Altering the jeans pattern

from left, versions one, two and three (Frida)

This is version number three, inside out, using the camera to get a clearer view of fit issues.

The front is pretty good, left of the bottom of the fly is bagging. This tells me I need to release some over that thigh. The back has 'smiles' below the crotch, which go away if I open up the back center seam about an 1/8" at the back and 1/4" at the bottom.

Small adjustments on jeans go a long way. Because they are so fitted, an 1/8" makes the fit change dramatically. The goal for me is that they skim my surface, but not bind. The better they fit, the more comfortable they are.

So the red line is the horizontal and the green is my back. Why yes, I have quite the back porch It's all going on back there.

 I need to bring in the back waist band; there's a gap you could park a car in. This happens with every pair of jeans I have ever owned.  Everything fits but that.

A stopgap solution has been putting 1" non roll elastic in the waistband from side seam to side seam. It works when I'm remodeling jeans I've bought (like the model I traced these from), but if I'm coming from scratch I can do better.

Today's cheap solution is darting in the back waist band at the center. Next edition of these I'm following the red line above and dropping the waistband on the sides and  in the front. I think this will help pull that back band in and make it fit comfortably.

The other thing the photo tells me is that my high hip has gotten taller, the side seam moves forward and that the bagging above my calves continues to the front.   I have a prominent bottom and full calves and back thighs that curve forward (and the front thighs curve even more so). This is a more complicated issue than I can mentally address with these pants at present. I need to make a new muslin if I want to address that; too much fabric needs to move around, more than just wider seam allowances could address.

 They are wearable. Hem 'em and call it a day.

Which begs a point: I find I have a certain level of detail attentiveness I can pay to a project. I can fuss over the waistband but I will give up on the next fail point. I do remake projects over and over again, refitting the pattern, adding details, working out a problem and then at the next problem...eh, I'm out.

Last year my unspoken goal was to rip fearlessly. If it didn't work, frog it, rip it, redo. A solid month of rehemming choir dresses sold me on it: it's part of the job. A survey of my closet tells me; if it doesn't fit right, I don't wear it. So it's worth the annoyance factor to make it right, and remake it if it's wrong. 

This year, it may be: stop being satisfied with 'okay'.