Bob and Variations

 

I can never make just one.

I have been wearing memade pants exclusively for (checks blog)

a jillion years. (2014) (and I did take the Craftsy Jeanius course and it changed my life)

https://www.craftsy.com/class/jean-ius-reverse-engineer-your-favorite-fit/

https://erniekdesigns.blogspot.com/2014/03/jeans-x3-sources.html

specifically: I just don't want to bother with the other pants anymore.

I have some things I want in pants and I got tired of buying pants and altering them. I got tired of pants not fitting, having stupid pockets, being uncomfortable.

I am not sure why I originally wanted one piece pants (I am prone to stunt sewing), but I did and I hammered on that pattern a lot. And the final iteration had the side seam towards the front, and an inseam pocket in it. And I was very happy with them, and was only lured to the Bob side by Instagram people.

(@theladywholunches, specifically)

The Bob uses less fabric and fits just right.

It does bear a strong resemblance to V8499 and V8561, both Marcy Tilton patterns

(please see http://communingwithfabric.blogspot.com/2010/03/vogue-8499-marcy-tilton-pants.html for her take on them)

Even Google thinks so; my search results for marcy tilton pants patterns shows the Bob pants and the Ethel:

So more Bobs happened.

Two yards, crossgrain layout: squeezed fronts backs waistband and facing for pockets (not entire pockets)

These took two yards of Ankara and used all but a couple of 8" x 5" triangular pieces.

A nice thing about ankara is that you can use it crossgrain to show off the print, and if the hem of the pants pieces is right on the selvage, the print lines up all around the pants.  and the front piece looks off grain. Except it's not if you look at the marking on the piece.

Well, we'll get to that

You should always mark the grainline on your pattern pieces; this is sewing 101. I've messed up so many pants by not paying attention to that, and the inevitable twist in the legs as they get washed and worn is just my pants telling me what a hack I am for not paying attention.

HACK! LOSER!

And looking at this diagram for the pattern pieces, there's an interesting set of grain choices.

The hems match the grain lines, but the grainlines don't entirely match the front and back seams. The front piece actually gives you a 1" by 8" wedge more fabric at the front seam (the gray wedge indicated below), starting with 1" at the waist and tapering to the crotch. I have more tum than I used to, and this is...not a bad idea. All three fabrics I used are so busy you can't notice the widening.

the yellow rectangles are square with the pattern's grainlines

Yes, it's weird, but I don't think it's wrong. the grain is consistent between the front and back, and the fit works for me, so I'm calling it hooray for the extra gray wedgy bit. I have added that and more into pajama bottoms to allow for cake consumption; why not start with it?

I ditch their pocket bag for one where the top seam gets sewn into the waist band so the weight of the bag is carried by the waist band, not the side seam (which the side gets sewn into). And my bag is bigger. bigger on the inside.

Inside out Bob pants, showing larger grey pocket bags (made from separate material), extending into the waistband and staystitched to the side seams

So here are the Bobs

Another Ankara, from House of MamiWata

and Tiger

from Alexander Henry, courtesy of Stonemountain and Daughter Fabrics

(I don't get paid or compensated by them, they have both done a great job by making it easy for me to give them money for fabric)

You can see where the pattern does not match up on the side (moved more to the front because extra pocket contents room under my tum) seam, and this needs to be a feature, not a bug. In another kind of print, I could turn the front panels sideways from the back, to make a contrast (I have done that with  stripes on another pattern, and it looks really cool)

This is a great pattern for ankara, as the body in most of those fabrics is really a great match for this style. The novelty cotton is a little too soft for it, but these will be fine once summer comes in August.

I suspect there's a couple more coming down the road....