I finally finished my trousers using the pattern in Sew U. And, hmmmm
I understand why fantastic jeans cost multiple digits. And there are some pretty major problems with the pattern and instructions- to name just one, the book says you need a 7-inch zipper, but my 5-inch zipper was an inch too long. I don’t want to go through the whole list of what is confusing or left out, but it is sad because there is a lot about the book that is excellent. If you want to tackle a pair of fly front trousers (which I do recommend, as the front fly construction is not nearly as hard as it looks, and in the end is much less stressful than a lapped or invisible zipper), I’d say buy the actual, standard Built By You pattern for pants and use the book as a reference only.
There were some fitting issues that are not the fault of the pattern and require trial and error to fix, for example
I would not normally subject you to a picture of my caboose, but in this case it is necessary for illustrative purposes. They were too big in the rear (obviously) and the waist, but fit fairly well in the thigh. I meant for them to be wide-leg, so the rest of the leg is just fine and as I intended (they are crazy long so I’m going to give them nice big sailory cuffs). I’ll probably cut down the pattern just in the areas that need it and try again sometime soon! After all, despite all of the dresses and skirts I show you, most days find me in jeans, a t-shirt, a sweater and ballet flats (pretty much all season gear here in SF). So it would be great to be able to make my own, perfectly-fitting jeans (if I figure out the pattern, I’ll make some with fun embroidered back pockets). Speaking of which, if anyone has a favorite pattern for making boat neck(or really any good style) t-shirts, let me know!