Lengthen or Shorten the torso

This is the third in a series of posts I have planned for this week all on different fitting adjustments you can use for the Clover sewalong, or for nearly any other pair of pants you make. This tutorial covers one of the most common adjustments, lengthening or shortening the lower torso area. This is a great (and easy) technique that can help eliminate drooping or binding around the crotch area.

Fitting notes:

• After you’ve made your muslin, please refer to the pants fitting cheatsheet to help you decide which adjustments to try.
• Use your muslin to determine how much to adjust the pattern. For example, if you can see that you need an extra inch of width in a certain area, you’ll need to add an inch of width when adjusting your pattern.
• Refer to this post on making muslins for further help with this.
• Be sure to make a second muslin (and perhaps more) after you’ve adjusted your pattern.

How to use the fitting diagrams:

• You will want to trace a copy of your pattern. Not a big deal, since this pattern has only a few pieces, and it will save you from ruining your pattern.
• Mark your seamlines on the pattern (5/8″ from the edge). You don’t need to mark it over the whole pattern, but at least mark the seam at the points where the slash lines are. On the diagrams, the seamlines are marked with dashed lines.
• The diagrams show where to cut, spread, and overlap your pattern.
• You’ll notice little circles in some spots, where the slash lines intersect the seam line. This is called a “pivot point.” Don’t slash the pattern all the way to the edge, but instead slash just to where this circle is. Then carefully snip into the seam allowance, forming a little hinge where the circle is. When you adjust your pattern, you’ll be pivoting at this point rather than from the very edge.
• Once you have your pieces adjusted, tape them into place. You can then retrace the pattern piece if you like.

Further help:

I’d love to help you as much as possible, but please realize there are a lot of you and only one of me. Please be sure to help each other out in the Flickr group as much as you can, and check out the fitting section of our Amazon store for further research.

Adjusting for a longer torso

1. Draw in the hip line on your pattern front and pattern back (the grey line in fig. 1). For this adjustment, you’ll be working with both the front and back, but we’re only showing the front.

2. Draw a slash line, as shown in fig. 2.

3. Cut the pattern along this line.

4. Spread the pattern as shown in fig. 3. Be sure to do this on both the back and front of the pattern.

5. Tape in place and retrace, smoothing out the lines.

Adjusting for a shorter torso

1. Draw in the hip line on your pattern front and pattern back (the grey line in fig. 1). For this adjustment, you’ll be working with both the front and back, but we’re only showing the front.

2. Draw a slash line, as shown in fig. 2.

3. Cut the pattern along this line.

4. Overlap the pattern as shown in fig. 3. Be sure to do this on both the back and front of the pattern.

5. Tape in place and retrace, smoothing out the lines.