FInished Project: Rock and Roll Leggings!

That would be a D chord, FYI

Last winter I refashioned a pair of longjohns into leather patch leggings, and then proceeded to wear them to DEATH. Granted, the faux leather I used wasn't the highest quality, and they were a touch too tight, which meant more wear and tear on the seams than a pair of pants can handle in a season. Still, I loved layering them with T-shirts, tunics and cardigans, and wore them until the weather warmed and I couldn't deny they were destined for the landfill.

But with Fall finally here in NYC, sewing another, better pair was high on my list of things to make this month. And luckily for me, they appear to be just as in fashion this fall as they were last winter. You can find both high- and low-end examples, from these pricey stretch-corduroy riding pants: 

....to super cheap maternity leggings at H&M:

So when McCall's/Vogue/Butterick held one of the its bi-monthly pattern sales (OK, maybe they're not bi-monthly, but they happen often enough that you probably never need pay full-price for a pattern from those three makers), I scooped up McCall's 6404, an easy Misses leggings pattern with four variations:

Sometimes you have to look past the styling to see the potential!

And though my first crack at this pattern turned up a few fit issues that will need adjusting before I make 10 more pairs, I was happy enough with the results to put on some black eye makeup and grab my husband's guitar for a photo shoot. The main fabric is a double-knit from Fabric.com for $12/yard — a price that was worth it: the drape and feel of this fabric is just lovely. The faux leather was from this place on 39th Street in the Garment District. (I don't remember the name and can't find it on Google street view — darn those roll-down metal gates!)

The saggy, baggy knees will require more than just a side seam adjustment; this wrinkling is the result of the leggings being too lengthy through the knee for my petite frame. Luckily, that's an easy adjustment to make on the pattern.

Really, I can live with this — and will be wearing them to the playground today. Like Dixie DIY once wrote about the overfitting we do as sewers, we put up with a lot of imperfections in the ready-to-wear stuff we buy, so why sweat every little fit issue in our self-made garments? (That's a rough paraphrase, and I'm sticking with it — at least until I sew my second pair, which I know will fit much better).

I also need to add an inch-and-a-half to the back rise; my round butt requires a little more fabric to cover it than most, apparently. But that's something I don't need documented in pictorial form on the Internets. Just imagine a little dip at center back. 

I see so much possibility in this pattern now: black on black; a bright hue with brown faux leather; stretch denim leggings with faux suede patches; zebra print ponte with black patches: 

Ok, maybe not for me. But I could picture this on a few of you...admit it. If not this, what would you make with McCall's 6404?