NOTE: THIS TUTORIAL IS FOR STRETCH(LYRCA, SPANDEX, ETC.)/STRETCH KNITS/STRETCH TWILL FABRICS ONLY.
I drew up a basic pant pattern.:
1. For the sake of easy I suggest taking these measurements from a pair of good fitting pants you already have.. Measure the waist, inseam, rise, thigh measurement (biggest part of your thigh), around your knee, the distance from the center crotch seam to your knee and 'butt seam'.
..no, I don't know the proper name for it.
2. Add 2" to your measurements for the seam allowance except for your waist measurement, add 4" seam allowance to waist. You will be sewing 1 inch in, no more, no less.
example: 35" waist turns into 39".
and
20" leg width turns into 22".
Figure all of that into the pattern above.
Instructions
3. Now that you have all of your measurements figured in, alter the pattern so it will fit you and cut it out.
Note: to figure in the thigh to knee measurement to paper, go from the bottom of the rise down to where your knee will be. DO NOT add seam allowance to this measurement.
4. Lay your fabric down and line up the edges of one side.
5. Cut off a strip of fabric about 2 1/2" to 3"...
This will be the waist part of the pants. Put it aside somewhere.
6. Cut out your pants.
7. With the good sides together, sew the 'butt seam' pieces together.
8. Now take and lay the 'rise' sides together. Set your stitch length dial at the highest setting so the stitches are big.
9. Starting at the top, sew 1/2 way down. Stop and put your stitch length dial back to normal.
10. Back tack and sew the rest of the way down.
Crappy picture but it should look like this: The top of the pants are to the left side, bottom to the right.
11. Look too see where you changed the stitch length 1/2 way down. About 1/4 inch down cut the fabric but DON'T cut through your stitches. If you have a marrow machine, marrow off the raw edges of the bottom half.
12. Open up the top half flaps of the fabric on the rise and lay it like this:
13. Lay your zipper good side down. When you line up the zipper make sure you don't put the zipper too high up or you wont have a seam allowance to sew on the waist later. Make sure the zipper teeth and stitching line up. Pin if necessary.
14. Sew until you get down to right above the spot where you put a little slice in the fabric (step 11).
15. Stop, put the needle down and turn the pants. Sew a few stitches until you get to the teeth of the zipper. Don't use the foot of your machine to sew, gently hand turn it and make stitches until you get past the teeth. Needles will be snapping off and flying around if you just fly right through it.
16. Stop again, put the needle down and turn the fabric. Now you are sewing up the other side of the zipper. (wrong picture I know)
Cut off excess zipper but don't use your fabric scissors. You'll end up ruining them.
17. Take a piece of scrap fabric about, 5" x 5" and fold it in half. Sew it up all three sides that are open, like this:
18. take the rectangle, oblong square to others, and place it down on top of the zipper that you just sewed.
19. Sew that in place on one side so it looks/opens like this:
20. Turn the pants good side out and rip out all of the stitches that are in front of the zipper (the ones with the large stitch length, those.) Stop when you get to the bottom of the horizontal stitch that's holding your zipper in place.
TRY ON YOUR PANTS! If they are a little too loose, take in a little along the 'butt seam.' Keep doing this until they fit how you want them to.
21. Now take that strip of fabric that you cut off earlier (step 5). Fold it in half, good sides together.
22. Sew up the one side. Flip it right side out.
23. Look at the zipper part of your pants.. There are two sides: the one that has the flap on it (step 18 and 19) and the side that doesn't. Take the strip of fabric (steps 21 & 22) and line it up with the top part of your pants on the side that doesn't have the flap on it. If you need to, pin the waist all the way around the top of your pants.
24. Sew it all of the way around until there isn't any more left to sew. Make sure you catch all three pieces of fabric.
25. Serge/fold over or hem/cut off the excess of the waist band and some of the flap if it's too big.
26. Now we are going to sew the legs together. Line up the center crotch seams and sew down one leg. Now sew down the other.
27. Marrow and hem the legs if you want
28. Add the snap or button&buttonhole
29. WEAR YOUR PANTS!
