Skip to main content

Ottobre 1-2011-29 Khaki Pants

I really like a lot of Ottobre's patterns for boys. They have creative and interesting details. But sometimes those details look overwhelming to me - multiple zippered pockets, many small parts to trace and piece, extra seams to topstitch, etc. I like those sorts of things, but I'm not always convinced that the extra effort is worth it for a garment that is quickly outgrown.

A couple of weeks ago I squashed my doubts and made a pair of pants for my son from Ottobre 1-2011-29. The No Kung Fu (?!) pants are described as "outerwear pants," but I'm not entirely sure what that means. The directions don't call for insulation, lining, or waterproofing. The suggested fabric is "outerwear fabric" - not so sure about that, either.

Ottobre 1-2011-29

So why did I choose this pattern over some others? The knee patches, my friends. My boy blows out the knees on his pants with astonishing speed. I'm hoping these knee patches slow down the wearing out just a bit. Since I was looking for everyday pants more than outwear pants, I used a khaki brushed cotton twill from my stash. It was really nice fabric, but I have no idea where I got it or how long I've had it.

Ottobre 1-2011-29

Let's look at some details.

Back pockets and yoke...

Ottobre 1-2011-29

The instructions were pretty specific about topstitching and I followed them closely. Triple stitching here, edge stitching there, etc. I like the finished result of combining different types.

Cargo pockets and leg zipper...

Ottobre 1-2011-29

Pardon the wrinkles - I took these after they had been worn. The zipper matches better in real life. I don't think the zipper will ever be closed, but it is functional. I wanted to include it for "the whole look."

Knee patch...

Ottobre 1-2011-29

I was not very fussy about getting great rounded corners on the patches.

I'm really happy with how they turned out and I think the extra effort was worth it! I'll likely use this pattern again.  I was expecting them to be longer when finished, so next time I'd change that. They are a great fit now, but I'd like them to fit for awhile (since the knees are going to stay in tact!).
Labels:

Comments

  1. KID, MDApril 13, 2012 at 8:18 PM

    They look great!! We have the same knee problem around here, and I was just contemplating this pattern for my guy, but all the piecing made me think twice, too. I think you're right though - sometimes that extra effort really pays off. Thanks for the reminder!

    ReplyDelete
  2. LoriApril 13, 2012 at 9:21 PM

    Amazing job on the pants, such great details.

    ReplyDelete
  3. LauraApril 13, 2012 at 10:52 PM

    Fantastic. I need to work on my top stitching. I would love for mine to look that good.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Freedom Acres FarmApril 14, 2012 at 12:00 AM

    Can anyone tell me the website address of where to order the Ottobre mazazines/patterns in the US?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. SandiApril 14, 2012 at 1:03 AM

      The Wooly Thread handles US subscriptions, but I just get mine straight from the Ottobre website (www.ottobredesign.com) and I get my issues in a very timely manner and it's easy to subscribe with Paypal, plus you can get back issues shipped free if you are a subscriber...which is how I ended up with every issue every published in English plus a couple I could only find in German.

      Delete
    2. ReneeApril 14, 2012 at 9:40 PM

      Thanks for that info, Sandi. I didn't realize that about the back issues shipped for free. That's good to know. My subscription is through The Wooly Thread and I've been very happy with their service.

      Delete
    3. Freedom Acres FarmApril 17, 2012 at 11:06 PM

      Thank you very much for the info! I look forward to checking it out.

      Delete
  5. SandiApril 14, 2012 at 1:01 AM

    Love it! Ottobre does have the best boy patterns.

    ReplyDelete
  6. SueApril 14, 2012 at 1:23 AM

    Great details!

    ReplyDelete
  7. VanessaApril 14, 2012 at 4:23 PM

    Great pants! You can't go wrong with Ottobre. I went to Hobby Lobby to get some kid's Simplicity patterns for 99 cents, and decided I'd rather stick with the Ottobre patterns. The results you got are stellar!

    ReplyDelete
  8. RuthApril 15, 2012 at 2:38 AM

    Your work is fabulous! Great job on these pants.

    ReplyDelete
  9. RuthApril 15, 2012 at 2:40 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  10. khaki pants for menMay 9, 2012 at 9:16 PM

    Great job! love the details!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Burda Skirt Again

I'm not sure what prompted it, but awhile ago I decided that I needed a green skirt. The last time I was at Fabricland I saw this green wide-wale corduroy. I wasn't really looking for the skirt to be corduroy and the color was a little different than I was hoping for, but since I had my eyes peeled for awhile and hadn't seen anything better, I thought I'd try the corduroy. After looking for a suitable pattern, I settled on the Burda 2/2010 skirt that I've already used three times . Because of the weight and bulk of the corduroy, I didn't want to try to mess with too many details. I'll use another skirt pattern soon. Really, I will. One of the things I really like about this pattern is the pockets. This time I made the pocket facings and part of the pocket bag out of a cotton woven solid to reduce bulk. Since I'll be wearing this skirt with tights I added a lining. Adding the lining was really simple except that I cut the lining exactly the sam...
14 comments
Read more

Grocery Bags

More gifts! These are just like the still-all-too-ubiquitous plastic grocery bags, but they're fabric.  I followed this tutorial and you actually use a plastic bag as a pattern.  The instructions are very good and include a pocket so that the bag can be folded up and is easy to keep in a purse or a car's glove box. Mostly for the sake of the gift recipients, here's how to fold up the bag.... 1.  Lay the bag pocket side down and fold it length-wise using the edges of the pocket as a guide. 2.  Fold it in half, aligning the top of the handles with the bottom of the bag. 3.  Fold in half again and then reach into pocket with your hand and turn the whole thing (pocket included) inside out. Happy shopping!
3 comments
Read more

Simplicity 2508 - Orange Coat

I have more fabric than will fit in my fabric closet. It seems that a purge and reorganizing effort is on the horizon. But, before I get to that, I've queued up projects for some of the bulkier fabrics. I need the space that they take up. The first of these projects is a new coat for me! The fabric... I purchased this orange coating fabric over a year ago when all the clearance fabrics at Fabricland were $1.00/meter. However, this is not a high-quality piece of fabric. It is mostly polyester and I don't expect it to wear well. I suspect it will pill. For that reason, I didn't invest a lot of time in the construction. Also, I'm thinking that I might get tired of an orange coat more quickly than something neutral, so I didn't see the need to use lots of elaborate techniques on this project. The lining fabric was given to me by a destashing acquaintance. It isn't particularly fabulous, but it was on hand and perfectly serviceable. The entire coat is und...
11 comments
Read more