As promised, here’s part 2 of the Joggers reviews. I received a couple of recommendations to include in a follow-up, so here’s what this post will cover:

• True Bias Hudson Pant as the classic jogger and all-around favorite
• Go To Knit Pants as the red-headed step-jogger
• Thread Faction Studios M is for Moto Joggers as the minimalist
• Duck Butt Designs Ladies’ Treasure Munks as a funky alternative
• Sew Like My Mom Redwood Joggers as the last-minute entry

If you haven’t already, make sure you get caught up on my first review post with 4 different patterns. There aren’t any affiliate links in these posts- these are unsolicited, uncompensated reviews; however I did receive the Motos, Hudsons, and Redwood patterns free from the designers to be included here. There are still a couple of patterns I haven’t done, and frankly now that my wardrobe boasts 12 pairs of joggers and 2 pairs of harem pants, I’m not all that inclined to make more. So, for now, the Winter Wear Designs Aviator pants, the Pattern Emporium Harems, the at-some-point-to-be-released Elliedactyl Mama Zanes, and the just-previewed joggers coming from Patterns for Pirates are probably not going to hit my sewing table any time soon. But then again, that looks like a pretty well-rounded line-up…

True Bias Hudson Joggers

These were my first make of this batch, and I was stupid enough to start making them in the middle of the summer in Los Angeles. I got as far as the waistband and couldn’t bring myself to actually put them on, so they sat in a pile until the cooler weather started to roll in. So, first to get started and last to get finished.

I DO love them! This awesomely funky cheetah French terry came from PurpleSeamstress and it makes my heart go pitter-pat. Thankfully I also really love the pants now that they are done. The waistband and pocket trim are brushed poly from Zenith & Quasar. The fit through the rise, rear, and hips is perfect for me, and I love the snugness through the calves and ankles as well. All in all, it’s a win! The pockets are just right for me too- they hold my phone just fine. If you’re looking for a reliable, basic joggers pattern, there’s a reason that this pattern is always tied with the Brassies as the gold standard.

 

Go To Knit Pants

This is actually the first joggers pattern I bought, and I have been the most resistant to make it. I’ve seen mixed reviews saying they are super comfy but weird to sew, and not as all-around awesome as other patterns. So, I’m making them because I can’t be the only person who has the pattern but isn’t sure about actually making it. First off, I needed to adjust the inseam- it notes it is cropped with a 30″ inseam. This is hilarious because my full-length inseam is 26 1/2″; since their regular inseam is 33″, I’ll need to chop off 6-7″ to get a comparable finished length. I took 1″ from the rise, 2″ from the thigh, 1/2″ from around the knee, 2″ from the calf, 1″ from the hem and 1/2″ from the cuff. No pattern has EVER made me feel so short, but I do love a good crop.

As it turns out 7″ of trimming was still about 8″ too long. YOU GUYS! If you have a crazy long inseam, you need these pants. On a brighter note, I did awesome with my stripe matching and I like the pockets. Very basic in-seam pockets, but the pocket bag is anchored in the waistband and that keeps them nice and stable. Overall, I like the fit and they are plenty comfy, but frankly once I’ve taken 15″ of length of a pattern I’m more or less drafting it on my own.

The waistband instructions are pretty funky, which I anticipated based on other reviews. I think the goal is to end up with a clean finish on the inside, but it’s awkward and tricky to add as instructed. I strongly recommend that you ignore the instructions and just use whatever your favorite technique is for an elastic-enclosed waistband or switch over to a yoga waistband (if you need to, just steal the measurements from a free pattern like the Patterns for Pirates peg legs). These are comfy and will definitely get worn. Maybe as pajamas, but that’s definitely not an insult. Oh, this charcoal and white stripe French terry is also from PurpleSeamstress. It’s REALLY soft, and there’s a really subtle texture to the striping.

 

M is for Motos by Thread Faction

I thought through a million different combinations before I settled on my basic burgundy and golds here. I was going to do Piccadilly plaid with scuba knees; floral ponte with vegan leather knees, polka dot with floral knees. I settled on these because I’m a Redskins girl at heart, and on sad Sundays I’ll claim my Gryffindor allegiance instead. The heathered burgundy French terry is from Stylish Fabrics; the gold French Terry is from Starfluffle. So, I’m already counting it as a win for this pattern that it got my creative juices flowing. Also, the pattern very helpfully included waist to knee and knee to ankle measurements- I took 2″ from the thigh to make sure that my knee inserts actually sat at my knee. Nothing would be sadder than making cute motos with the inset sitting mid-calf. But then I failed to follow instructions-you’re only supposed to do the moto inserts on the front, and I did the back as well. The extra bulk feels a little weird, so I recommend doing as I say and not as I did.

Overall, I like these. The fit is easy, the pockets work, and I LOVE the moto detailing. However, it’s important to know that you do your own blocking here. The pattern as drafted is the full length front and back legs. The lines are provided for the moto inserts, but you cut them out and add seam allowances. It’s not hard, but it’s an extra step. When I make these again, I’ll probably switch up the angle of the motos to make them more on the diagonal. It would also be fun to do back inserts in mesh, or some other fun detail like that. The waistline is elastic folded over directly in the top of the rise and topstitched down, so no separate waistband to cut and prep. One of my favorite aspects of this design is that the angle cuffs are really long, and that adds to the slightly off-beat character. All in all, I would say this is a great pattern for the sewing minimalist- easy, quick to assemble, nice geometric lines, and not a lot of fuss.

