Thank you SO much for this fabulous tutorial. I just "attempted" to make a pair of pants (New Look pattern) and while the front fit fine, the rise in the back was woefully short! I was at a loss as to how to remedy. Adding that back only length adjustment was brilliant! Thank you so much!
If I Ever See You In Person I will Give You A Gigantic Hug. I can't tell you how many videos I watched about this, that confused the heck out of me. I watched this video and felt like "That's IT?" "It has to be More!". Thank you for simplifying this. 😁😁😊
Thank you so much ! I shorted the back and front crotch depth on a pattern the same amount but then found the back a tad short to so that last adjustment will be so handy for just giving myself a little extra length in the back while keeping the front intact !
This method of cutting across affects the overall length of the pants, too. When I made shorts, the hem fell in the wrong place. So just be aware that you might have to adjust length. Great video!
Thank you so much! I'm also tall with a long torso. Midrise pants wear like low rise on me. And with my body, though I'm not overweight, they cause significant mushrooming lol! I've also got a bubble butt so adjusting the back crotch length was super helpful as well.
Can u ask u a question? What does it mean when I walk and I noticed my pants in the back start to pull down when I walk? not in the front it’s just in the back? Could it be when my knee bends when I walk ? I am not sure. I am new at this. Please help me .THANKS
I would guess that your back rise is too short. I have this same problem and added some length to the back rise. I also decided that pants fit me better if they sit at my natural waist. They are perhaps allowing more ease around the hips and bum so the back waist is not pulled down when I walk/sit.
I ordered an online pants pattern described as "high waisted", and I am short waited as well. After making I really liked the wide elastic waistband, legs, inseam pockets, BUT it was far too high waisted. I watched your video & removed 1 1/2'' from the rise, front & back, based on the fact that I could roll the entire waistband of 1 1/2 " over on itself to what seemed like the right fit. I had recently purchased a plastic grid ruler & followed your brilliant demo to remake the pattern. I omitted the inseam pockets to focus on the fit of the rise & instead made patch pockets for the back. Complete success on my 2nd try of this pattern & I cannot thank you enough.
I found the addition at the end to be particularly helpful, increasing only the back rise. What I need to do is decrease the front rise and I can figure that from the opposite of the increasing the back rise: hinge DOWN the front rise....Thanks.
Me too. Figured that out, pinching a good 2 inches, just below the zipper on my store bought. Did you try the hinge? I'm wondering if the front seam up the front then needed adjusting, I would imagine it'd skew inward.
So if you shorten your method do you then add length to the pants at the lengthen and shorten line on the leg? How do you know which crotch depth to do front or back. I have made a pair of shorts and they come up to high waisted so I want to make them lower. Was it by about 2 inches is that too much to take out of the crotch or would I be better to buy another pattern that is more suited.
Do you HAVE to (in my case) shorten BOTH the front and the back pattern pieces? I always find the front rise is a bit too long for me in many pants I make but the rear seems fine. Can you shorten the front without shortening the back? Will this cause logistic errors in construction?
If you're working with shorts that are already made, as opposed to a sewing pattern, it's a little tricky because you don't want to make the pocket opening smaller. I'd search for alteration videos or consult with a professional in alterations. Unfortunately, my expertise is more in pattern drafting and sewing from scratch than in alterations.
Thank you! I appreciate the additional instruction on how to lengthen the back crotch only. I need to shorten the front and lengthen the back! I want to do this to shorts which are straight and gathered at the waist. When I shorten the front crotch and lengthen the back, I can't get the side seams or the inner leg seams to match...argh! Can you help?
Hi Cathy, I'm sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. It is a bit of a challenging adjustment. In the tutorial, you'll see that when you lengthen only the back crotch, the side seam and inseam do not change. To shorten the front, you'd want to do the same type of adjustment but move the top part of the pattern so that it overlaps instead of spreading wider. If you're making big adjustments though, you may need to redraw the side seams so that they match. Best of luck!
@@SewDIY Thank you so much! You confirmed what I'd been thinking! I will need to lengthen the side seam on the front pant so that it matches the length of the back side seam. I appreciate your response!
