I really, really wanted Mitch to be able to wear his scrubs on call last night, and by the expedient of sewing in every single spare minute, I managed it. Fortunately I had my sewing group, so I was able to finish up the pants without small fry underfoot. That was great!
Look, he's smiling! He tried them on for me last night and raved about the fit, the pockets, the neckline - everything. He loves them! Whew! As you can see, we toned down the color a bit, which should help prevent him from being mistaken for the nurse, which actually was a problem with the darker blue. This pale blue is a much more traditional color for doctors.
I made a few other changes, both to improve fit and the overall look and functionality. I added a bit to the side seams of the pants. As I mentioned when I made
the last pair, they were a bit snug in the thigh. I think that this is a combination of Mitch's runner's legs and the fact that this is a "unisex" pattern, which always seems to mean "drafted for women, with men as an afterthought". This was also a problem in the shoulders. Mitch has quite broad shoulders in the back (from swimming), but the top fit elsewhere, so I added an ease pleat to the back shoulder.
He likes it. The fit is much better and he has much better movement. That took care of the fit issues. Look and functionality were the next problems to tackle. Mitch wasn't a fan of the low-cut neckline, but I was afraid if I raised it too much he wouldn't be able to get it over his head. I decided to sew up a muslin with the neckline where he requested it and see. I also tested out my ease pleats on the muslin. What do you know - he was right! It fits great with the neckline a full inch higher. I also tossed out those horrible neckline facings in favor of a mitered, bound neckline, which is what you see in higher end RTW scrubs.
Nice, eh? For a first attempt at mitering an inside corner, I think it came out pretty well! You can also see the breast pocket, which I divided (by sewing a straight line - he he), to allow for a separate pen/caliper pocket. Mitch loves that!
Well, I am really happy with how these came out. Mitch seems to be as well, although the true test will be when he gets home later today, after living in them for 30 hours or so.
