True Bias Hudson Pants
The Goal: I’m going on a road trip this month! A trip that involves several hours in a car and a lot of hiking at my destination. It’s also November and I notoriously own a grand total of two pairs of pants. Both jeans. Yeah, I need some more pants. Mission accomplished!
(I realize black fabric is difficult to photograph so I upped the exposure on these pics to make the details easier to see)
The Pattern: The Hudson Pant, True Bias‘ first pattern (her second, the Sutton Blouse is out now!). I figured this would be a good pattern to use, it’s like a fancy knit track pant. Comfy enough for lounge wear (or extra long car rides), cool enough for everyday wear (like checking into a hotel after extra long car rides), and I figure it would be ok for outdoorsy activities (like a lot of trail walking).
Plus, pockets! Plus, ankle cuffs so no cold wind blows up your pant leg! Plus, stretchy waistband!
The Fabric: For my first pair I knew I wanted something solid and plain, something utilitarian. But that doesn’t necessarily mean cheap. I found this French terry at Austin Fabric Co-op for $22/yd. Luckily this pattern doesn’t require much yardage.
Still, $30 for what are essentially really nice sweat pants seems like a lot for me. No regrets, tho, this stuff is awesome. It’s a rayon, cotton, spandex blend and it is won. der. ful.
The Changes: None, except for one mistake. I sewed the button holes for the drawstring but then accidentally sewed the waistband on backwards and I sure as heck wasn’t going to seam rip out black serger thread on black fabric so, uh, no drawstring for me.
I made a straight size 6 based on my hip measurement. I figured these are supposed to be slim fitting knit pants, not skinny jeans so I didn’t bother with any fitting. For a casual garment like this unless there are big major problems like too short crotch length or something it’s really not worth messing with. But if I really wanted to I’d probably adjust the back legs. A common issue I face with having stick legs attached to wide hips is excess fabric in the thighs.
The Results: Well, I don’t think I’ve taken these things off since I made them. They’re great and super comfortable. I’ll definitely be making more, maybe even woven versions.
As for the pattern itself it was great. I had no problems with printing or understanding instructions. Illustrations and directions were clear.
This is a pretty simple pattern and a great way to jump into pants sewing if you don’t want to feel discouraged by crummy fit problems. Also, with so few pieces, I whipped these puppies up in a flash! Gotta love (relatively) instant sewing gratification.
These look great! I love your hairstyle too!
Cute!
I just Googled track pants and the cheapest polyester ones start at $29 and yours are made from much better material and most likely will last longer. This make is practical and on trend.
So cute. I am kind of loving this pattern and can’t wait to make it myself!
Awesome pants. They look so comfy.
I’ve always wondered about french terry. Is it tricky to work with?
No, it’s easier than some other knits. The edges curl like jersey but its not as stretchy. The only problem I had with this particular fabric was the grainline was very obviously at an angle and not straight at all. Annoying but not a big deal, I made it work.
Thanks!
Ha, then perhaps they’re not that expensive after all. Thanks!
Thanks! And thanks too about the hair. 😉
Your pants are looking great. I love my Hudson pants aswell and they are perfect for a road trip! Wish you a nice trip. 🙂
The more I see of these the more I reckon I’ll probably male them up – they look super comfy for travel 🙂
Look at your and your rad comfy pants! I’m not sure what is happening with that last picture but I love it! 😀
these are the best pants ever! i love them in black. i made some a while ago and basically have worn them every day since. they’ll be perfect for your travels!
so great! i just made some black ponte ones for myself and wear them all the time! i find the black easy to dress up or down. so glad you liked the pattern!
Ah! These are amazing. Thank you for this post. I am going to make some now!!!
I really want to make a pair of these! I kind of hate myself because I bought pants really similar to these from Target a few weeks back, and they pilled horribly after just one wash. And they were $20. So I’m calling yours are AN INVESTMENT IN QUALITY.