In pants, full front thighs create diagonal wrinkles, pulling from the inside legs at the crotch. Fabric also pulls forward through the crotch from the back. Pants will hang off grain and crease lines pull toward the inseam (4).
A profile view may reveal the side seam pulling to the front and fabric cupping in under the derriere.
Purchase a pattern to fit the full hip measurement and adjust only the front pattern piece since that's where the fullness is. For skirts, add half the adjustment amount to each side seam. Add enough room for a comfortable fit at the fullest part of the thigh, tapering the addition into the pattern piece above the fullest part, and continuing the adjustment to the hem (5).
In pants, the extra width is usually added at the front inseam. It may be necessary to add extra room at the center front seam from the crotch curve to just above the full hip to allow for enough fabric to drape over the front thigh (6).
The waistline seam at the center front may need to be lowered, tapering it back to normal at the side seam. This can be determined and adjusted during the fitting as you sew.
Full Inner & Outer Thighs
Full outer thighs usually occur below the natural hip line--generally 7" to 9" below the waist. Adjustments for a full derriere, long waist and swayback are also common for this figure type. The inner thighs usually touch or rub together. A smaller waist in proportion to the hip and thigh is also common.
In skirts, full thighs strain the fabric across the garment front and/or back and show up as horizontal wrinkles or fabric folds as the garment hikes up on the body (7). In pants, wrinkles form across the thigh fullest part and at the crotch. Creases usually pull toward the side seams (8).
Two adjustments are needed for pants. Increase the crotch extension length at the front and
back inseam. The addition to the crotch extension may be different in front than in back, depending on where the most fullness is carried. Also add room for the outer thigh curve at the side seam on both the front and back pattern pieces. (9)
For some figures, the thigh fullness is at the side seam only. Often the waist is small in comparison. In this case, don't buy a skirt pattern large enough to fit the full thigh measurement, as the pattern will be more difficult to adjust because of the excess fullness above the hip. Choose a pattern to fit the full hip measurement instead and adjust for the protruding thigh by drawing lines A and B on a skirt pattern. Slash and spread the pattern the amount needed (10), to give more room around the figure and more length over the large curve. Remember this rule of thumb: the larger the curve, the more room needed in width and length. A similar adjustment will work on pants--line A will extend to the leg lower edge.
Barbara Weiland is a nationally known sewing, crafts and quilting author, editor and consultant. Her latest book isSecrets for Succcessful Sewingpublished by Rodale Press Inc. She also is a contributing author toSerger Secretsfrom the same publisher.