Thank you so much, that was so helpful. Question, was the last adjustment, the one where you only increased the back, was that for someone who has a rounder Fanny? I am attempting my first pain of paints, making a muslin as you suggested. Debbie
That adjustment was a request from someone. It's pretty similar to a full bum adjustment so it would help give more room in the back. It could just be personal preference too, if someone wants the front of the pants lower than the back.
How would you remove just from the front? I have larger hips and then the rise in the front is too long, but I would need more in the back…bodies are uniquely beautiful, aren’t they? 😂
The intention of this fit adjustment is to move the position of the waistband. So, if the waistband is too low or too high, this will move it higher or lower without changing the circumference. Whether or not it works to extend from the top of the pants really depends on the shape of the pants. In short, it works for straight lines but not for pants with curved side seams. If the pants curve in at the waist (think hiphugger or high waist jeans) and you extend at the top, then you'll have a shape that kind of looks like an upside down funnel . This would extend the circumference of the waist over more inches and might end up being too tight on the area below the waist. (Of course, this assumes a waist that is smaller than the hips.) However, if you're making pants with a gathered waist that go straight from the crotch to the waist with no narrowing, then the shape won't change if you add to the top of the pants. If you have curved side/center seams and you just continue drawing the side and center lines and then draw a new waist line, it will make a smaller waistline seam. Much better to slash and spread to maintain those seam lines.
This is very practical and easy for beginners like me. I have just finished my first pants block to pattern. From that I made test pants, but I have noticed the back rise and front rise could go up 3 fingers ( Its what I had on hand ) (5cm ~) TY very much for sharing this super tutorial. :)
Hi Meaghan! You shouldn't need to redraw the waistline. You'll want that line to stay the same so that it still fits the waistband. There's an illustration in the blog post that might be helpful. www.sewdiy.com/blog/2019/adjust-rise-pants-pattern
For a woven fabric how much ease is good the the crotch length? 3/4 -4" rise adjustment sounds like a lot. My daughter is your height and my standard adjustment is 2". When have you used 4"? I would love a video on how to make a bodice block. I've tried with no success (so far). And if the breasts are not symmetrical, does one fit uniformly anyway or adjust for each side of the body?
Hi Sage, How much of an adjustment you make really depends on your body proportions and desired fit. It was the Lander Pant pattern that I added 4" to (as I recall). My torso is a little long in relation to my legs. Someone else my height could easily have much longer legs and a shorter torso. This is a handy blog post about minimum wearing ease: winmichele.com/2019/08/29/minimum-ease-wearing-ease/ For a bodice block, I really like this post from Melly Sews: mellysews.com/how-to-make-a-bodice-pattern/ There isn't a video included but I really like her instructions. I haven't done it before but I believe for an asymmetrical body, you'd draft a different block for the left and right. I hope that helps!!
Thank you for showing how to lengthen the back rise only. My husband needs pajama pants and every pair we buy is too short in the back and so uncomfortable he can’t wear them. Getting ready to make a pair for him and this was the adjustment I needed. Wish me luck!!
Hi there! Sorry, I didn't get back to you sooner. It's really hard to add length to a pair of pre-made pants. Depending on the seam allowance, you might be able to let out the seams at the crotch and waistband a little bit but probably not more than 1/4".
I’m working on the back rise of a pair of pants I would like to make. I cut the back to nothing towards the hip line in two places to add 1/2” in both of the cuts. The only thing is that the waistband no longer fits. Why not?
hmm. so, you did not adjust the waist band edge at all, correct? Is it possible that the fabric of your waistband stretched out after you cut it? I'd go back and compare your fabric to the pattern and see if what's been cut matches the pattern. You may be able to shrink it back to the correct shape with a little steam and ironing.
Does this help if you have too of a high rise jeans ? Because my jeans are too high waisted for me and I’m tryna make them mid rise ..this confused me a lil
Hi Keyonna, I'm sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. This is for adjusting a pattern, not for jeans that are already made. If you're sewing your own jeans, then this would help.
