My new tailored pants - inset pocket sewing tutorial

With all the current trends heading the way of geometric patterns, I was a little concerned my new floral pants were too slow off the sewing table to be relevant. I've had this piece of fabric in the stash for so long I can't remember where it came from! Time to make some new work threads.

I used a simple gathered into the waist band style pattern , but changed it slightly by concentrating the gathers into where the darts would normally be sewn.

I put an invisible zip in the centre back and inset pockets into each side seam.

I'm rocking these pants with a Glasson's merino top, Loobie's Story fur vest and vintage basket weave shoes.


Here's the sewing tutorial!

I'm assuming you have cut our your pattern pieces.

Place the pocket bag against the front panel side seam and sew a 1.5cm x 13cm 'frame' for the pocket opening. 

 Cut a notch into the corner of the frame. Then turn all the seams to the right side to form the pocket opening.

I overlocked a small section of the front panel side seam first.

Under-stitch the pocket bag to the seam, sewing only as far as the edges of the frame.

Ensure the sides of the pocket opening are turned out as per the photo and pin then. Iron flat. 

Place the other half of the pocket bag over the sewn-in one and pin the bag only into place.

Sew around the pocket bag. 

Overlock or zig-zag the raw edges of the bag.

Repeat the process for the other side of the pants. 

Match the front panels together and sew the centre front seam. Overlock the centre fronts together.

Overlock the centre back seams separately, then sew an invisable zip into the centre back seam.

Match the front and back panels at the side seam and pin into place.

Take care to pin the front panel pocket opening out of the way so you don't sew the pocket shut.









Match and pin the inside leg seams. 

Sew down the side seams; then sew the inside leg seams.


Now try the pants on to check the sizing!
Unless I have made the pattern before, I also always have to alter the sizing. It takes a little time but is well worth it for getting the required look and fit.

Once your happy with the fit and any alterations made, overlock or zig zag the seams.

 Using the longest stitch your machine will do, sew two lines of stitching around the waist. One is 1 cm from the raw edge, the other is 2 cm. This gives the most even gathers once the 1.5 cm seam is sewn. 

Once sewn, pull the thread from one side of the fabric only to form the gathers. Once even, push the gather into groups in the centre of each front and back panel.

Fuse the waist band with iron-on interfacing. 

The waist on these pants was a little too high, so I moved the band down by a cm. Leave a 1.5cm overlap on the right end of the band and 3 to 4cm on the left end. This will form the button overlap.

Pin into place then sew right around.

Once sewn, press the seam into place. 

At each end of the band, fold the zip out of the way, then fold the band right sides together, matching all the raw edges. 

Pin in place.

On the right hand side, sew across the end of the band close to the zip. 

On the left hand side, fold the zip out of the way, then sew as shown in the picture to form the button tab. Be careful not to sew into the zip. 

Clip the corner seam, then turn in the right way.

Fold the band in half longways and measure to ensure it's even all the way around. 










Check that the inside edge of the band over-laps the stitched edge by approximately 1.5cm.

Press and pin into place.

I placed the waist band pattern against the selvage edge of the fabric, so did not need to overlock the edge before sewing.

 Now 'stitch in the ditch' around the outside of the band. The stitch is positioned in the ditch formed by the join in the fabrics.

This sews the inside edges of the band to the pants and forms the waistband. 

Now overlock the hem, turn it up, pin, press and sew into place. 

Sew a button hole into the button table and attach a button. Give the pants a good press and they are all done and ready to wear.

There is nothing like sharing one's space with a little crafter (and all her stash). 

Happy sewing. 

Wool Tailored Pants - Sewing tutorial

These grey woollen pants have been rather a long time in the making. At one point I feared they would not be finished before summer rendered them less than useful. Despite the mild winter, I have found them a super useful addition to my working wardrobe. To make them I used the same pattern as the summer floral pants made previously.

No photographs without the small star of the house getting in on the act! 

Complete with self styled asymmetry. 

Since the fabric has no nap - it looks the same from both grain directions - I could lay the back and front panels out in opposing directions to economise on fabric.
The pocket lining needed to be cut out again - total of 2 pairs of pockets.








Use a tape measure to ensure the grain lines are straight. The measurement from the grain line to the straight edge of the fabric should be the same at both ends of the garment panel.

All cut out and ready to go. Be sure to mark the notches, dart and pleat markings. It will make the sewing easier and quicker later.

First step: Pin and sew the darts in the back panels. They should be marked with a notch at the fabrics edge and tailors chalk at the end.

Dart markings on the pattern.