 

Duck Butt Treasure Munks

So, here’s the deal with this pattern- you can sample the fit options with the free Plain Pants pattern (join the Duck Butt facebook group for the coupon code); if you want the color blocking, then you need to pick up the ‘Munks. I was fully prepared to write off this pattern because it has a lot of options (high/ low rise, loose/ slim fit), and it’s hard to hit all the right spots while also loading in variety. I was pleasantly surprised! I picked up these Piccadilly Disco Girl and Lips French terry samples on a whim, because I couldn’t resist the idea of some literal kiss-my-ass pants. This french terry is unbelievably soft, and I’m THRILLED that Piccadilly offered some plaids in French terry in Collection III! The heathered red is also French terry (same fabric I used in my Motos above) so happily, in addition to these being kiss-my-ass pants, they are great back-up Football/ Pottermore pants as well.

Now, for the most important part, LOOK AT MY BUTT! YOU GUYS! My ass (in profile anyway) looks pretty spectacular here. Whatever, I’m not humble. It’s just a bit snug, but I think that’s the difference in weight between the two French terries. I did have some sizing woes here- I’m right between medium and large for the hips, so I chose to do the medium loose-fits, which is essentially the same as the large slim-fits. I really should have slimmed back down to the medium slim-fits through the knees. I’m pretty sure I’ll be making more of these, and I’ll want a snug fit through the calves and ankles.

Redwoods by Sew Like My Mom

These were a last-minute entry as they were released right at the end of the summer when I was wrapping up this pants party. I liked the nifty side insert and pocket situation, and thought the design offers a good opportunity to use up some scraps. There’s also a matching kids pattern, which is always fun. I was super-excited to have a good excuse to use my gnomies, especially just a little bit of them (I am SUCH a fabric miser with my customs!). The fit is good, and I think this waistband is tied with the Munks for my favorite from this batch. That must be because they are both super-straightforward elastic-enclosed bands. Easy-peasy. The pocket shape and location is just a bit awkward- my hands don’t intuitively just find the pockets and slide right in, but they are still plenty functional.

The fit through the rise and rear is very comfortable, and this is the pattern that hammered home for me that I really do have non-standard legs. I’m so used to adjusting for height, that I was surprised to be surprised to find out I need to adjust for width as well. My thighs at their fullest are pretty average, but then it turns out my legs are their own hourglass. My lower thighs and knees are apparently pretty skinny, then my calves are back to muscular/ average. This explains why the Munks are too loose, and why I complained about the looseness of the Hallas as well. So, if you think any of these look too loose just north and south of the knees, that’s on me and my bony knees.

One of the things that I really like about this side panel design is that it’s a great opportunity for some optical illusions. My next pair will be an overall main fabric with much darker side panels. I’m hoping they will eat my hips right up.

	My measurements: W 29.5″; H: 39.5″; Pants inseam: 26.5″
	True Bias Hudsons	Go To Knit Pants	Thread Faction Motos	Duck Butt Munks	Sew Like My Mom Redwoods
My size	8W/ 10H	Medium	Medium	Medium/ Large	Medium/ Large
Seam allowance	3/8″	3/8″	1/4″	1/4″	3/8″
Layers?	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
No-trim pages?	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Band pieces?	Pattern pieces	Pattern pieces	Pattern pieces	Measurements	Pattern pieces
Pocket Style	In seam pocket bag	In seam pocket bag	In seam pocket bag	Integrated in color blocking	Integrated in color blocking
Waistband style	Elastic-enclosed waistband, optional drawstring	Elastic-enclosed waistband, clean finish inside	Elastic enclosed in top rise, clean finish inside; faux drawstring	Enclosed elastic	Enclosed elastic
Lengths	full-length or cropped for a standard 5’5″/ 28″ inseam model	30″ cropped inseam with some excess over cuff	Mini, midi, capris, and full length (165-170cm inseam)	Pedal pushers, capris, pants with inseam lengths specified for all sizes	Shorts, Capris, pants
Pattern extras	Good basic instructions for working with knits included	Pattern also includes legging and yoga pants options	Waist-to-knee and knee-to-ankle measurements provided, multiple lengths and lengthen/ shorten lines provided; print chart provided	Includes thigh and calf girth measurements, and inseam lengths	The photos and instructions are some of the clearest I’ve seen
Design extras	Contrast pocket bands	None	Moto insert cut lines, enclosed seams on the motos	Separate (free) pattern for plain version; curvy color-blocking; options for low or high rise, slim or loose fit	Side panels are an opportunity to make some illusions
Overall fit	Perfect- slim through hips, relaxed seat seam, moderate through thighs and calves	Relaxed overall	Relaxed overall	Depends	Moderately relaxed
My mods	Shortened overall by 2″	Removed 7″ in length from all over	Shortened thigh by 2″	None	None
The Good	All in all a perfect, basic jogger pattern. Also, matching Little Hudsons	Comfy relaxed fit, very stable pockets	Fewest pieces to cut if not doing moto details	Rear view; pocket styling. Similar to the Elliedactyl Jadyn’s for matching littles.	Unique design, matching kids pattern too
The Bad	None	Inseam length insanity, waistband insallation	You’re in charge of adding seam allowances for the moto inserts	Sizing choices can be a little tricky when also considering loose and slim fit options	Folding over the top of the pocket is a little funky- you have to stretch it while you sew- it doesn’t naturally just fold correctly, but it sits right when worn