DIY Pants!....?

[Ravie]

Okay random thought occered! I wear leotards under my pants because they have so many holes. My next DIY thing would be to make another pair of pants with lining sewn into them. I also want some chaps, but thats besides the point.

My goal is to make some long lasting pants!!! Wich if i did that for myself would be a miracle since my womanly thighs rub a little and create holes and I'm not too kind to my clothes. I also want to make sure they stretch, because the patchy pants i have now(wich are retiring soon) make it almost impossible to hop a fence or even get into a large truck haha

yeah, i made the misstake of tightening pants that dont stretch...

So I'm going to go start on that maybe! Just maybe because I dont know if I have any dental floss.

Oh yeah, any suggestions other than a crotch vent?

 

[dVEC]

NO SHIT!

I've been thinking about this kind of project for a minute now. My plan is to get some badass heavyweight hemp canvas like this: http://www.downbound.com/vegan_p/PWT-E-HFHWC2.htm (because hemp is like 5x stronger than cotton, breathes better, stinks/stains less, 1001 other reasons...) and make a pattern from some Carhartts and make a few modifications (like a crotch vent and some nifty pockets and a double butt and and and) and be frickin' SET. I just the other day found out a friend of mine has a sewing machine that'll do layers of heavy canvas, so I can finally get to it. Really psyched. I'll let ya'll know how that project progresses.

I don't know if canvas is what you'd want, though, if you're going for a close/stretch fit. Probably just plain stretch denim, I guess.

 

[macks]

I've been thinking about doing this too, it'd be sweet to have a thick winter pair and sew some flannel leggings on the inside like the old Carhartts used to have. And also have a thinner summer pair with the chodevent.. no access to sewing machine, do you think that sewing all that shit by hand would be advisable?

And who's got advice about the Philson's dumpster in seattle? I was thinking about making a trip up there this winter to grab a bunch, PM or whatever if you want. Or any other rockin' fabric dumpsters in the NW that might have a bunch of canvas?

 

[Ravie]

that hemp seems a wee tot too much to lug around. unless it just looks thicker than i can see. I have to work with what i have... wich is some thin ass pin stripe dickies. I was thinking of a layer of something thicker(but not too thick) under that, then some warm leggings under than, all sewn together.

 

[finn]

I've gotten canvas like that, and imagine what a painter's canvas is like and make it three times stiffer and tougher. It's not what you'd call comfortable against the skin. I made a bag for a folding bike with it, but as far as clothing is concerned, think outside layer.

Hey Ravie, are the holes occurring because of the seams on the insides of your pants? I'm thinking that you could relocate the seams so they don't rub against each other, even though it might mean you have two extra seams above and below the rubbing areas.

 

[Ravie]

nah, its just based on shitty thin girl clothing fabric that someone probably shat out.
I walk too much for these damned pants. it just rubs it's self to nothing.

 

[skunkpit]

yee its all about comfort vs utility
want strong pants that will last long if you want to compensate that then pants will always fall apart

there was this group of japanese prisoners that fled to the woods not much wilderness skills, one guy lived in the woods for 30 years learning true sustainability, his clothing was made with i think cedar bark, bashing the fibers loose then making canvas out of them, he said he had to make a new set of cloths 3 times in those 30 years...

 

[macks]

is that japanese prisoner story from a book? if so do you know the name? sounds really interesting might be a good read

 

[Ravie]

well, i dont realy want to wear bark...sounds itchy. but maybe your right. some carhartts sound good. where would i go to find a decent pair? thrift stores here suck hooker vagina.

 

[Speedy]

For a cheaper option you could get a pair of those canvas dickies that are a carhartts rip off. I got a pair that are are nasty and old and havent worn out yet. Except for not hving double knees, they look exactly the same for like half the price. Why buy a super expensive pair of pants if your gonna cut them up, or the fact that they're gonna look shitty in a week anyway.

 

[Birdy]

Ooouhh I love dickies<3
They are so comfy.

 

[Speedy]

I didn't think $36 for a new pair of Carhartts was super expensive... I am sure some people on here spend that much on beer every week.

Thats not too much for pants, but I figured she was gonna cut um up and make tight pants out of them. I just couldnt see buying a heavy duty pair of work pants just to ruin them by cuttin the crotch out of them. Plus the dickies were only 20 bucs, so you still have 16 bucs to get drunk and throw up all over your new pants

 

[Ravie]

I didn't think $36 for a new pair of Carhartts was super expensive... I am sure some people on here spend that much on beer every week.

more like every day.

 

[Ravie]

now guys, I'm not looking to ruin a good pair of pants. I tighten pants that dont fit me since my body shape is kinda different than most people i have problems finding clothes that fit right. If i dont alter almost everything I look as wierd as a cat in a dog pound.

 

[Double-A]

it'd be worth it to look around and try as many different pairs of work pants you can. i'm short as hell and have a bigger waist, but skinny, so everything that i try on looks fits and looks ridiculous... crotch at my knees, foot wide thighs, and so on. so i went to our carhartt outlet and tried on about every pair they had in there and settled for a "young man's" size. Speaking of dickies, they are supposedly the company with the most sizes, but i found that they don't make work pants 5'2" workers!!

the carhartts are definitely worth the work i did for them. and to get them lined is only about 3 dollars more.

 

[Ravie]

yeah, i'm tall, big waste, and thinner than normal legs, plus i only wear low cut.

 

[bananathrash]

making pants from scratch is incredibly time consuming, and not worth it, especially if you are trying to make them form fitting. the knees and/or seams will blow out right after you finish them.

your best bet is to find pants that fit your waist well all the way to the bottom of the pockets, and then bring in the OUTSIDE SEAM ONLY. if you try and alter the inside seam, theyll blow out. if you alter pants that dont fit you upper legs, to at least the bottom of the pocket, theyll blow out in your crotch, and youll look like a fascist. you also gotta leave room in your knees.

i have boy parts but a larger than average butt, so ive always had a really hard time finding pants that fit me but dont constrict my junk. my solution was to cuff my pants below the knee, and recently just alter them to knicker form. i altered them while i had cold weather thermals on to make sure i could also stay warm in them. just figure out your stress points in pants and come up with some way to eliminate them by changing the form.

if youre really set on making pants from scratch, id advise getting some extreme cold weather thermals from a surplus store, then stitching just like a ripstop, water resistant, cover for em. what im getting from your posts, are that you dont want loose fitting pants at all.

and wear a belt if for some reason you arent.

 

[dirtyfacedan]

well, i dont realy want to wear bark...sounds itchy. but maybe your right. some carhartts sound good. where would i go to find a decent pair? thrift stores here suck hooker vagina.

Hey! My mom is a hooker!! (Was, she's getting old now, although i guess there are sicko's into that too). So ya.... those thrift stores must be nasty.
I re-patch the asses on my carharts a couple times, they tend to wear out there before anything else. I guess i sit on my fat ass a lot, and riding on a moving sheet of gritty painted steel is hard as fuck on them. A bit of a tough spot to patch, but i hate to folk over new dough, just to see the same shit happen again. They make them with tough; tripple stiched, double layered knees...why not the ass too? Also, i find the "big bill" brand..(fuck carhart).. to last about twice longer, and even a better fit, cheaper too! I like the pants kids got that are patched all over the place with sinew, leather, patches, whatever , it gets my respect for using something way beyond the wear out cycle shit.