Same Pattern, Different Bodies: Flint “Curve” Pants and Shorts

We know that many CSC readers have been very curious about Megan Nielsen’s launch of her Curve line, which expands the size range for some of her patterns quite considerably. Several of us were not only curious about the Curve line itself, but also trying out the wide-leg pants trend that’s so popular right now, so a few of our editors and regular contributors decided to sew up the Flint Curve pants and shorts pattern and share our projects with our readers.

Note that there’s also a cute (free!) overalls add-on available for all sizes of this pattern: Free Flint Overall add-on.

Disclaimer: While we received promotional copies of this pattern in exchange for our honest reviews on the CSC, our individual reviews are entirely our own assessments of the pattern.

The following image shows the size chart for the Flint Curve pants and shorts:

Jennifer

• Measurements: My measurements are 49/45/55. I’m 5’6” tall, with a long torso and short legs. I grow more and more apple-shaped by the day.
• Body Shape: As I get older, my weight seems to be moving to the center — which means I have a nice round tummy and pronounced high hip (but no lower hip to speak of). I generally wear clothes that skim over my middle, and I was a little nervous about these pants since their detail (high waist, pleats, etc.) need to be shown off with a tucked in shirt. Was I ready to highlight my abdomen? (Hint: yes, yes I was.)
• Pattern size used: I sewed a straight size 28, which puts me near the top of the new plus-size range.

• Alterations: I took an extra half inch on the hem to account for my short legs, and modified the legs and back crotch curve to allow the pants to hang better. If you have an “apple derriere” like me (and my body-double, Megan), here’s where to start: do a knock-knee adjustment by adding a half-inch to the inner thigh on both front and back pattern pieces. Then remove 1.5 inches from the legs, beginning just below the pocket bag and running all the way to the hem line. That re-balances the legs to account for the fact that our hips are widest near our belly button (rather than 5-6 inches lower at crotch level, as most pants are designed). Then, scoop out a little bit of the back crotch curve, to give yourself more room. This should be done in 1/4 inch basted increments, since a little goes a long way. If you’re still having trouble, consider a swayback adjustment — if your wrinkles go away when you pull up the back center seam, that’s your ticket. (I didn’t do that here, but I’ve seen it work miracles on Megan!)
• Fabric: I dithered for two months over choosing a fabric, since the pants look quite different depending on the structure and drape of the material. In the end, I used a gray cotton/linen blend from my stash. It seems to hit the mark for both “business smart” and “breathable in a hot and humid office with questionable A/C.”
• Fit: These are my only pair of wide-legged pants, and I think I might be a convert. I would like to try another pair with a more cropped look (taking another 3-4 inches off the bottom), as well as a pair in a tencel twill (which will give them more swoosh).

• Changes for future versions: These are my only pair of wide-legged pants, and I think I might be a convert. I would like to try another pair with a more cropped look (taking another 3-4 inches off the bottom), as well as a pair in a tencel twill (which will give them more swoosh).
• Final Thoughts: If you hate tucking in a shirt, give these a try anyway. And if you think that pleated pants can only emphasize your belly, take a chance! I was surprised at how good I felt in these pants — and now it’s challenging me to think more broadly about my fashion options!

Jessica

• Measurements: My measurements are 40 bust, 34 waist, and 46 hip. I’m 5’6″ tall and short waisted. My boobs and waist are coming closer together with each passing day.
• Body Shape: I’m a busty pear, with a bit of tummy too.
• Pattern size used: Size 16 for the waist blended to an 18 for the hip. I haven’t made myself pants…ever. So I wanted to see how they would fit out of the packet before making any changes.
• Alterations: None aside from blending sizes!

• Fabric: For the fabric I went with a stretch cotton twill. The pattern does not call for stretch fabrics, but this was all I could find on my fabric hunting session. It’s quite firm and stiff and has a pretty low stretch percentage. I wanted fabric that would be totally opaque and hold up to trips to the park with my kids. To help mitigate the stretch in the waist, I lined the waistband with stiff organdy.
• Fit: These fit shockingly well right out of the packet! I think it helps that I did the shorts version so I didn’t have to deal with length issues, but still. Pleasantly surprised! Also, no zipper closure on these!!! Just the buttons which makes this pattern a super fast and easy sew.
• Changes for future versions: I think I have to wear these more to see what changes I want to make if any. I know I need to work on my pants construction methods to get the crotch curve to lie nicely. The navy fabric hides that a bit.
• Final Thoughts: I’m ready for the temperature to warm up so I can give these a proper test! I also bought some stretch tencel twill to make another pair with the tie closure. My mom nearly fainted when I showed her a photo of me…in shorts!