I'm so rapt to find this video! I am average height (5ft 6") but I have a very short torso and long legs, so I have to wear the early 2000's lower than low rise jeans - otherwise I look crazy. But low rise pants and leggings are impossible to find these days, either in sewing patterns or ready to wear. So I was wondering how you lower the rise on leggings patterns that boast only 1 pattern piece (ie. the pattern piece is for the front and back of one leg). I hope that makes sense. Every great leggings pattern I own is high rise, or mid rise at best. But I need low, lower than low. Early 200's low! 😉Any advice would be so very much appreciated!
Hi Tex, For your purposes, I would just cut off the top of the pattern. Because super low rise styles sit lower than the natural waist, they would usually have a larger opening at the waist so you likely would not want to use that upper section of a high-rise or mid-rise pattern because it would be too tight. (Note, if the pattern uses a separate piece for the waistband, you'll need to draft a new waistband.) (It seems like 90s and early 2000s styles are coming back in to style so you'll be in luck soon!) I hope that helps!
Hi Donna, I think you should try a full tummy adjustment (aka full abdomen adjustment). It's similar to the method I use here that increases only the back rise. Except, it also adds a little width at the waist. Here's one tutorial: curvysewingcollective.com/tutorial-full-tummy-adjustment-pants-or-skirt/
A straight line is the easiest way to make sure that the grainline won't be shifted. If the grain line is moved to the left or right or rotated, the garment will probably hang differently and it might twist.
My front crotch is either okay or too long but my back crotch length is always too short. If I do your method in lengthening, then the front comes up way to high. How can I just lengthen the back crotch length only?
If you start watching the video at 7:26 I show how to do that. For illustrations, check out my blog post: www.sewdiy.com/blog/2019/adjust-rise-pants-pattern Happy sewing!
Hi Gina, That would really depend on the style of the pants and if you're trying to lengthen or shorten. Shortening would be easier in general. I recommend looking for tutorials on alterations.
If the back rise is too short will it cause wedgies for women with curvier bums? The front is fine (11.5 inches) but the back (13.25 inches) seems to be a problem :/
Lets say you shorten the rise of the pants with this method. If you want low rise or even mid rise pants, you have to make the top part of the pants wider. Or else it won't fit.
Yes, that's a good thing to look out for if you're making a significant change. Likewise, if you add to the rise you might need to make the waistband smaller but it all depends on your measurements, the pattern and your desired fit. (However, if it's a pair of elastic waist pants, you may not need to adjust the waistband.) This adjustment is really intended for changing the position of the waistband to fit your body better, not to change the design style of the pants.
Thank you SO much for this fabulous tutorial. I just "attempted" to make a pair of pants (New Look pattern) and while the front fit fine, the rise in the back was woefully short! I was at a loss as to how to remedy. Adding that back only length adjustment was brilliant! Thank you so much!
Thank you so much for adding that back only length adjustment. It was just what I needed for my new pair of jammie pants!!!!
Glad it was helpful!
If I Ever See You In Person I will Give You A Gigantic Hug. I can't tell you how many videos I watched about this, that confused the heck out of me. I watched this video and felt like "That's IT?" "It has to be More!". Thank you for simplifying this. 😁😁😊
I'm so glad that it was helpful. :)
Thanks so much! You're a true blessing. I didn't know how to decrease nor add to my pattern. I did it wrong but now I know.
Thank you so much, that was so good and uncomplicated.
Glad it helped!
Thank you so much ! I shorted the back and front crotch depth on a pattern the same amount but then found the back a tad short to so that last adjustment will be so handy for just giving myself a little extra length in the back while keeping the front intact !
This method of cutting across affects the overall length of the pants, too. When I made shorts, the hem fell in the wrong place. So just be aware that you might have to adjust length. Great video!
Thank you so much. This is a life saver for me as I make pants and pencil skirts. There is always pulling.
I cannot tell you how much I needed this video. Thank you so much!!!!❤️❤️❤️
Perfect timing! I'm so happy to help. :)
Thank you so much. Just discovered this after A Google search. Really helpful.
