Vogue 8499 – Marcy Tilton Pants

This pattern is turning out to be one of my all-time favorites. This time I made the pants.

I love, love, love them! Yesterday was cold and rainy, and after running a few errands I retired to the sewing room and whipped them up. Mine are made of the same quirky linen blend I used for the skirt, and it turned out to be a great choice. It’s heavy enough so that the pants hold their shape, but it also flows very pleasingly.

(Apologies for the horrible wrinkles on the great pants. I made them, I wore them, I abused them. If you look at this fabric, it creases. I should have ironed them again before the photos, but I did not hesitate when the photographer was free. So the good news is that the pictures are on a real body. The bad news is that the fabric’s a disaster.) Side view:

The pattern directions were very clear, and construction is very simple. There’s a lot of topstitching, which takes some time, but nothing complex to deal with. However, be forewarned that the sizing is more than a little strange. Theoretically, I should have cut a size 14 (I wear an 8 or 10 in RTW, unless it’s really expensive RTW, in which case it’s a 4 or 6). BilllieJean’s review on Pattern Review confirmed my suspicion that these would run large: I cut a size 8, hedging my bet by cutting the crotch seam as a 10, and it was perfect. They’re still plenty big and flow-y, but that’s clearly the point.

The pants are also peculiarly long. I’m only 5’2″, so it could be argued that anything seems long to me, but I made View B (the cropped pants) and the length is right where I think it should be for View C (the long version). I may add one inch next time, but these are pretty good just as they are. I deliberately chose not to alter the pant leg length. There are wonderful darts that shape each leg, probably bracketing the knees on people of average height. Without a proper alteration, the top dart hits just at the top of my knee, instead of both bracketing it symetrically, with one dart well above, and one well below. I chose to view the darts as a structural detail rather than an accommodation to a joint; I think they look fine on me right where they fell.

I made one change: The waistband is flat in front (nice!), with a casing for elastic in back. I sewed two flat buttons to the inside of the front waistband, and made reinforced buttonholes in the elastic that I ran through the casing. This not only allows for some future adjustability, but also will let me replace worn elastic easily later. This is a simple trick I especially like for anything I wear when traveling.

This version was meant to be a muslin, but it’s turned out to be very wearable. Eventually, I think I’ll have to make them out out of my namesake fabric; they’d be spectacular in silk noil.

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4 Responses to Vogue 8499 – Marcy Tilton Pants

  1. Noile says:

    I’m hoping to pick up some noil soon — these pants are the first thing I’ll make from it!

    Annie, do you wash your noil? I haven’t sewn with it in years, but I used to toss it in the machine (cold water, delicate) before sewing with it, and that worked out very well. Silk is weak when wet, so you have to be careful at that point, but this made my garments practical for every day. (No detergent, of course, just something very gentle for cleansing.)

  2. Annie says:

    Yes, thanks for all this info – and for the comment about your namesake fabric – exactly what I was considering using!

  3. Noile says:

    Thanks for your comment, Patti. These are fantastic pants, but that sizing is soooo far off. I’m about to make my second pair now that I’ve got the size right. They won’t be my last; these pants are incredibly comfortable to wear.

  4. patti says:

    thank you for posting this. i’m a newcomer to sewing and just did a test drive of this pattern with some extra fabric i have and wow are they big! i wasn’t sure exactly where to start to get them to fit properly before doing the real thing, but your comments make me think i’ll just do another test but a smaller size. i’m looking to make them in a dark grey or taupe linen. thanks again. patti

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