In my quest to build a mostly pants based wardrobe, I like to browse the pattern catalogues of different companies/designers. One day, after browsing the site of the Big 4: Simplicity, McCalls, Butterick & Vogue, I found myself dissatisfied with the selection. The reason why is because many of the pants that I was interested in weren’t in my size range. I can grade them up the size or 2 , but do I want to pay for a pattern that I have to grade? Not really. And after I finish grading, I have to make the usual alterations to make it fit me. It was at this point that I decided to check the free patterns over at Mood Fabrics site. I knew that I could probably find something there.
About This Pattern
I chose the Linda Pants because I just needed a quick and easy pants pattern. I liked the unique pockets on them, and the simple elasticized waist. This pattern was advertised as “adaptive”, which in this context has 2 meanings. The first is that it was built for women with a specific medical need. The term adaptive here also means that it can be sewn by anyone. The pattern was designed with extra tummy room, for women with endometriosis.
How I Altered This Pattern
I cut a size 22 in this pattern. Mood patterns have a larger range of sizes and their sizing is slightly different from the Big 4 size measurements. Now although I cut the size for my measurements, I still needed to make alterations to the pattern. I made a full seat adjustment of 1.75″ (4 cm), and I lowered the rise of the front by like a quarter inch. I realized later that I could’ve done more, closer to a half to .75″ (1 to 2 cm). I also added .5″ to the back crotch seam. I didn’t make a muslin with this pattern, I just winged it. Instead, I did repeated fits of the one leg (formed by the 1 front and 1 back) as I altered. Should I have made a muslin? Of course! It’s good practice to do so when there are issues of fit and alterations to be addressed. Why didn’t I? My pants alterations are generally the same across most patterns, so I decided to take the tissue fit approach. This is known as the Palmer/Plestch method that was popularized in the book “Fit For Real People”.
Thoughts on This Pattern
It’s a strangely drafted pattern. I’ve seen a lot of pants blocks, and this one did look different in one way. The crotch seam on this pattern has very little depth of curve. It appeared straighter and narrower to me. This is especially true for the pants front. Now, the pattern is free of charge. In the case of these free Mood patterns, that means no sewing instructions PDF. The assembly instructions are on the Mood website. For this particular pattern the instructions were vague and there were some steps missing. I use these patterns because I’ve been sewing for years and can figure my way through the construction in places where guidance is missing. Many people thought that the instructions for the pockets were lacking in clarity (they definitely were). A Mood employee had to re-explain it in the comments. This is typical with their patterns, because they’re free.
Fabric, Cutting & Construction
I used the lightweight denim/canvas style fabric that I got from Joann’s right before they closed. I paid very little for the piece, like around $ 2.50. It’s a tribal style print in mostly camo colors with some pops of light blue and a weird light yellow. To start with, I made a mistake of cutting. It wasn’t terrible, but it did give me a problem to solve later on. I cut the pieces with the hem still taped up. I had the pattern taped that way for my fittings and forgot to lower it for the cutting. As a result the finished pants had no spare fabric for the hem. They were just the right length with a raw edge, like some pants that are sold in stores that have a raw edge/no hem finish. It’s a modern style approach, but it wasn’t what I wanted for the hem in this pair of pants. To remedy this I made a binding finish for the hem, and I was pleased with that look (see close up pics).
The Finished Look
I’m wearing the Linda pants with M6796 top, which I made last year.
Final Thoughts on This Pattern
They’re comfy to wear and I’ll probably get some good use out of them. The pockets aren’t quite deep enough for my liking, but I’ll have to deal with it. They do hold my phone, just just. However if I were to make this pattern again, I would definitely increase the depth of the pockets. The fabric I used is actually kind of lightweight, so these will be a good option for Spring wear. I wouldn’t wear them in weather below 45° (7° C).
I might make another pair of these, they’re a really basic versatile pant to have in my wardrobe. If I do, I’ll be making more adjustments to the pattern, just to see how much I can improve the fit!
Thanks for reading, and I hope you got some needed help with navigating Mood’s free patterns.
Sewcoordinated 