This was perfect, thank you. I want to lengthen the waist to sit higher on a commercial pattern so this has been incredible helpful.
Thank you so much! I'm also tall with a long torso. Midrise pants wear like low rise on me. And with my body, though I'm not overweight, they cause significant mushrooming lol! I've also got a bubble butt so adjusting the back crotch length was super helpful as well.
Excellent video 😊 so easy to understand and follow instructions
Thank you
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you for sharing you explained this so eloquently 💗
I'm so glad that it was helpful!
Can u ask u a question? What does it mean when I walk and I noticed my pants in the back start to pull down when I walk? not in the front it’s just in the back? Could it be when my knee bends when I walk ? I am not sure. I am new at this. Please help me .THANKS
I would guess that your back rise is too short. I have this same problem and added some length to the back rise. I also decided that pants fit me better if they sit at my natural waist. They are perhaps allowing more ease around the hips and bum so the back waist is not pulled down when I walk/sit.
I ordered an online pants pattern described as "high waisted", and I am short waited as well. After making I really liked the wide elastic waistband, legs, inseam pockets, BUT it was far too high waisted. I watched your video & removed 1 1/2'' from the rise, front & back, based on the fact that I could roll the entire waistband of 1 1/2 " over on itself to what seemed like the right fit. I had recently purchased a plastic grid ruler & followed your brilliant demo to remake the pattern. I omitted the inseam pockets to focus on the fit of the rise & instead made patch pockets for the back. Complete success on my 2nd try of this pattern & I cannot thank you enough.
Thank you so much. This explanation is so simple to follow. Just what I needed! 😁
I'm so glad!
I found the addition at the end to be particularly helpful, increasing only the back rise. What I need to do is decrease the front rise and I can figure that from the opposite of the increasing the back rise: hinge DOWN the front rise....Thanks.
Me too. Figured that out, pinching a good 2 inches, just below the zipper on my store bought. Did you try the hinge? I'm wondering if the front seam up the front then needed adjusting, I would imagine it'd skew inward.
So if you shorten your method do you then add length to the pants at the lengthen and shorten line on the leg? How do you know which crotch depth to do front or back. I have made a pair of shorts and they come up to high waisted so I want to make them lower. Was it by about 2 inches is that too much to take out of the crotch or would I be better to buy another pattern that is more suited.
Do you HAVE to (in my case) shorten BOTH the front and the back pattern pieces? I always find the front rise is a bit too long for me in many pants I make but the rear seems fine. Can you shorten the front without shortening the back? Will this cause logistic errors in construction?
my waistband come too high on short with pockets is there a wasy it can be altered
If you're working with shorts that are already made, as opposed to a sewing pattern, it's a little tricky because you don't want to make the pocket opening smaller. I'd search for alteration videos or consult with a professional in alterations. Unfortunately, my expertise is more in pattern drafting and sewing from scratch than in alterations.
Thank you, very helpful.
Thank you! I appreciate the additional instruction on how to lengthen the back crotch only. I need to shorten the front and lengthen the back! I want to do this to shorts which are straight and gathered at the waist. When I shorten the front crotch and lengthen the back, I can't get the side seams or the inner leg seams to match...argh! Can you help?
Hi Cathy, I'm sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. It is a bit of a challenging adjustment. In the tutorial, you'll see that when you lengthen only the back crotch, the side seam and inseam do not change. To shorten the front, you'd want to do the same type of adjustment but move the top part of the pattern so that it overlaps instead of spreading wider. If you're making big adjustments though, you may need to redraw the side seams so that they match. Best of luck!
@@SewDIY Thank you so much! You confirmed what I'd been thinking! I will need to lengthen the side seam on the front pant so that it matches the length of the back side seam. I appreciate your response!
Thank you so much, that was so helpful. Question, was the last adjustment, the one where you only increased the back, was that for someone who has a rounder Fanny? I am attempting my first pain of paints, making a muslin as you suggested. Debbie
That adjustment was a request from someone. It's pretty similar to a full bum adjustment so it would help give more room in the back. It could just be personal preference too, if someone wants the front of the pants lower than the back.
