Has anyone made cullotes? Are they easy?

[KatyMac]

Can i ride a bike in them?

If I start with a full circle skirt, could a cut in a crotch or isbthere a better way?

You need a pattern to get the crotch area correct and also more room at the back for your bum.
Ive made them and they are a very easy sew.
You do have a fiddly bit where the legs go inside each other before you join the crotch seams but otherwise very easy and great on a bike.

Do you want culottes or those drop-crotch harem pants? Feel like the circle skirt approach will give you more like the harem pants. I’ve not made culottes, but have done trousers (slim ones and ‘40s style wide leg ones with pleats which I love) and a jumpsuit. I think I’d probably start with a well fitting trouser pattern and hack it a bit, but I’m not very confident drafting from
scratch.

I agree, cutting a circle skirt would create a kind of harem shape, which is very different. You'd be much better off buying the correct pattern or at least hacking a wide leg trouser pattern.

Hmm but I want the slim bit at the waist like a full circle skirt and swishy trousers,

I hate buying patterns! But i might have to

I did look at the historical cycling patterns but they looked really hard

www.etsy.com/uk/listing/223397213/e-pattern-smooth-sailing-1930s-sport

i love these and found them a pretty straightforward sew, the trickiest bit is putting in a zip. You could crop and flare the legs even more for swish. Cons are they have a fairly limited size range and you have to print at home and stick together, but as it’s not millions of different pattern pieces (front leg, back leg, waistband and optional belt loops) it isn’t too onerous.

And if you do go for those ones, go by your actual measurements on the chart rather than dress size - some patterns have a lot of ease built in (ie I measure a 14 in vogue patterns but need to cut a 10): these do not so eg I cut the 28” waist size and the waistband when closed is actually 28”.

They were our second project in first form, after a scatter cushion, so they can’t be difficult.

Nice pattern but not quite what I had in mind

I didbthink about fisherman's trousers but didn't think they would work on the bike

I may just make a skirt

I dunno! Or bloomers!!

Maybe I should be brave?

bikesandbloomers.com/patterns/

I have made the Stylearc Clare pants 3 times (twice as per the pattern and once hacked into a jumpsuit). They're super easy - I can do them in an evening.

They don't look that wide in the drawing - I'd say they're wider in real life. But it would be easy to widen the legs too.

I bloody love the Victorian bloomers op! I vote those. (Disclaimer: I am happily a weirdo.)

I ignored the issue and make a skirt with pockets

I found these - could I copy them?

@Verbena87 me too! I like being a bit History Bound

@KatyMac oh definitely. I’ve got some like that worn by my granny’s mum. They make excellent summer pajamas (and also contraception as DH finds them prohibitively hilarious 😂)

They look like a full circle with a crotch imo

Or maybe 2 cylinders attached?

Have a look at the Megan Neilsen Tania culottes.

they are really straightforward to make and the pattern comes in 3 different lengths

thefoldline.com/product/tania-culottes/

Helen's closet Winslow culottes is what came to my mind with your requirements as they are very full. Very size inclusive as well. I like the wide leg version of the closet core Pietra pants but they are a lot narrower (great pattern though).

Thanks

I like the tania culottes and the pockets on the Pietra pants is to die for!!

I'll have to think

That reminds me I must get round to making a wide version of the Pietras. I've only made shorts and narrow legged versions so far (with a significant amount of hacking at the back to remove the elastic) but it's SUCH a good pattern. In fact CC patterns are my 'go to' (I've made 3 of their Blanca flightsuits in the past month or so...)

You can make simple ones really easy. Get a piece of fabric that is more than enough to go round your body. Fold it in half right sides together. Cut along the fold, so it's in two pieces.
Both pieces still together, cut out out a big U-shape. Keep the U-shape bits.
Sew along the U bit. Open it out, then make it into a two legs and sew down the sides.

Tun over the hems and sew them in place. Turn over the outisde top edge to make a channel where the elastic will go leaving a little gap for insering the elastic.

Make patch pockets out of the U bits.

I made really big long ones, didn't sew the edges, added a long tie belt to the top of both the front and back and they were fisherman pants. Bit of a PITA when going to the loo, but looked nice.

video
She does it better than me.

@KirstenBlest I sent you a message, I hope it makes you laugh

Thanks KatyMac!

I’d start with Made 4 Mermaids Cora Culottes, it’s a free pattern.

Culottes are trickier than a skirt due to having to fit the crotch, easier than some trousers due to more fabric may hide some fit issues. Stretch fabrics are slightly trickier to sew but more forgiving with fit.