Zero/minimal waste trousers

Can you believe these pants are were made with a zero/minimal waste pattern?

These are the #jonestrousers by @goldfinchtextilestudio, which are sized for for a 33-72” hip. It’s a printable pattern with nested sizes, so great for people who don’t like “doing math” on draft-to-measure zero waste patterns.

I love this pattern. The cutting layout is very clever, and the details created to use up all the negative space are so cute. Look at that button loop! There’s a secret phone pocket! Those cuffs! The half-elastic waistband!

After looking at the very helpful blog post with all the tester versions, I made a size F based on my waist measurements and not my hip (which is a few sizes larger).

As always I’m much shorter than the reference size, so I made a quick #topdowncenterout toile to check the hip ease, crotch fit, and see how much length I had to take off. I’m glad I did because I had to remove 7cm length and move the pockets inwards. Lengthening/shortening the pattern is done in a very specific place on the paper pattern, to preserve the zero waste layout without ruining the fly pieces.

I made this in an organic cotton twill (240g/m2 - I think that’s almost 8oz for you Americans?), and I loooove how it holds the pleats and the sightly ballooned leg shape. I did the topstitching with cotton thread whenever I remembered to, so I can dye these if I can’t keep the cream colour clean 😄

I’m really glad I made these and will definitely get a lot of wear out of them!

#zerowastesewingpattern #zerowastesewing #zerowastefashion #petitesewing #goldfinchjonestrousers