How would you remove just from the front? I have larger hips and then the rise in the front is too long, but I would need more in the back…bodies are uniquely beautiful, aren’t they? 😂
Why would you extend only the back rise?
Thank you for such clear explanation on this! Love your videos ;)
Thank you Michelle! I'm so glad to hear that. :)
To extend the raise cant you just add to the top of the pants. Can u explain the differences?
The intention of this fit adjustment is to move the position of the waistband. So, if the waistband is too low or too high, this will move it higher or lower without changing the circumference. Whether or not it works to extend from the top of the pants really depends on the shape of the pants. In short, it works for straight lines but not for pants with curved side seams.
If the pants curve in at the waist (think hiphugger or high waist jeans) and you extend at the top, then you'll have a shape that kind of looks like an upside down funnel . This would extend the circumference of the waist over more inches and might end up being too tight on the area below the waist. (Of course, this assumes a waist that is smaller than the hips.)
However, if you're making pants with a gathered waist that go straight from the crotch to the waist with no narrowing, then the shape won't change if you add to the top of the pants.
If you have curved side/center seams and you just continue drawing the side and center lines and then draw a new waist line, it will make a smaller waistline seam. Much better to slash and spread to maintain those seam lines.
Thanks
This is very practical and easy for beginners like me. I have just finished my first pants block to pattern. From that I made test pants, but I have noticed the back rise and front rise could go up 3 fingers ( Its what I had on hand ) (5cm ~) TY very much for sharing this super tutorial. :)
I'm so glad that it was helpful!
after completing the back only hinge method what do you do to redraw the waistline?
Hi Meaghan! You shouldn't need to redraw the waistline. You'll want that line to stay the same so that it still fits the waistband. There's an illustration in the blog post that might be helpful. www.sewdiy.com/blog/2019/adjust-rise-pants-pattern
For a woven fabric how much ease is good the the crotch length?
3/4 -4" rise adjustment sounds like a lot. My daughter is your height and my standard adjustment is 2". When have you used 4"?
I would love a video on how to make a bodice block. I've tried with no success (so far). And if the breasts are not symmetrical, does one fit uniformly anyway or adjust for each side of the body?
Hi Sage, How much of an adjustment you make really depends on your body proportions and desired fit. It was the Lander Pant pattern that I added 4" to (as I recall). My torso is a little long in relation to my legs. Someone else my height could easily have much longer legs and a shorter torso. This is a handy blog post about minimum wearing ease: winmichele.com/2019/08/29/minimum-ease-wearing-ease/
For a bodice block, I really like this post from Melly Sews: mellysews.com/how-to-make-a-bodice-pattern/ There isn't a video included but I really like her instructions. I haven't done it before but I believe for an asymmetrical body, you'd draft a different block for the left and right. I hope that helps!!
Thanks so much! I've been looking forever for just this information. Hopefully I'm on my way to being able to fit myself. :-)
Thank you for showing how to lengthen the back rise only. My husband needs pajama pants and every pair we buy is too short in the back and so uncomfortable he can’t wear them. Getting ready to make a pair for him and this was the adjustment I needed. Wish me luck!!
Can you lengthen the rise on premade pants?
Hi there! Sorry, I didn't get back to you sooner. It's really hard to add length to a pair of pre-made pants. Depending on the seam allowance, you might be able to let out the seams at the crotch and waistband a little bit but probably not more than 1/4".
I’m working on the back rise of a pair of pants I would like to make. I cut the back to nothing towards the hip line in two places to add 1/2” in both of the cuts. The only thing is that the waistband no longer fits. Why not?
hmm. so, you did not adjust the waist band edge at all, correct? Is it possible that the fabric of your waistband stretched out after you cut it? I'd go back and compare your fabric to the pattern and see if what's been cut matches the pattern. You may be able to shrink it back to the correct shape with a little steam and ironing.
