Manly joggers - True Bias Hudson

It's pretty well documented that I very rarely sew for anyone other than myself. I mean, as a full-time working mum with a toddler, I struggle to find the time to sew as it is. My rationale for being so "selfish" (in quotation marks, because I don't think it really is selfish) is that sewing is there to help me unwind from my busy job, rather than adding to my list of tasks as some kind of chore. 

But the lockdown and the pandemic is doing crazy things to the brain, in mysterious ways! I voluntarily decided to make a pair of joggers for my husband, and for no special occasion! I was feeling a bit sorry for his lack of lounge wear for his new work from home routine, plus (the real reason) I already had grey threads in my overlocker 😅 Anyone else relate to this? 

These are the popular Hudson Pant (men's version) by True Bias, and all the hype was well deserved. I came pretty close to buying the ladies version for me, but decided upon the Papercut Anima in the end, and have been very happy with that. It's nice, however, to have the opportunity to try out a different pattern, and learn different construction techniques.  

OK, I did ask him to pull up the joggers a bit, but looking at the photo below, I regret making that request. I can confirm that in real like, the joggers don't fit quite this tightly! 

I glanced over the instructions, but mainly followed the sew-along. I say "follow", what I really mean is that I managed to get as far as "Day 1" before making a deviation with my fabric choice! I chose a very loopy backed marl French Terry from my stash, which had nowhere near the recommended 40% minimum stretch. But I liked the colour, the weight, and how soft it is, and I had basically exactly the right amount (1m, with a generous width of 1.7m) to make these joggers. Who could resist a scrap-free project? If I'm being totally honest with myself... this may be another reason why I decided to make these joggers for him!

I'm pleased to report that it worked fine. It's not perfect, though. There were two things that I wish I had done slightly differently. Firstly, whilst the slim-fit looks just fine and gives these a nice, modern look, I wish I had sized up one (cutting a 32 rather than 30) to compensate for the limited stretch. Secondly, I definitely should've used some ribbing or jersey which had more stretch for the ankle cuffs.  Apparently these cuffs add 10 mins to hubby's morning routine 😆

I shortened 1 inch from the legs, and am happy with the finished length. To be honest, judging by the size of the remaining fabric, I'm not sure I would've had enough fabric if I didn't shorten, or cut a bigger size!  

One of the exciting details that I haven't come across before is the pocket detail strip. I love this design element, even though it took me a few goes to get this even on my overlocker.

The other construction technique that's different from those for the Anima is the waistband attachment. The Anima has you sewing the elastic into a loop, then serging the bottom end of that in the round to  the joggers. This has worked well for me before, though on my last pair I was troubled with some excess fabric at the top of the waistband, which then ruffled after the topstiching. Truth be told, I ended up ripping it all out and redoing it all over again. 

The Hudson, instead, asks you to serge the waistband to the joggers, leaving a gap to feed the elastic through. In the end, what I did on this pair was a bit of both - I sewed the elastic into a loop, sandwiched that inside the waistband, and serged the latter to the joggers whilst keeping the elastic free. 

It was a bit tricky ensuring that the elastic doesn't get caught by the overlocker, but the end result is the best I've had so far. It's smooth, even, and the topstitching looked good! 

I used a burgundy shoestring to finish off the look. Actually, this is "the other lace" from what I used in my leopard pair. My husband's joggers may not match my and Freya's exactly, but at least we share the same drawstring 😉

I did have a minor gripe with this pattern, however -- it doesn't tell you how long your waistband elastic should be. I get that it is best to fit it to your model, but a rough indication/check would have been helpful. 

It is a pretty minor complaint, though, in the grand scheme of things, and I have to say, this was a satisfying project. It was a pretty quick sew, and it's nice to finally hop onto the Hudson Pant bandwagon. The modern , slim tapered fit of these joggers is lovely, and my hubby confirms that despite the overly tight ankle cuffs, the rest of the joggers are extremely comfortable. He has already got lots of wear out of them. 

I guess what I'm trying to say is that it has actually been pretty enjoyable to have sewn for him, but I'm ready to getting back to sewing for just me and my offspring for now!

What about you? Has the pandemic changed your sewing habit?