Megan Nielsen – Flint Pants

I think like a lot of people I get my main inspiration from Instagram these days, and there are a few accounts that I follow religiously because they represent different goals I have for my sewing practice.
2 of those accounts are @kaleidoscopekatie and @katiekortmanart , which I follow for the riot of colours! I don’t know how I got to those accounts, but I love the 2 Katie’s style and unapologetic use of prints and colourful combinations.

The inspiration for my pictures came from Andrea D Jones, who did an amazing photoshoot this summer that was 100% inspiration!

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Every time I finish a pair of jeans I kick myself for not doing them sooner! I let myself get so intimidated, and admittedly the cutting stage is the worse. But once it is all cut out, it is an AMAZING experience. My biggest tip for getting the fit right (aside from proper pre-measuring) is to baste both the inner seam and the outer seams before committing any top-stitching to the legs. That way you can fine tune those curves. It does mean that you have to take out the outer seam basting in order to get back into the inner seam, but so worth the extra little step. These are my second pair of #dawnjeans with a modified pocket. I show you how to copy your own fav back pockets in my highlights under ‘Dawn Jeans.’ . . . Jeans pattern: @megannielsenpatterns #dawnjeans Top pattern: if you’re counting, this is my TENTH #seamworkorlando @seamwork Shoes: @charlottestoneshoes Tattoo: @inkbox . . . #imakemyownclothes #sewcialdistancing #isewlated2020 #sewistsofinstagram #ilovesewing #memade #memadeeveryday #ootd #diyfashion #sustainablefashion #independentfashion #millenialsewing #intentionalfashion #isew #imakemyownclothes #imakemyclothes #sewfashion #fashionsewing #statementsleeves #heart #iheartfashion #iheartsewing

A post shared by Andrea Jones (@andrea_djones) on Aug 10, 2020 at 5:42am PDT

As for the pattern that I used for this project, the Flint Pants by Megan Nielsen, I have had this pattern since before it came out, seeing how I was a tester back in the day… I think back then I wasn’t up to the task of being a tester, I truly believe that having evolved my skills, I would be more qualified to give feedback on pattern and instructions…

Nonetheless, I was a tester and I also received the final pattern. Over the years I have made 4 shorts versions, and they are my favourite for summer. Not one of those shorts have made it to the blog though…

The project

From the website: Wide leg cropped pants or shorts with unique crossover closure at the side seam. Pattern sits on the natural waist and features hidden closure at the left pocket , release tucks at the front, darts at the back, slash pockets, two waistband options and two lengths.

View A is a pair of above ankle cropped pants with button closures. View B is a pair of above ankle cropped pants with tie closure. View C is a pair of shorts with button closures. View D is a pair of shorts with tie closures.

The genius of these pants is in the closure. There is no zipper, nor is there elastic in the waist so the sewing is fairly easy and the look very polished!

I used another of my Spoonflower fabrics, this time a design by lapetitelecour printed on Lightweight Cotton Twill. I used 2m of fabric for these pants, due to the width of the legs.https://www.spoonflower.com/
Originally, the design had a grey background, but I asked the designer to remove the background colour and in a matter of hours I had the personalized design ready to order!

I made a few changes to the pattern, and it turned out exactly -or maybe even better- than I imagined the pants when I was planning the project.

These were the only pants I took with my on holiday, and they were perfect…

Construction

Thanks to the pandemic, I had to reprint the pattern to go up a size and I made a size L.
Megan Nielsen pattern instructions are always very clear and I encountered no problems while sewing these pants.

Changes made

The first change I made was to make a flat front instead of a pleated front. My fabric was just to heavy and stiff to get away with a pleat… I found the tutorial on Megan Nielsen’s blog and followed the instructions.

The original pattern for the long version has a very wide leg, too wide for my taste. I sent an email to the support team at Megan Nielsen to ask for a bit of guidance on how to narrow the width and I got a reply the next day (considering the time difference, I guess the reply was almost instantaneously) helping me on my way.

In the end I narrowed the legs of the pants a whopping 24cm at the hem, taking out 6cm on the outside seam and the inside seam of the front and the back.

To do this, I first drew on my pattern pieces a line from the hip towards the hem, narrowing the side seam 6 cm and from the crotch seam to the hem another 6 cm. (I also drew a line for 8cm on each side, but in the end I went with the 6). At the hem foldline I mirrored the angle of the legs, so when it was time to fold the bottom edge of the pants, the angles would match and there would be no easing necessary…

I cut the pattern at the original width and basted the 6cm and 8cm line, so I could decide later on…

I bought some fancy buttons in my local haberdashery and those were the finishing touch.

Conclusion

These pants are everything I wanted them to be, and now that I have sort of rediscovered the long version of this pattern, I’m sure I will be making more Flints!

Details

Pattern	Megan Nielsen Flint Pants
Fabric	Spoonflower Lightweight Cotton Twill Lapetitelecour design 10277852
Notions	2 buttons

The Instagram # for the pattern is #MNflint