Sew DIY maybe I’ll make the back waistband a little longer to see if that will work. Thanks for replying
Thumbs up for the cat 👍
Thanks so much for this, I adjusted a pattern to accommodate a big butt and for the first time, it fit perfectly 😊
Does this help if you have too of a high rise jeans ? Because my jeans are too high waisted for me and I’m tryna make them mid rise ..this confused me a lil
Hi Keyonna, I'm sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. This is for adjusting a pattern, not for jeans that are already made. If you're sewing your own jeans, then this would help.
Great video! I'd love for you to show how to do the math for the adjustment, though. =)
Very interesting thank you
Really helpful, thank you! (And cute cat too 😍)
I'm glad it was helpful!
Thankyou x
I'm so rapt to find this video! I am average height (5ft 6") but I have a very short torso and long legs, so I have to wear the early 2000's lower than low rise jeans - otherwise I look crazy. But low rise pants and leggings are impossible to find these days, either in sewing patterns or ready to wear. So I was wondering how you lower the rise on leggings patterns that boast only 1 pattern piece (ie. the pattern piece is for the front and back of one leg). I hope that makes sense. Every great leggings pattern I own is high rise, or mid rise at best. But I need low, lower than low. Early 200's low! 😉Any advice would be so very much appreciated!
Hi Tex, For your purposes, I would just cut off the top of the pattern. Because super low rise styles sit lower than the natural waist, they would usually have a larger opening at the waist so you likely would not want to use that upper section of a high-rise or mid-rise pattern because it would be too tight. (Note, if the pattern uses a separate piece for the waistband, you'll need to draft a new waistband.) (It seems like 90s and early 2000s styles are coming back in to style so you'll be in luck soon!) I hope that helps!
Brilliant! So useful, thank You! (Ps love the kitty who loves to be involved lol! 🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈)
I'm so glad that it's helpful. :) I also love that the cat gets to make an appearance.
All my extra weight is in my tummy. This increases my front crotch depth and my waist. What's the best way to make that adjustment?
Hi Donna, I think you should try a full tummy adjustment (aka full abdomen adjustment). It's similar to the method I use here that increases only the back rise. Except, it also adds a little width at the waist. Here's one tutorial: curvysewingcollective.com/tutorial-full-tummy-adjustment-pants-or-skirt/
Why do we have to have a straight line.
A straight line is the easiest way to make sure that the grainline won't be shifted. If the grain line is moved to the left or right or rotated, the garment will probably hang differently and it might twist.
Nice video
How to lengthen the back hip for a curvy hip
Hi Diane, I think you might want to look up how to do a full seat adjustment. It can be a little different than just adding length.
Brilliant 😊
Thank you!!🌻
My front crotch is either okay or too long but my back crotch length is always too short. If I do your method in lengthening, then the front comes up way to high. How can I just lengthen the back crotch length only?
If you start watching the video at 7:26 I show how to do that. For illustrations, check out my blog post: www.sewdiy.com/blog/2019/adjust-rise-pants-pattern
Happy sewing!
I have to add so much on the back that it makes the back wonky.
Hi. Is there a way I can lower my crotch on my home made pattern so the pants don’t rub on my vagina??? My skin is very sensitive.
How about EXISTING pants?
Hi Gina, That would really depend on the style of the pants and if you're trying to lengthen or shorten. Shortening would be easier in general. I recommend looking for tutorials on alterations.
If the back rise is too short will it cause wedgies for women with curvier bums? The front is fine (11.5 inches) but the back (13.25 inches) seems to be a problem :/
It might. The best way to figure it out would be to make the adjustment to just the back rise and then make a muslin to test the fit. Good luck!
AH! Perfect. I hate high waisted pants, and that's all you can find nowadays.
Happy to help!
That cat should do their job and FAN THE WOMAN!
haha! :)
Lets say you shorten the rise of the pants with this method. If you want low rise or even mid rise pants, you have to make the top part of the pants wider.
Or else it won't fit.
Yes, that's a good thing to look out for if you're making a significant change. Likewise, if you add to the rise you might need to make the waistband smaller but it all depends on your measurements, the pattern and your desired fit. (However, if it's a pair of elastic waist pants, you may not need to adjust the waistband.) This adjustment is really intended for changing the position of the waistband to fit your body better, not to change the design style of the pants.