Making Max Tilke’s Chinese Trousers
I’ve been thinking about the Chinese trousers in Max Tilke’s Costume Patterns and Designs since I was alerted to an Instagram reel demonstrating their construction. It was just the nudge I needed to try them.
I have the book at home, and looked up the page.
This illustration is also in Zero Waste Fashion Design, by McQuillan/Rissanen.
They’re women’s trousers from South Western China (date? not specified) and Max Tilke acknowledges the unusual way they’re constructed.
In spite of my success rate for low-crotch trousers being about 50%, as evidenced in this catalogue of mixed results, I was keen to try them.
I made a sample using paper towel and pins before I committed to fabric.
Here’s how I sewed them in fabric, in case you want to try it.
R/S = right side, W/S = wrong side
1. Two squares, overlocked around the edges (except the hems which are a border print with a selvedge). Arrange as shown, and mark the half way points with pins.
2. Sew them together with a 1cm seam, stopping 1cm short of each pin.
3. It looks like this now. Press the seam open.
4. Bring the top square down, folding it in half. Sew it to itself, forming one of the trouser legs. Sew the seam up to the previous one in Step 2.
5. Bring the corner point across to the lower square.
6. Stitch, stopping 1cm short of the end.
7. Now repeat the same thing with the lower square. Bring the lower square up, folding it in half, and sew it to itself to form the second leg.
8. Sew the remaining section to the top square, stopping 1cm short of the end.
9. They look like this (inside out). Front and back are the same.
For fabric, I used some brown/black cotton, a present from Sue Stoney. It has a border print, which I thought would be nice at the hem, just like in the illustration. There was enough left after cutting the two squares for a waistband (and maybe pockets of some sort?).
They were very quick to sew, and I got as far as putting them together without a waistband.
The extra fabric in the crotch doesn’t seem to be too excessive when the trousers are hanging.
Spread out, they don’t lie quite flat and the waist sits in a pronounced V.
The fabric wasn’t a uniform pattern – it had a panel of contrasting print at one end and I wondered how it would turn out but it looks okay.
I was actually very excited after sewing these. They were so interesting to make and I like them very much.
The story, however, hits a rut here, because I couldn’t physically get them on without unpicking. The waist measures 32″/81cm which by co-incidence is the same as my waist, but I couldn’t get them on over my bottom (40″/102cm).
I had sort of assumed the waist would be wide and I would pull them on and tighten with a drawcord or something. So they must have fitted a very tiny woman indeed.
But I think I could make them work by unpicking a seam and inserting an invisible zip or placket, then sewing a regular waistband on. I also have some thoughts about ways this pattern can be changed.
Come back next week for the gripping conclusion!
Cheers!