit me perfectly. I decrease my front rise and increase my back rise. To make a well fitting pair of pants it is so worth taking time to measure yourself and adjust your pattern accordingly.
These are a fun and relatively quick sew.
I have worn both pairs of mine to work and they are fabulously comfortable and I felt so good in them.
Hello I am Macu from Spain
One of the reasons I took up sewing, was the terrible fact pants don’t usually fit my body. Bodies come in all shapes and RTW pants are sometimes just impossible for me!
This project is an easy one to get started with and following the adjustments suggested by Ann I am finally happy with the fit.
I made two pairs both full length and flared leg:
The first one with Mock back Welt pockets and Pintuk in a thick fabric perfect for winter and the second pair with front pockets in an elastic velvety thin fabric.
I made pockets bigger due to my huge hands
I found the perfect toile is when using exactly the same fabric and making the toile as shorts is such a good idea!!
I also learnt the toile should be worn more than an hour to make the adjustments!!
Many compliments were received about both LONDON pants and the best part is when I tell there is no zipper and they are super comfortable!!
Both fabric came from my stash and were bought in a flea market
But do check the stretch recommendations to select your fabric
You can find me on IG following the link
Hi, my name is Meredith and I’m from Sydney Australia.
I used a lovely Ponte Roma from Minerva (aff link here – https://tidd.ly/3wHeMol) for my London Pants. It has a great 4-way stretch and great recovery.
Sewing Tips for making the London would be to pay careful attention to the pattern fitting instructions. Measure twice and make a toile. Apart from that the pants are a relatively easy sew.
I made the boot leg pant with front pockets and back faux welt pockets.
I was lucky that after measuring, I seemed to fit into a size 5. After making a toile, I shorted the length by 4cm above the knee and 3cm below the knee (I’m only 158cm), and I graded slightly from 5 waist to 4 … so probably 4.5 waist
I haven’t worn my London Pants as yet because we are still having extreme heat here, however I know I’m going to get a lot of wear once the weather cools down. They are SOOOOO comfy.
Follow me on Instagram for further updates. Thanks for reading . Meredith . https://www.instagram.com/sew_mere_makes/