Hey Everyone!
When the Curvy Sewing Collective announced that February was going to be Pants Making Month, it was just the push I needed to pull out Burda 6678 from my pattern stash.
Doesn’t it look so easy? These casual pants have five pattern pieces, tapered legs, an elastic waist, and pockets. Who doesn’t love a quick-and-dirty sew, like this, especially pants? Yep…perfection!
Originally, I cut the pattern based on my hip measurements, then made a muslin of my quick-and-dirty lounge pants. At first go, I thought they were perfect straight from the package. Come on, how cute are these giraffe printed lounge pants? Even better, I finished them in two hours. The fit looked good, they weren’t too tight in the thighs, and that slight taper in the bottom was fabulous. Yep…again perfect!
Then, I sat down.
#gasp #exposed #nobueno
Definitely not a good look if I plan to throw these on at the next PTA meeting, so I got right to work on a Full Butt Adjustment. I also photographed this process through each step, so I could share a quick tutorial with you. If you find yourself in similar trouble with a pattern, this will sort it out!
Tutorial: Full Butt/Bootie/Tush Adjustment
There are many different resources available on how to make a Full Butt Adjustment but the slash and spread method utilized in Collette’s Clover Pants Sewalong (great resource for navigating other pants fitting issues and concerns) is my tried-and-true method.
- Identify how much more coverage you need. My glory needed about 1.5” to clear the horizon.
- Since the only fit issues I had were in the back, that’s the only pattern piece I will be modifying. I traced my back pattern piece and made sure to also include my seamlines, grainline and rise shorten/lengthen line.
- From the center back, draw and cut slash lines through to the seam allowance. To create a hinge point, snip into the seam allowance, making it easier to pivot and spread your pattern.
- Spread and cut along the center back rise to the amount you need for coverage. Due to the shape of my glory back there, I find it better to distribute the amount I need among the 2 cut points along my center back. It’s totally trial and error as to how you want to split the amount of spread. I used a 1/3, 2/3 split and it worked for me.
- Fill in the gaps with paper and tape in place. Smooth out any lines that need to be trued up and retrace the pattern piece, then you are good to go!
But did it work?
YES, it did!
Below are photos of my two muslins, before and after this adjustment. I tied an elastic band around my waist to show where I would prefer my pants to be so that we have no exposure. As you can see with Muslin #1, the back of my pants did not reach the elastic band at my waist, but Muslin #2 with the adjustments completely covers the elastic band and is giving me the coverage I need for all my glory. Yeahhhhh!
Muslin #1
Muslin #2 with Full Butt Adjustment
I loved the new fit so much that I could not resist taking the pants with me on my trip to Cuba last month. I already have plans to add a couple more of these quick sew lounge pants in my wardrobe. I definitely recommend Burda 6678 for an easy pair of elastic waist lounge pant, if you’re interested, and hope that the Full Butt Adjustment tutorial was helpful for this and other patterns.
Until next time,
GariChild
Hey There,
Thank you for this post. I am literally in tears over here at you talking about your Glory!!!! Thanks to this post I will now be able to properly fit my Glory!!! This made my day. Take care and thanks!!!
Thank you! I continuously have this problem and have had no idea as to how to fix it. I am definitely going to try this. I usually clumsily add to the top of the pattern and of course it just bunches up and I give up. You have given me renewed interest into trying to create a pants pattern for my ample derriere!
Thank you for this! I love your sense of humor. I am covered in glory, and need my glory covered! (I have a big backside.)
LOL…Thank you!!
What a clever adjustment! Thank you so much for sharing it! (And the adjusted pants look great!)
Thank you!
You must be reading my mind! I’m just planning a shirt right now. I would appreciate an article on matching up horizontal patterns. I tried the Craftsy Shirt class and the Libety shirt as well but my memory is poor so I’m happy to follow a long with you. Thank you.
Thank you!
Thank you for the wonderful tutorial. I have a “full booty” and this is first pattern adjustment that makes sense. Your pants look amazing on you!
Cynthia
Thank you
Love both pairs. Great job.. I have never sewn up a burda pattern before. This one looks simple enough. I need to give it a try.
This was my first Burda and I didn’t expect it to be this easy!! Give it a try!
This is a great tutorial! I’m working on a client project and this will come in very handy! However, I’ll be doing a waistband and she doesn’t want elastic. Her backside is where her glory is as well . . . any tips/tricks to fit the waist and the hips? She’s a 1X in the waist and a 6X plus in the hips/thighs and very short . . . Thank you!!
Arghhhh probably late but such a difference from waist to hips. I would recommend a pattern with multiple darts (there are many patterns with up to 4 darts in the back to get the fit right). My next pair planned is non-elastic and I am exploring my options.
