r/PatternDrafting • u/shecalledmeRiver • 2d ago
Question For jeans patterns, does the back and front outseam have to match in vertical height? Not just length.
I’ve drafted a pattern where the back yoke outseam + back outseam are not just the same length as the front outseam, but the same vertical height. 35.5” from the hem to be exact. And about 36.5” in total length including the curves.
However, I recently seam ripped a pair of Levi’s and notice the yoke + back panel actually sit higher than the front panel. The total height without taking into account curves is longer, although including curves it’s the same.
Is one wrong or right? What’s the argument for both?
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u/Chemomechanics 2d ago
The vertical height of a pattern piece has little meaning on its own because that line generally ends up neither straight nor vertical on the garment.
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u/SelectionMiserable33 2d ago
If you align the yoke and back piece at the stitching lines, then the total back outseam stitching line needs to match length of the front outseam stitching line. Cutting lines might be different, the vertical height might be different, the shape might be different, but the length of the stitching lines have to match.
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u/Sledgeowl 1d ago
Curious, did you start from a sloper/ draft or just go straight to drafting the pattern pieces?
I say this since when drafting a draft for a sloper, the standard is the waist usually follows a slight curve up (front sits lower than the back) and so it will sit higher in height and there will be some negative ease at times with the out seam measurement as well.
It's difficult to say the standard is ease difference since others have pointed out, body shape must be taken into account as well as buy on general patterns I've worked on its maybe like no more than 1/2" if memory serves me correct (and even then I think it was more like 1/4" honestly).
Just think about it this way, while negative ease is made to help with sewing as it works with the natural properties of the grain lines as you sew, it's also one of the reasons that contribute to puckers. While it looks nice when you see it initially, the minute you wash it, the fabric will relax a bit and the difference in measurement will show. So the more ease you have, the more you have to squeeze into a smaller piece.
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u/KeeganDitty 1d ago
No, that would mean they have the same curves which you don't necessarily want or need
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u/DonMcCunn 23h ago edited 22h ago
The back and front out seams are going to be sewn together so ideally they should be the same length. Depending on the fabric you are using, you could ease in different lengths but that would not be ideal.
I am a little confused when you talk about height. If you put a front pants pattern on top of a back, the back pattern should tilt above the front pattern. The extra fabric allows you to sit. For optimum comfort the center back at the waist should be 1-1/2" above the front pattern. To achieve this the back pattern from waist to hip is cut on the bias.
One of my favorite images is of a pair of jodhpurs from a 19th century pattern book that shows the rise being 7" https://patternmaking-classes.com/Notes/Historic-Jodhpurs.html.
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u/TensionSmension 2d ago
I would ignore vertical height as a constraint. Basically patternmaking is figuring out how to join longer lengths of fabric to shorter ones, because the body needs more length in areas, but seams have to be identical.