I've put off doing this review for a long time because I really wanted to like this pattern, and figure out how to fit these pants. But I guess I just need to document where I am since I'm forgetting details.
I bought the Maxxine Pants pattern in the 2015 Black Friday Sale and then didn't sew them up until Fall 2016. I was hoping to be able to make pants for my very 'particular' Nut#2, who has never been a kid to pick anything out of the drawer and wear it, but who has been extra difficult to dress now that I require real pants (not leggings) for school. At one point, all of her pants were 'uncomfortable' and she could not get dressed in less than 30 minutes as she tried on every single pair in her drawer, crying along the way.
Pattern: Maxxine Pants
Designer: Love Notions
Style:Slim fit Pants-Elastic Waist-I omitted the ankle zippers but sometimes made the pockets.
Fabric: Various fabrics for various versions-all were recommended fabrics-Stretch Denims, Stretch Sateen, Ponte
Size Range: 2T-14
Size made: I mostly made 6 graded to 7 length-other versions in other sizes
Lengths: 2 Long and cropped
Sleeve lengths:N/A
Sleeves cut on Fold:N/A
Alterations/Hacks: Yes-notes made in my descriptions-sometimes I adjusted the pattern to
use 1" elastic instead of 2" as well as various changes to try to
improve the fit and preferences of my daughter.
Clear Instructions: Easy to follow with illustrations
Seam Allowance: 3/8"
Layers: yes
Trimless: Yes
Dislikes or desired changes? They have a bagginess
around the crotch I don't like. I also felt like they were baggy around
the thighs even though my daughter said they are tight on her bum.
Sew again? I will probably try another version with 2" elastic, increased crotch width, and try slimming the outside seam
Would you recommend it to others? On the fence. They are okay-just not crazy about them.
Sew again? I will probably try another version with 2" elastic, increased crotch width, and try slimming the outside seam
Would you recommend it to others? On the fence. They are okay-just not crazy about them.
Pair 1 was size 6 with 7 length made out of a knit Ponte Roma. She didn't like them because the were cutting into her crotch so I scooped them out some in the front and lowered the front rise because it looked bunchy too. Bunchy and yet cutting into her crotch.
Pair 2 was 6 width 7 length made out of a stretch denim. I messed up when lowering the rise and lowered the back. They are salvageable but too short in the crotch all around. Oops.
Pair #3 was pants for Nut#3's Oshawott Halloween Costume made out of cotton lycra knit. Size 4 graded to 5 length. It seemed to do well for him.
Pair #4 was pants for Nut-Nut's Purrloin Halloween costume re-purposed from a knit dress of mine. Size 2T. The fabric is a sturdy knit and has good recovery. Her pants seem to fit her just fine.
Both #3 and #4 I altered the pattern for 1" elastic instead of 2". Both of those pairs seemed to end up really long. Probably because of the cuffs. I was told the Moto Maxx and Maxxine pants were exactly the same so I didn't print out the pattern for the Moto Maxx-I just used the Maxxine pattern I already had printed. The Moto Maxx instruction did not say I needed to cut any length off for doing cuffs, but since I didn't print the pattern out I guess I don't know if the only difference between the two patterns is the length to compensate for the cuffs.
Pair #5 was squeezed out of stretch sateen. Nut#2 complained that Pairs 1, 2, and 5 were all tight on her bum even though on pair 5 I added width to the side seams.
Pair #6 is another one out of Stretch denim. #6 had more adjustments than other pairs. I was out of 2" elastic, so I used 1" elastic, adding an inch to the height of the main pants and taking out 2' in the waistband to compensate. After reading This post I decided the crotch width was too small and may be what was making her uncomfortable. So I added almost an inch to the back crotch length so the crotch width was in the suggested range for kid's pants. Then I took off some of the front length from the top and ended up taking off more from the back too. They seem to fall down on her and she's still pulling them up all the time. It may have been better if I had been able to use the 2 " elastic.
Pair 2 was 6 width 7 length made out of a stretch denim. I messed up when lowering the rise and lowered the back. They are salvageable but too short in the crotch all around. Oops.
