Vogue 8397 - Marcy Tilton Pants (View A)

I've been trying so hard to put a moratorium on sewing black for spring and summer but, oh well, what the heck. I still have scads of black ponte and I love to use it to test out some of the wonderful pants patterns that are available.

Today, we have Vogue 8397, a Marcy Tilton pattern that has been out for years, since 2005, I think. This pattern offers three very different pairs of pants. I recently used View C to try out a variation that Marcy posted on her website, but this time, I made View A, which is for knits only. Because this pattern has been out for years, there are many reviews on Pattern Review, but only three for view A. Most of the sewists used a fairly drapey fabric, such as jersey, but I decided to try it out using my firmer ponte knit, though I wasn't at all sure that it would work.

According to the pattern, the finished measurement for a size 12 at the hip is 43". I decided this sounded right for me, so I cut out a size 12 from the hip down to the hem, tapering out to larger than a size 14 at the waist. (This multi-sized pattern goes to 14 at its largest size, so I made it bigger – maybe more like a 16.) I traced the Trio crotch curve onto the pattern. Other than that, I made no changes. I even used the original length for the size 12, so this pattern may run a bit short.

The pants were very quick to stitch up, even with the top-stitching. (But then I like to top-stitch.) And I love them! Love love love. Definitely another keeper.

Worn here with another new top. This is my fourth Teagarden T, made from a diagonal knit. I love this pattern too! It's "my" version of a t-shirt.