Hi,
I know this is a hot issue, and from reading various posts on tribe I know people are very reluctant to come up with pattern ideas. But, I'm in South Africa, and $72 + $25 shipping (and her ebay store doesn't even seem to ship to Africa) is unbelievably expensive (R680) because of the lousy exchange rate.
So, I would love to make myself a similar pair. If anyone can offer advice on suggestions for drafting a pattern it would be much appreciated.
Thanks!
I know this is a hot issue, and from reading various posts on tribe I know people are very reluctant to come up with pattern ideas. But, I'm in South Africa, and $72 + $25 shipping (and her ebay store doesn't even seem to ship to Africa) is unbelievably expensive (R680) because of the lousy exchange rate.
So, I would love to make myself a similar pair. If anyone can offer advice on suggestions for drafting a pattern it would be much appreciated.
Thanks!
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Re: How to make flair (melodia-type) pants?
Sun, January 20, 2008 - 1:45 PMButterick 4807 is for giant flared yoga-type pants. You'd have to make them tighter in the thighs, lower the waistband, and leave the side seams open below the knees and stretch the hems and open side areas as you finish them to get the lettuce treatment. (There's a similar Burda pattern for palazzos, but it's not meant for stretch fabrics and mine never fit me well.)
I would make a pair as written in an inexpensive stretchy fabric and basted (since all the changes involve making the pattern pieces smaller), and make the alterations to that, so you'd have a new pattern to work with once you fine tune.
There are also a couple vendors doing less expensive knockoffs- search this tribe and Tribal Costuming for referrals.
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Re: How to make flair (melodia-type) pants?
Mon, January 21, 2008 - 7:23 AMI made some! I copied a pair of yoga pants that I love from the hip to knee then used the length from knee to floor and did the same thing as people do with circle skirts. tie a rope to a pencil and just take from straight out to 90 degrees.
easy enough! -
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Re: How to make flair (melodia-type) pants?
Mon, January 21, 2008 - 1:47 PMHi Jenn,
Do you mean they're regular pants until the knees, and then a half circle below the knees? Side seem open on the one side? Sounds do-able.
Unfortunately, even the less expensive vendors are waaay out of my price range. The exchange rate has not been kind to us. I could make a pair of pants from really nice fabric for the equivalent of $12. Thanks for the suggestions though. -
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Re: How to make flair (melodia-type) pants?
Mon, January 21, 2008 - 6:31 PMI hear ya amy! that's why I made my own too. i've never actually seen melodias up close so I'm not sure that's exactly how they do it, but I like the look of my pants. You can see some green ones in my profile.
let me know through pm if you have any other questions.
I would suggest tightening the knee more than your yoga pants are. It makes the flare more drastic
good luck!
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Re: How to make flair (melodia-type) pants?
Tue, January 29, 2008 - 6:20 AMYup that's what I did. I used a purple stretch velvet evening dress from a thrift shop. It cost about $4. Plus elastic and thread. I used the scraps to cover a matching bra.
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Re: How to make flair (melodia-type) pants?
Mon, January 21, 2008 - 2:23 PMI would love to know of a pattern to use. I have started sewing classes and would love to try. -
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Re: How to make flair (melodia-type) pants?
Mon, January 21, 2008 - 2:51 PMI did basically the same thing as Jenn. My yoga pants were snug from the hips to the knee. I didn't do a circle-thing, just flaired down the bottoms. And I modified the top to have a band that folds down. My original flairs rode waaay too low for my liking. No plumber's behind for me! I did the pattern and found really cheap 4 way stretch material and did a test pair. They worked beautifully and the first pair is one of my favorite pairs! -
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Re: How to make flair (melodia-type) pants?
Mon, January 21, 2008 - 6:32 PMyes yes, you can flare the bottom, but I wanted the whole inner leg to be on a fold so I could save fabric! 2 yards of fabric at 0.69$/yard and I got a pair of pants for under 1.50! haha.
I have a wonderful fabric store near me :) -
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Re: How to make flair (melodia-type) pants?
Tue, January 22, 2008 - 5:28 AMhere's my picture
people.tribe.net/jenlindse...7241032be9 -
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Re: How to make flair (melodia-type) pants?
Tue, January 22, 2008 - 8:20 AMHi Jen,
Thanks, your photo of the green ones is really helpful!
I love your salsa fusion pants as well - are those also similar, but with open sides?
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Re: How to make flair (melodia-type) pants?
Tue, January 22, 2008 - 8:36 AMyes amy. The salsa pants are identical, but took about 10 times as long to make! Haha. The rings along the sides are actually brass and have been coated in glue and wrapped with embroidery floss. Yikes! that took forever.
just fyi- if you try to do this, be sure to put interfacing in the edges, otherwise stretch fabric will rip along the seams. The interfacing was the key here. So the pant leg stretches (not the side design)
I think the open sides are hot and I love my red pants, but man... I have determined that stretch lace along the edges there is soooo much easier and it has a similar affect!
feel free to let me know if you have any more questions.