Pair #3 was pants for Nut#3's Oshawott Halloween Costume made out of cotton lycra knit. Size 4 graded to 5 length. It seemed to do well for him.
Pair #4 was pants for Nut-Nut's Purrloin Halloween costume re-purposed from a knit dress of mine. Size 2T. The fabric is a sturdy knit and has good recovery. Her pants seem to fit her just fine.
Both #3 and #4 I altered the pattern for 1" elastic instead of 2". Both of those pairs seemed to end up really long. Probably because of the cuffs. I was told the Moto Maxx and Maxxine pants were exactly the same so I didn't print out the pattern for the Moto Maxx-I just used the Maxxine pattern I already had printed. The Moto Maxx instruction did not say I needed to cut any length off for doing cuffs, but since I didn't print the pattern out I guess I don't know if the only difference between the two patterns is the length to compensate for the cuffs.
Pair #5 was squeezed out of stretch sateen. Nut#2 complained that Pairs 1, 2, and 5 were all tight on her bum even though on pair 5 I added width to the side seams.
Pair #6 is another one out of Stretch denim. #6 had more adjustments than other pairs. I was out of 2" elastic, so I used 1" elastic, adding an inch to the height of the main pants and taking out 2' in the waistband to compensate. After reading This post I decided the crotch width was too small and may be what was making her uncomfortable. So I added almost an inch to the back crotch length so the crotch width was in the suggested range for kid's pants. Then I took off some of the front length from the top and ended up taking off more from the back too. They seem to fall down on her and she's still pulling them up all the time. It may have been better if I had been able to use the 2 " elastic.
So overall, I'm not sure about the pants. The two I made for Halloween costumes are out of knit and are being worn by Nut#3 and Nut-Nut as pajamas without problems. They are slim without being skin tight like leggings. The crotch doesn't seem to be a big deal (even though it looks really baggy on my son) because they are out of knit.
Nut#2 still does not seem to like any of her pants. And all of the ones made from this pattern have a funny bunching around the crotch-like the crotch length in front is too long. Shortening the crotch length in front did not seem to solve the problem. It's the same funny bunching I saw in the pants I made for myself. I don't know how to fix them. (If by chance you do know how to fix this, please contact me and help a girl out!) The crotch in the front just looks funny (well, for girls it is funny-it doesn't bug me so much on my boy)-even some of the tester photos look funny to me-but the most attractive looking pants in the tester photos are black and you can't see any details of the crotch area because of the color. I can't decide if my problems are fitting problems or with the pattern itself.
Also, some of the drafting seemed a bit off. I had to square up the front and back rise at the waist-where the elastic attaches to the pants. The crotch seam also needed to be squared up. The side seams did not match up perfectly and when I measured the pattern pieces, varied widely from small sizes to big sizes. Big sizes had a large difference while small sizes were a small difference. I ended up needing to even up the bottom by about 1/2 inch on the size 6/7. The angle of the pockets do not always match the angle for them on the front pattern piece. I mentioned that in the group but have not heard of any fixes. The back pockets are annoying to sew. Because they are angled, when folding them under you sometimes get little flaps that will hang over the edge and can't always be hidden by the next side you fold under. It would be nice if the pattern pieces took that into account and were shaped so when you fold them under nothing hangs beyond the edge.
And some pictures. I didn't get pictures of all the versions
Also, some of the drafting seemed a bit off. I had to square up the front and back rise at the waist-where the elastic attaches to the pants. The crotch seam also needed to be squared up. The side seams did not match up perfectly and when I measured the pattern pieces, varied widely from small sizes to big sizes. Big sizes had a large difference while small sizes were a small difference. I ended up needing to even up the bottom by about 1/2 inch on the size 6/7. The angle of the pockets do not always match the angle for them on the front pattern piece. I mentioned that in the group but have not heard of any fixes. The back pockets are annoying to sew. Because they are angled, when folding them under you sometimes get little flaps that will hang over the edge and can't always be hidden by the next side you fold under. It would be nice if the pattern pieces took that into account and were shaped so when you fold them under nothing hangs beyond the edge.
And some pictures. I didn't get pictures of all the versions
Pant #5
Pant #4
Pant #3
Pant #6
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