Oh my goodness, what a great tutorial. I’ve seen other ones where you just lengthen the crotch curve, but I will be trying this in the near future. Great pictures, great explanation – love everything you’re doing here.
Thank you!
Thanks for this. I don’t have a bottom, but your instructions are what I would have to do in reverse. I can see the drag lines on my bottom that fit exactly the lines you have drawn, but would need to be taken in, not let out. And yes, your pants do look better in picture two.
YES…The Colette Sew along addresses it in the same matter for the reverse. Glad I could help
I love this adjustment. I always struggle with pants because I have a prominent backside and all of the tutorials are how to make patterns smaller or flatter. This is definitely one I will try.
Glad I could help!
I just got through fitting woes with a similar pattern, Vogue 8909. The biggest difference is there’s a back yoke in the Vogue pattern. I couldn’t find any clear advice on whether to adjust the yoke too, so I did my full butt adjustment just on the main back pant piece. It seemed to work out ok, but I’m curious, how would you handle a back yoke here?
I think I would do the same as you. do the adjustment on the rise and leave the yoke alone. My next pair of pants are jeans with a yoke and thats my plan of attack. Hopefully it works. Fingers crossed!
Miss Martha – YOU ARE THE BEST TEACHER EVER! This is ingenious. It put the oomph right where the oomph needs to be – NOT ON THE SIDE like other teachers do it. My pants still don’t fit my oomph, and are too big on the sides and legs after I followed the “book” instructions. But you realized that you don’t need to fix the hips or the legs – just the oomph. So easy – so on the mark! EVEN I CAN DO THIS ONE!!!
Next you need to show us the full arm adjustment. The ones I know about all add width on top of the arm – that is not where my “fluff: is. So again, we have puffy arm top, and underarm is STILL too tight.
Help us, Miss Martha! You’re our only hope.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST – you look fab! I love your style! I love the way you talk! Your words of wisdom are inspirational – “What would you do if you were not afraid?” I’m making a wall plaque.
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU
Timid Julie
JULIEEEEEE!!!! You have absolutely made my heart smile!!! Thank you thank you thank you!!!!!!!!!! And about that full arm adjustment, I am there with you 100%! Work in Progress!!
Thank you. I haven’t seen the adjustment done this way before, and I certainly need the adjustment. I’ll give it a go. I’m struggling with pants at the moment.
I love this tutorial. You say that you have all glory, I have Boodack { business in the front and none in the back}! Now I need a tutorial on how to do this adjustment. I usually shy away from making and wearing jeans because of this fitting issue. Thanks for the morning laugh!
Boodack! Love it! Michelle has a great tutorial on a full tummy adjustment, I used it for a pencil skirt last night and it worked perfectly. http://wp1094.hostgator.com/~waezmq0ac6rs/tutorial-full-tummy-adjustment-pants-or-skirt/
Thanks for the full tummy adjustment link.
Great tutorial, Martha! I will definitely put this one to good use- I often have that problem where the waist dips down in center back because my butt takes up all the room!
Thank you!!
I’ve never seen that adjustment done that way. Really interesting and I loved your pants!
“My glory needed about 1.5” to clear the horizon.”
Ha ha ha ha ha! Love this, and will totally be thinking it next time I do an FBA (Full Butt Adjustment)! Thanks for a great tutorial!
Wow what a difference! It’s amazing how a little twerk here & there improves the fit. I m so glad you showed the actual paper pattern. How did you decide that was where you needed to make the changes? And how much change was necessary? I have a pattern I love, that is a little snug on my bootie & pulls the back down when I sit. Going a size bigger is a horror.
The green is absolutely beautiful with your skin tone too.
Thank you!!! I thought i was cleared until I sat down. Even when I fit RTW, I know where I need my pants to be in the back for no exposure. I just took note of where the 1st muslin waistband ended and where I needed it to reach to determine how much more of the centerback rise I needed. I say play with your pants pattern before you go bigger. Fit is fustrating but once you got it right, the rewards are plentiful!
This entire series is incredibly useful, but dang, I just had to comment on this one. First: the use of the word “glory”. YES. I love it! Second: she is the cutest thing ever! As well as a fabulous sewer/sewist.
And I think I need this pattern now.
Hahahahah Thank you!
Thank you. These look so comfy , trying to decide how I can fit in making a couple of pairs for my hols in 5 weeks! Love the detailed butt adjustment ?
Glad I saw this post – it made me chuckle and you make it look so achievable, plus the difference in fit shows it’s well worth doing! They look great on you! x
Thank you!