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Re: How to make flair (melodia-type) pants?
Wed, January 23, 2008 - 5:29 PMeehehehe houndstooth fauxlodias! awesome!
i made my own too. just took a pair of stretchy pants i have that fit me well, turned them inside out, and made a pattern from them on newspaper!
i suggest buying some inexpensive stretchy fabric to make a test pair before using anything nicer, just in case the pattern needs any adjusting. but overall it was very easy to do!
i need to make a few more pairs with some fabric i have laying around...
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Re: How to make flair (melodia-type) pants?
Tue, January 22, 2008 - 8:27 AMJenn...ya got me beat. I buy the $1.00 fabric from Walmart so I have $2.00 invested in them...I gotta get pictures up, too! -
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Re: How to make flair (melodia-type) pants?
Tue, January 22, 2008 - 8:33 AMhaha! that's awesome Deniz. Any cheap fabric makes sewing more fun! If I spend a lot of money on the material I end up thinking..." man I shouldn't just bought this!!"
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Re: How to make flair (melodia-type) pants?
Tue, January 29, 2008 - 8:02 AMJenn, let me see if I can ask this question correctly. First I love your green pants! I also love the pink ones and the red one in your video. Did you make all of these? The question is, you stated you wanted to have an inner seam in the pants, so did you have the fold on the outside and then from the bottom of the inside you did a 1/4 circle up to the knee with the slit on the outside? I hope this makes sense. I want to try to make a pair. I love how they look! I have a few pairs of Melodias. They fit nice, but they are both too long! They think that people who wear XL are also tall! I have a peacock pair and if I cut the bottoms it will ruin the bottom design. So I would love to make my own pair.
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Re: How to make flair (melodia-type) pants?
Tue, January 29, 2008 - 6:18 AMBD Patterns makes a pattern for these, I think its 3007? The BD pattern site is terrible, but the patterns are worthwhile.
Adira has them on her website www.adira.us/
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Re: How to make flair (melodia-type) pants?
Tue, January 22, 2008 - 11:16 AMI just got my first sewing machine of my own and am really wanting to sew myself some yoga pants/melodia-style flairs. My Mom was saying to me that I can't sew "stretch" pants without a serger (which I do not have). Is this true? -
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Re: How to make flair (melodia-type) pants?
Tue, January 22, 2008 - 11:40 AMthat is not true. Do you have a zig zag stitch on your machine? If you do- USE IT! as for the curlie edges on a lot of the flare pants- that is easier on a serger, but you can also accomplish that with a zig zag stitch -
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Re: How to make flair (melodia-type) pants?
Tue, January 22, 2008 - 12:13 PMAlso (although I haven't tested it yet) I imagine doing a rolled hem with a zig zag stitch would finish off the bottoms nicely, instead of just doing a zig zag. What makes the flairs so nice is the lettuce leaf effect at the bottom, which means that the fabric has stretched while you sewed it. It is easier to accomplish with an overlocker, but i've done it on skirts before without one. -
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Re: How to make flair (melodia-type) pants?
Tue, January 22, 2008 - 12:30 PMyeah, when I do it with the sewing machine-
I use two threads through one needle and zig zag over the edge. This makes a rolled hem. The two threads just make the finishing look more full. I also needed to stretch the fabric manually....being careful not to pull the fabric at the needle-
stretch from behind the needle to the front with TWO hands and just let the fabric move while you hold it. It makes you have to stop sewing every now and then, but it works pretty well! It just went really slow for me.
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Re: How to make flair (melodia-type) pants?
Fri, January 25, 2008 - 4:13 PMI just went through the same thing...had to have the pants gonna make them myself deal! I cut a pair of old pair of stretch pants ..they were straight in the leg..used them for a pattern. I went outside of the cut line by an inch, on the outside seem from the knee down..I cut a wide angle but didn't do the circle..just straight flair cut from the knee all the way down to the hem line. I used fabric I bought that had the same give as the pattern stuff and ended up with a pretty darn cool pair of pants. I don't know how right I was..but the flare being more on the outside seam gave me the length I wanted...(I wanted them long!) floor..but it also seems that having the straighter inside seam keeps less fabric to trip on. -
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Re: How to make flair (melodia-type) pants?
Tue, January 29, 2008 - 10:24 AMI looked at my Melos, and it looks like the seams flare out about 45 degrees, maybe a little more, just below the knee. -
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Re: How to make flair (melodia-type) pants?
Thu, January 31, 2008 - 12:09 AMit is so nice to see this topic stay its course and not go the scary other route! i mean, i have my own feelings but this is really nice to see, staying on track. -
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Beyond the Melo pants?
Thu, January 31, 2008 - 9:11 AMHas anyone got any thoughts on taking the flared belly dance pants in a totally different direction? We've seen ruffles and specialty fabrics come up in some experiments, but has anyone done something totally crazy and different with their ideas? I've seen some that have been slashed well past the knee (with the right fabric it creates a wicked 'swish' and looks awesome!), some that have a shredded flare, some with layers in the flare only...what else can we do with a bell bottomed jazz pant?? -
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Re: Beyond the Melo pants?
