I made pants that are now too tight in the upper leg. Is there any way to salvage them? Kim P.,
e-mail
Gussets to the rescue! Gussets are pieces of fabric inserted into a seam to add length and width for fit, comfort and movement (A).
For a gusset that won't likely show when wearing the pants, begin by opening 6" to 8" of the upper inseams just below the crotch.
Try on the pants. Does the gap allow for the extra width needed in the thigh? If so, use football-shaped gussets to add extra room.
Measure the gap at its widest point and the opening length. Using the determined measurements, draw a football-shape gusset pattern on graph paper (B). Add 1/4" seam allowances all around.
Use the pattern to cut two gussets from matching or coordinating fabric scraps.
On the garment wrong side, fuse small pieces of interfacing to both inseam allowances, just past where the stitching breaks at the opening upper and lower ends. Reinforce the original seams where they end by over-stitching them (C).
With right sides together, pin the gusset to the opening seam allowances only, aligning the raw edges.
With the gusset facing down, stitch it in place, backstitching at the upper and lower ends of the gusset and meeting the inseam stitching. Be sure to fold the inseam allowances out of the way so you don't catch them in the gusset stitching. Press the gusset seam allowances away from the gussets.
Barbara Deckert is an author and custom clothier in Elkridge, MD.
For more ideas using gussets, read Sewing for Plus Sizes: Design, Fit and Construction for Ample Apparel and Sewing 911: Practical and Creative Rescues for Sewing Emergencies, both from Taunton Press.