Megan

• Measurements: Waist 42″, Hip 53″
• Body Shape: Representing “team pear” and also team “heart shaped butt”
• Pattern size used: I was between sizes and rounded up to the 26
• Alterations: Initially, based on past pants fitting nightmares, I added 1″ to the crotch curve on the back thigh. In hindsight, I should have done the same to the front, as this pattern is very straight through the inner thigh. After getting everything basted, I removed an inch from the back waist at the center back, tapering to nothing at the side seams. These two adjustments, in essence, resulted in a tilted pelvis adjustment, which is something I have been wanting to experiment with. The balance/drape of most wide leg pants patterns does not work with my body, and I’m still trying to sort out why and how to fix it. Then, after adding the waistband, I slimmed down the legs a total of 5″ each, 1.5″ at each side seam starting just below the high hip, and 1″ on the inner thigh starting 8″ below the crotch point (essentially just below where my thighs stop touching). Additionally, I had fears of lots of pulling at the waistband so I added elastic to the back waist and omitted the darts. I also used a trouser hook instead of a second button on the waistband to add a bit more support to the waistband. I hope to detail all these changes on my blog soon, but haven’t found the time for the posts yet. 

• Fabric: This is a fairly stiff chambray from Imagine Gnats. The quality is fantastic, but after looking at everyone else’s finished garments, I wish I had used something with more drape. 
• Fit: As you can see above, I made a lot of changes to achieve my desired fit and this still chambray still shows drag lines all over the place. That said, I have major pants fitting issues, so I can’t blame the pattern on this one. With every new pants designer I try, I dream that I will finally find the one that drafts for my body type, but alas, apparently Megan Nielsen will not be the one. I think the fit would have been better with a fabric with more drape, however I do think some design integrity was lost between the smaller size range of this pattern and the plus size range. The legs were COMICALLY huge and you can see that Jennifer and I (the two who made the longer version) both took in the legs quite a bit. 
• Changes for future versions: Now that I have sorted the pattern, I may try it again. I am going to need a bit of time to get over the trauma of fitting this pants pattern though, I lost an entire 3 day weekend to the saga. However, I do think it would be lovely in a rayon or rayon linen blend, so I hope I find the willpower to give it another try. 

• Final Thoughts: Unfortunately, I have not found my perfect pants patterns, but I think I did learn a bit in the process. As I type, the pants are taking a spin through the wash cycle, which I hope will help soften them up a bit. Taking a step back, I do think I ended up with a pair of cute and stylish pants, so I hope I get a lot of use out of them this summer. Special thanks to my butt double Jennifer W. for holding my hand through the fitting process! One more note if you are interested in sewing this pattern: The waistband pieces are not nested (at least in the copy shop version) and if you aren’t careful you could end up printing three extra sheets of only waistbands (which translates to $15 dollars wasted at my copy shop). Be sure to preview the pattern before printing! 

Michelle

• Measurements: High Bust – 42″, Bust –45.5″, Bra Size – 40D/DD, Waist – 42″, Hips – 46″, Height – 5’2″
• Body Shape: My body type is somewhere between a hourglass and rectangle from the front, and an apple from the side.
• Pattern size used: I sewed a size 18 at the hips, graded to a size 20 at the waist.
• Alterations: None, outside of grading between sizes.

• Fabric: Soft Tencel Twill from Stylemaker Fabrics in the color “sage”. Other than it fraying a bit, this fabric was a dream to work with–not too fussy to cut, nice body and drape, and it pressed beautifully. I loved working with it so much that I’ve ordered some in other colorways.
• Fit: I gambled on the waistband, as the size chart indicated that I should have made a size 24 at the waist, but from my experience with other patterns and personal preference, I’ve found that usually grading one size up from my hip size usually works out better for me than going off of most size charts. There are a few minor tweaks that I’ll make for future versions, but overall, I’m pretty happy with the fit. Note that I do have some pocket gape on these, even though they’re not snug in the tummy at all and I did interface my seam allowances on the pocket openings. I think that the sample photos are pretty representative of the fit of these on a curvy body–you can see the pocket gape there, too.
• Changes for future versions: I’d like to make the pant version of these, too, and on the pants, I’ll grade up one size more in the waist, shorten the front rise a touch, lengthen the back rise a touch, and play around with the pocket openings to address the pocket gape issue.

• Final Thoughts: The concealed closure on these pants/shorts is really clever and not difficult to construct at all. This might not be the most “flattering” shape on me, but I still like them. I think they’re a nicely dressy pair of shorts and remind me of a pair of sandwashed silk shorts (remember that trend???) that I recall buying from Express back in the 90’s. I love the “swoosh factor” of these shorts, which is what makes me want to make the pants–well, that, and the fact that these were super fact to construct, given that there’s no fly, but they look more polished than elastic-waist “pull up” pants/shorts.