Today I’m sharing these Asymmetric Culottes from Digital Pattern Library, a new-to-me indie sewing pattern maker.

I have to say, I’m still scratching my head a bit on these.

Do you ever finish a project and are still not sure if you like the garment or not? There were moments when I found this pattern brilliant to use and others when I found it annoying AF! So I feel that not only is my end reaction to the garment a tad confused, the sewing process was also a bit of a roller coaster.

So, come join me…

My Asymmetric Culottes

My Asymmetric Culottes are a size 16. I’ve made them out of tencel soft stretch twill from Meter Meter in the “rust” colour. Almost without fail I find myself reaching for something of this colour as Autumn approaches – I guess I just want to epitomise the season!

And I’m too tired for a creative interpretation of a theme so I just go for the most literal embodiment of autumn imaginable!

I’ve sewn with this fabric before and I really love it! I still have it a few other colours for future projects because I find it so comfortable and lustrous!

There is a lot that I liked about sewing this pattern. The instructions were well set out and, even though I couldn’t always conceptualise why I was doing what I was doing, I always knew that I was correctly following the instructions. All notches were where they were supposed to be and it was easy to follow. There are some lovely double darts at the back which give the asymmetric culottes a lovely shape.

The pattern itself is also really quite intriguing and was not at all what I expected.

I guess from looking at the almost skirt-like look of the finished garment, I was expecting some kind of skirt overlay. But that’s not how this is constructed at all.

Rather, you the front leg pieces are extremely big and you pleat each leg in a different way to get the interesting visual impact of the final product.

It was kind of an “oh duh” moment, when I realised that was how it was all coming together.

This does create the odd effect that the assymetric folds means that each leg feels different on your body because the fabric is sitting in different ways. I haven’t yet worn these enough to determine if you get used to this slightly strange feeling!

Great instructions, but…

But, I didn’t find it all smooth sailing.

The main issue I had was sizing.

My body measurements had me between a 16 and 18 at the waist. After looking at the finished garment measurements I thought it was safe to size down to 16.

Well, thank goodness I did because it was huuuuuge around the waist.

Looking at the charts again afterwards, I noticed that there was 6cm of positive ease at the waist. Now, am I missing something here or is that simply too much on a garment which needs to stay on at the waist?

With a dress or a top, that would be fine, but on my body, a pair of pants that is a full 6cm larger than my waist will simply fall down to my hips!

Which is what kept happening!

Now I know that my fabric has some stretch in it, but that doesn’t account for the 6cm of ease at the waist – even in the sturdiest of canvas, the garment is not going to rest high on my waist if it has a full 6cm of ease at the waist.

It seems to me that, with that much waist ease, the garment is really designed to rest on the hips. As that just ain’t my thing – I was wanting a higher waist garment! I really needed to have figured this issue out earlier to be able to male appropriate size choices and adaptations!

I didn’t twig on to this issue of overly generous waist ease before I sewed it because I was tricked by the ties. I thought they were going to help at the waist.

Just to be clear – they don’t. The ties are purely decorative.

Well, technically, they do cinch in the waist a little on one leg only, leaving the leg without the ties to fall even further around the hip. So, I guess the pattern is true to its name in that the slouching effect as the culottes fall down towards my hips more on one side than the other is an additional slight of asymmetry.

So, as these ended up way too large around the waist and I kept shaving off and shaving off at the side seam to make them fit. In addition the construction made it a bit of a challenge to try on until close towards the end, at which point you have a zip installed on one side already. As I couldn’t commit to unpicking that zip in my extreme frustration, I ended up having to do a lot of taking it in on one-side only. At least the design is so roomy and fluid that I don’ think that is too visible that one leg only has been significantly reduced in size.

Despite going back in several times to take the garment in at the side seams, these are still a tad to big around the waist. But I just don’t have the heart to go back in yet again!

So, my key words of warning: first, that wrap tie is just playing with you, she’s never actually going to help you out at any stage. Second, you’ve got enough ease built in to this pattern to store a spare baguette in your waistband.

Which, of course, you may just be inclined to do if you’re also experiencing pocket problems!

Pocket Problems

The Asymmetric Culottes also include an optional in-seam pocket on one side. While I have no issues with the idea of one pocket only – one pocket is better than no pockets after all – I still ended up with a pocket problem.

On my body, the side seam actually sits closer to the back than is common in pants. Remember what I said about those front pieces being huge?

So when I installed the pocket, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror moving from seated to standing, and its position made the pocket look like a gaping hole (dare I say chasm) positioned about halfway across my butt check (granted I have large butt cheeks so perhaps this is a me-specific problem).

I laughed for quite a while at the level of ridiculousness.

But those laughs slowly turned to frustration as I realised I would need to unpick part of that bloody side seam yet AGAIN to remove the pocket.

So, here we are, pocketless culottes!

Another thing that falls in the category of “pet peeve” was the instructions for hemming the pant leg. I probably only got so annoyed at this because it was the second pair of pants in two weeks that have given me this instruction, but I hate it when, in a woven pant, the instructions tells you to do the hem by finishing the edges and then fold it ONCE.

That’s it!

Sorry, but if it’s not a knit fabric or something exceptionally thick which makes itimpossible, the only way I will do a pant hem is with a nice double fold. Getting that edge all fully invisibly tucked away inside.

Surely I’m not alone here??

About face!

The other area that has me going a bit “meh” with these Asymmetric Culottes is that the use a facing, rather than a waistband. I know that sometimes there is good reason for this, but, it’s just not my preference. In fact, I’d kind of originally wanted to add elastic at the back of these culottes but the use of a facing instead of a waistband had me quickly chucking that idea into the “too-hard-trash-bins of ideas to which I”m insufficiently committed”.

I do really like the shaping on these culottes and the use of double darts at the back, in particular, gives it a lovely shape. But, in exchange, it’s all just secured with a big waist facing. Like many sewists, facings that flip out can be the bane of my existence and when it’s at your waist, it’s even more important than usual.

Despite doing all the requested understitching etc. the facing at the front of my culottes tends to pull forward and flop visibly out somewhat. You can see it in most of these photos. I think this is because, in this fabric at least, the front side of the pants are very heavy and, on the side where there is the tie belt, the pull of the tie further encourages the big ol’ facing flop.

Of course, as long as you don’t do your facing in a contrasting fabric, who will really know but you, but still, each time I look down at my waist (already an exercise fraught with self-loathing these days), there’s the understitching at the top of my facing. Staring at me in mockery, rather than securely facing my belly as intended!!

Ok, I guess this has now turned into enough of a vent for me to realise that, for now at least, I don’t really like these culottes.

Still, maybe this will be one of those projects that I will appreciate more with the benefit of a bit more time.

In the meantime, at least the interesting folds allows for some attempted posing creativity!

Oh and, finally, a little P.S! If you like to get your blog hits through Bloglovin’, feel free to follow me over there: you can find me here. And you can find me on Instagram here.