6-PAC progress: black pants and top

The black pants and black top from my 6-PAC plan are finished. Here they are, shown with the white top and white skirt made earlier:

Pattern details
The pants are from my TNT pattern that originally started out as Burda WOF 8/98 #106. The original has front pleats which I eliminated years ago as I prefer the flat front look. I’ve made this pattern multiple times so there weren’t any surprises. The original pattern has belt loops but I always omitted them before. Lately, I’ve been liking the look of belted pants with tucked in top so I figured belt loops would come in handy. They were a bit of an afterthought – I decided to make them after the pants were otherwise finished. Next time, I’ll sew them in when I sew on the waistband.

The top is the same Kwik Sew 3003 as the white top, but I fixed the dart position by moving it 1¼” lower. I also reshaped the front armhole, scooping it out ⅜” for anatomical correctness (see Kathleen’s post). This then required a similar adjustment to the sleeve so the stitching lines would match.

Fabric
For the skirt, I used a black cotton twill I bought years ago from Michael’s Fabrics. It is a really deep black color on the wrong side and a very slightly lighter black on the right side – not enough to make a difference in pictures. The fabric is easy to sew and press, and topstitching looks great on it. My other pants in this fabric, made back in 2008, have held up really well, only now starting to develop “knees”. I’d say after so many years, they’re allowed.

For the top, I used black Sophia knit (67% Poly/30%Rayon/3% Spandex). It’s a double knit with stretch across the grain and totally stable along the grain. It’s a dream to sew. We’ll see how well it wears.

Notes
The top fits well at the bust, with the dart in the right position, and doesn’t rotate. I don’t have any close-ups of it because it’s black and therefore hard to photograph, plus my photographer was rather reluctant to take any more pictures. (I’m putting a tripod and a remote on my wishlist.) It also pools a bit in the lower back so I think an erect back adjustment may be in order.

It wasn’t my photographer’s best day, taking pictures from this angle. My head looks huge:

Summary
The pants are comfortable and I love the belt loops. Definitely a feature to include on all future pants.
The top behaves more like a woven than a knit when I’m wearing it. I don’t know if this is a good thing or not. Time will tell.

Next up in this 6-PAC is a dress and then the 6th piece will be the cardigan.
See you soon!