Thu, January 31, 2008 - 5:59 PMI'm actually playing with ideas to turn a pair in to industrial/goth pants with 'D' rings and grommet tape.... -
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Re: Beyond the Melo pants?
Fri, February 1, 2008 - 3:03 AMbeen wanting to make a pair of hard core lace ups... all the way up the thigh, would be a good combo with the flair I think... short a sewing machine so SOL for the time being! -
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Re: Beyond the Melo pants?
Fri, February 1, 2008 - 11:00 PMHmm, I have a pair of those hard-core laceups (no flare though)... never thought of dancing in them, though... -
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Re: Beyond the Melo pants?
Sat, February 2, 2008 - 4:41 AMI thought it would be a good addition to said metal costume... I orginially danced in a pair of purple to violet faded monsterloons... gave it a softer edge which was good, but I think it would be fabulous to have the heavy lacing all the way up with an appropriate gap, kind of like the garter leggings, or the melo's (or the knock-offs) that come with pre-cut holes. As for the bottom... cutting them up or changing the colour is all I can really think of... I really want to make a candy strip pair. The flair part being like red or blue and then as it angles in to the knee... wrap it around the thigh and have the colour get smaller and take it all the way to the top.
Never gave much thought for the top finish look I was also churning over how to tie the bottom in... I thought with two strips one on each leg and then they meet in the back at the top like almost a belt band, but then I thought that was too much like chaps... and that kind of killed it for me. Will have to think more. (Not like thinking will get me anywhere, still short a sewing machine!)
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Re: Beyond the Melo pants?
Fri, February 1, 2008 - 7:45 AMI know that some folks are going hard-core on the ruffles below the knee. I think any combination of garters, slashes, ruffly appendages, and laces would change things up.
What i haven't yet seen, but would like to, are ruffles or tiny hoopskirts *under* each flare lower leg, to get a big flare or poof there while keeping the rest of the leg sleek.
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Re: Beyond the Melo pants?
Sat, February 2, 2008 - 10:24 AMI took burgundy stretch fabric and made a pair of shorts, then sewed on sheer black net stretch fabric the rest of the way down to the foot. So I have sheer pants from mid thigh down, then where they split and start to flair, I hung some long, thin pieces of the sheer black, held on by a silver spiral button.
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Re: Beyond the Melo pants?
Sat, February 2, 2008 - 3:09 PMComing up with interesting flare pants has been my obsession for a while now. I made them with ribbons lacing down the sides - sorta halfway between "hard core" and ballerina and fabric underneath since I'm not brave enough to bare my legs while dancing. I made them with lace inserts too - HUGE flare on those since the lace adds to it. I've been thinking of taking metallic fabric paint to a couple pair and giving them henna-ish tattoos but haven't gotten to it. And I'm dying to make some that are just from the upper leg down to be held up by a garter belt like my sketch:
tribes.tribe.net/auralynne...fb2a0df74e
Pics of the other pants can be found in that same album. -
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Re: Beyond the Melo pants?
Sat, February 2, 2008 - 4:32 PMhey... your body, rock it how you want to! I have a friend in California who makes leggings a la lace style... but they are leggings rather than some form of melo.. but I guess it all boils down to the same look. legging/garter thing. I personally think it's hot can't deciede for my next thing if I want the flare pants or the legging/garters. I'm impressed w/ your drawing.. mine always come up looking bad!
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Re: Beyond the Melo pants?
Wed, May 14, 2008 - 2:40 PMSome of my former troupe-mates cut large pieces out of their tribal flairs (www.tribalevolution.com) and left a strip of the fabric on the front and back so that it looked like they were gartered. Looked hot!
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Re: How to make flair (melodia-type) pants?
Sat, February 16, 2008 - 9:00 AMI hacked McCalls M5273 pattern for "skinny" jeans. I posted the modified pattern I made and my final out come in the tribes photos.
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Re: How to make flair (melodia-type) pants?
Wed, May 14, 2008 - 2:37 PMMy daughter wanted some flairs, but I didn't want to buy custom. I got her some stretch knit yoga-type pants, split the side seam to the knee. I made 2-3 pair....I got two fun fabrics and sewed in a wedge-shaped piece that was brightly contrasting--I made matching short skirts with that fabric too. One pair, I left the leg open.
Could be done for adults....split the side seam to the knee, sew in a wedge of fabric.
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Re: How to make flair (melodia-type) pants?
Wed, May 14, 2008 - 3:10 PMonly advice i have is be sure you're pattern and fabric are both knit.
if you make the waistline higher, then you can gather it down, to give you the rouching (sp?) along the hipline that they often do. -
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Re: How to make flair (melodia-type) pants?
Wed, May 14, 2008 - 9:18 PMgeez
i need to learn how to sew better
im fairly new at sewing
and very interested in making my own stuff.
considering im so small this is probably the best option. Melos tend to be WAY too long for me
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