Number 9 Trousers

I bought some really nice denim about a month ago with the intention of sewing pants for my boys.  They literally go through a pair of store bought jeans in 2 weeks.  I'm not kidding.  They just wear out at the knees.  I've taken to feeling the knees on every pair of jeans I see in stores just to try and find ones that are nice and thick and I've yet to have found that magic pair.  I actually am suspicious that jean companies are making them thinner on the knees ;)

Anyway my point being that maybe if I made pants for the boys they will last longer.  These will be the test.

 

 
The pattern I used is the Number 9 Trousers by ShwinDesigns.  I've made several of their patterns (like the Lucy Top) and while I love their designs I usually have a bit of a hard time following their instructions. Not that they aren't clear but simply because my sewing style and way of thinking through a project is different.  The only part I really had trouble with on these trousers was the back pockets. I ended up only putting one in on side which actually looks pretty cute.

This was the first time I've used darts for a better fit on clothes and I love them.  They make everything fit better and look more professional.

This guy was totally thrilled with his new pants and had a great time being a little goofy for the camera.

 

 

Here's my breakdown of the project to see if in the long run it's worth it to sew them their pants or not.

Material costs: approximately $6.00

Pattern cost: $9.00

Time spent: 3 hours

First run, probably not worth it.  However the next time I make the same pattern it should take me a lot less time to sew as well as not costing me anything for the pattern again.  So the more times I make the pants the cheaper they get as long as I'm not spending more on the fabric.