I was thinking about patterns for doing outdoor activities, and specifically the Topo pants. I'm hesitant about the Topos, because though Leila is a prolific and sponsored Instagrammer with loyal followers, she has no background in drafting. This often leads, online, to a huge following of people with nothing negative or realistic to say about a pattern.
Around that time the Road Trip Pattern Co made its way onto my Insta feed, as things do. I was initially taken by the Granite pants, which seem similar to the Topos, but I got overwhelmed by the number of cool trouser patterns I haven't made before, and eventually had to make a choice and chose to make the Cascades as they are kind of unique. I made size 4, which fits my hips but is a bit big at the waist.
I went into the process with a very muslin sort of approach. I wanted to kind of test this new pattern company. I used a scrap of stretch wool which is obviously not on the list of suggested materials - probably a bit less stretchy than a stretch softshell type fabric. I used a very very stretchy rib for the cuffs and waistband, since it matched the pants so nicely. I did not pay very good attention to all of the waistband instructions, for instance to use power mesh, so it's not surprising the waist feels loose, especially since I had sized up a bit at the waist.
The pants came together ok. I was displeased with the pocket situation
You do a certain amount of folding of pocket bits to create the overlap, and I did not find that this was precise or had precise markings I could follow. The result is that it's easy to have the pockets not line up with the design lines on the back pant. (Or with each other, but that probably is less visible.)
My waistband was completely ridiculous, it's way too loose. This is often what happens when I go into a pattern thinking it's a practice version - I don't try hard enough, and it becomes a Real practice version, ie destined straight for the op shop. It makes me rate the pattern rather low, when I think a lot of the issues were on my side, not the pattern's side.
Waistband loose and pants thus falling off my bum, unsurprising having used a rib for the waistband and not following the instructions. However, the waistband also starts really low on the bum - it would be reassuring if it started higher and there were overall more bum space.
The articulated knees are baggy and definitely give these pants a casual, just off the trail look. I would not wear them for hanging out in a city.
I also notice really distinct drag lines below the knees, and think I would benefit from a valgus adjustment at the knee, which I generally don't do. I wonder if these were a bit bigger that would matter less - and whether I should thus have sized up from the thigh down.
Overall I do not think this is a particularly refined pattern. You need to match your stretch fabric for the waistband/cuffs to the pants fabric, which often leads to really homemade looking results. The articulated knees also make me feel really dumb since they are constantly poked out.
I would have to make some changes if I made these again. I would probably size up from the knee down and figure out that adjustment. Obviously I would choose more appropriate fabrics and I would add 1" to the centre back tapering out to the side seams for slightly better bum coverage. I don't feel an urge to make these any time soon, but generally all it takes is the right fabric for me to reassess a pattern with a new enthusiasm.
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