Pants Fitting: Adjustments that Affect Vertical Grainline

[@joannfagen4457]

Thank you. No one has explained this so clearly as you.

[@JSternDesigns]

You're welcome! Thank you for fitting along with me

[@jacquiehonnor4989]

I love watching your pattern alteration videos, you explain how to change things perfectly. If I’m unsure about how to alter a pattern piece I’ll always check your videos for help. Thank you 😊

[@JSternDesigns]

Thanks so much, and thank you for fitting along with me. Keep me posted if you ever need help with something you can't find a tutorial for!

[@barbarawarner4645]

Thanks so much! Been sewing for years and have never felt I’ve mastered fitting my pants. Think I’m nearly there now.

[@JSternDesigns]

So happy to help! Thank you for fitting along with me

[@PositiveMomStyle]

Learning about sewing garments is a whole other level of sewing & skills! YT Education is the way I'm learning by videos such as these. Thank you for sharing! Let's go!

[@JSternDesigns]

I'm so happy you're getting into garment sewing!! Thank you for following along with me. (keep me posted if you have a specific question... I love doing Subscriber Q&A)

[@PermaPen]

Very useful, thank you! My intention re grainlines has always been 'can I get a fabric stripe to run from my waistband down the centre of my leg to mid-foot' - with my recent pattern-fiddlings that has been a challenge, so it's great to have this pure-nerd (!) examination of the matter.

[@JSternDesigns]

:) Thanks! I love nerding with patterns!!

[@0TempsPerdu1]

This is so incredibly helpful! Thanks for the in-depth info

[@JSternDesigns]

You're so welcome! Thanks for fitting along with me

[@debbiebacot6667]

That was great, thank you so much. I am learning so much from you

[@JSternDesigns]

You are so welcome! Thanks for fitting along with me

[@janicemorin3485]

Thank you so much , you answered my question .

[@JSternDesigns]

My pleasure 😊

[@antoniokinsey4041]

Thank you!

[@JSternDesigns]

My pleasure! Thanks for fitting along with me

[@minamessage]

Thanks so much!

[@JSternDesigns]

My pleasure! Thanks for watching

[@deidreross2126]

I think this is what I did wrong with my pants pattern. I tapered a wide leg pattern and now the front piece has sewn up looking twisted.

[@JSternDesigns]

If you tapered the leg only on the side seam only, this can pull the fabric off grain and create a twist... You can also get a twisted leg if your side or inseams are not the same length and you push the excess down to the hem. Hope this helps!

[@Fabrictragic]

Hi this is so interesting, Thankyou. I'm in the middle of a pivot wedge adjustment for full thighs/knock knees at the crotch level on a pair of darted pants and it has thrown the grainline out as expected. I did the correction you suggested at the cb crotch curve which ended up needing me to add about 3.5cm to the cb seam creating a very angled back waistline. What should I do with the darts? The dart legs are not even in length due to the angle of this seam. Should the point of the dart be at the same spot too? Hope this all makes sense. Its all looking a bit wacky now and I don't want to waste fabric toileing if its not correct. Many thanks in advance for your time.

[@Fabrictragic]

Sorry I will also add to my question that ultimately I'd like to make the trousers out of a plaid fabric so I'm trying to ensure that straight grain from the crotch up is looking nice. Maybe I don't need to straighten the grain? So many questions :)

[@JSternDesigns]

Thanks!! if your grainline is too close to the CB edge after making a wedge adjustment you can also "straighten" the CB edge a little bit from just above the back crotch curve up to the waist so it's not so angled. Then trim a like amount off of the side seam to maintain the measurement. This is a little bit more "gentle" with the grainline vs fixing it vertically. (It's also the same thing as doing this flat butt adjustment, you're just doing it for a different reason.) Hope this helps! Thanks for watching! kzbin.info/www/bejne/jqqUnnWve7OjaNU

[@Fabrictragic]

@@JSternDesigns thankyou so much for your time.

[@level2ginger]

Do you have any recommendations or links for drafting and inserting a crotch gusset? Thanks for all the videos!

[@JSternDesigns]

Maybe this will help... I drafted a gusset to length the rise of ready to wear pants. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jp6qoaVvisujaMk

[@catherineleroyberger5828]

On bowed legs when the grain line is distorted how do you restore it?

[@JSternDesigns]

I went to see if I had a tutorial for bowed or outward rotated knees... and I don't think I've done one! Stay Tuned, I'll add it to my Body Specific Fit Adjustment during Fit Tip Tuesday next week! Thanks for following along with me

[@mariakleczewska8780]

Does the grainline have to be centered because it's also the crease line?

[@JSternDesigns]

Yes, it's important for it to be centered on the leg between the hem and knee... then extended up to the waistline edge. For a crease, or to check to see if you've thrown the pattern too far off grain after making all your fit adjustments. Wedge adjustments where you spread or overlap one side of the pattern and pivot on the opposite side can tip the top of the pattern so the grainline runs off the pattern in the CB seam or very close to it. If this happens, the fit of your pant will be affected (wrinkles on the back leg). Hope this helps! Thanks for fitting along with me

[@victoriajackson2692]

When I re-establish the grainline because it hooks off at the top after doing a wedge adjustment, the new grainline ends up not being parallel to the centre front seam. This makes an unsettling V-shaped pattern match for stripes or checks at the centre front. Do you have any thoughts on how to avoid this? (I hope this makes sense)

[@JSternDesigns]

What's causing the V shape from the full hip to the waistline is the fact that the CF seam is on an angle. Usually it angles toward the side seam as it goes from the base of the front crotch curve to the waistline. The only way to straighten that out is to have a CF seam that is parallel to the vertical grainline. You can straighten the CF edge so it's parallel to the vertical grainline if you do not have a defined waistline (significantly smaller than your full hip)... Straightening the CF edge will add a little bit to the waistline. You can take it off by trimming off a like amount at the side seam edge. Hope this helps!

[@leezhee7585]

If you shift the grain an equal amount all the way from top to bottom, why bother? In other words, the grainline should be in the center of the hemline, but what difference does it make if the grainline is 1/2" to the left or right? It's still on grain, so why do you have to redraw it?

[@JSternDesigns]

That's a great question! ...If you're just using the vertical grainline to position your pattern pieces on the fabric properly, there is no need to shift the grainline over. But, if you are using the grainlines to fit your pants, having the grainline in the center of your front/back leg will help determine if the leg is hanging properly from your hip. You can also see if the vertical grainline is pulling toward the inseam or side seam more easily than if it's randomly positioned somewhere on the leg.

[@lynnshepard7485]

@@JSternDesigns Thanks for this. I was puzzling over exactly this! Do you mark the vertical balance lines/grain lines on your muslin when fitting? This is all so new to me, but I’m starting to understand now.