The right and wrong side view of the completed darts - pre-ironing

Pin the pleats into place and sew down about 5 cm.

Fold the pleats into place and top stitch across the waist to hold them in place.

To sew in the fly zip:
Separately overlock the centre front seams.
Pin the two front panels, right sides together, around the crutch seam using a standard 1.5cm seam allowance. 

Press the seam open along the centre front line all the way to the waist band

Fold the left side flat and use the ironed crease as a guide to pinning the zip on. Position the zip teeth outside the crease line as pictured. 

Sew into place using a zipper foot to stitch as close to the zip teeth as practical.

Close up of zip stitching.

Once stitched, fold the zip back and press the original crease out. 

This positions the zip far enough inside the centre line that it is not seen during normal wear.
Fold the right side of the front over the zip and position evenly so the centre front crease folds match up.

Pin along the centre front edge of the fly.
Then top stitch through both layers in order to stitch the overlapping layer onto the zip underneath. 
Curve the top stitching at the base of the zip, (marked in the picture by the red pin) as is customary with most trousers. Take your time as this top stitching needs to be super neat. 

Check that the stitching has caught the zip; otherwise there will be a hole!

Sewing the slanting side pockets:
In this pattern the pocket shape must be marked and cut out as part of the pocket construction. 
Cut 2 strips of interfacing to re-enforce the pocket edge.
Pattern piece 7 shows the stitching line for the pocket. 

Mark the sewing line with tailors chalk and iron the fusing in place.

Lay the pocket lining piece, right sides together, over the side of the front panel. Sew along the chalked stitching line. 

Cut the unwanted excess fabric away and cut notches into the seam so it will sit flat once turned in the right way.

Fold the pocket and front panel out flat and 'understitch' the seam as shown in the picture. 
Understitching attaches the facing or lining onto both layers of the underneath seam allowance. This is always sewn with the right side of the garment facing upwards. It holds the lining or facing in place and stops it from peeping out. 

This picture shows the inside of the pocket lining with the understitching in place.
Iron the seam into place.

Place the 2nd half of the pocket lining onto the first half and pin the two linings together. The lining should not be pinned nor stitched to the front panel at this stage.

Once stitched, overlock the edges.

Now lay the layers together, iron and pin the top and sides together. Top stitch through all the layers, using a 1 cm seam. This stitching holds the pocket and front panel together until the side seam and band are completed.

Assemble the body of the pants:

Match the centre back seam, right sides together, and sew using the usual seam. Overlock the seam together.

Match up and pin together the completed front and back panels.

Sew the side seams and inside leg seams using the standard 1.5cm seam allowance.

Try the pants on to check for size. At this stage I took mine in a little along the side seams.

Over lock the seams once you are happy with the fit.

Attaching the waistband:

Cut out the iron-on interfacing to match the waist band and iron into place.

Starting from the left side of the garment, leave a 1.5cm seam, put the right sides together, then pin the remainder of the band to the pants - as shown.
The left side of the pants should have an overlap of 3 to 4cm.

Sew the band to the pants using the standard 1.5cm seam.

This picture shows the overlap on the left side of the pants.

Overlock the other side of the band. It will be left flat on the inside of the garment.

To 'bag out' the right end of the band, fold the end of the band - right sides together. The edges of the band must meet exactly.
Pin as shown.










Sew a 1.5cm seam around the end of the band. Sew right up to the the seam that is holding the band onto the pants. This forms the overlapping tab that the button hole will be sewn into.

The left end of the band does not require an overlapping tab.
Fold it over, right sides together, matching all the edges. Sew across the end using the standard 1.5cm seam.

Turn the left side band end in the right way and position the seams inside the band.

Trim the corners from the the right side band and turn it in the right way.
Position the seams inside the band, leaving the inside edge of the band hanging flat on the inside of the garment.

Get your tape measure out and measure and pin the inside edge of the band onto the pants to form the waistband. The inside edge must overlap the bands stitching line 1.5cm. Iron into place.

Pin it from the outside of the garment as your going to be 'stitching in the ditch' to finish the band.
It could be top stitched if you want to see the stitching; but for this fabric, I would rather hide the stitching line.

Close up of stitching in the ditch to sew the layers of the waistband together.

Finished waist band!

Sew the button hole onto the tab on the right side of the band. The button hole should be a few millimetres bigger than the button, so search out a suitable button before you start.

Hem the pants and finish the side splits by folding the hem over - right sides together, as shown. Sew down each side of the side split using a 1.5cm seam.

Turn out so the hem is positioned on the inside of the pants and the split edge seams are neatly finished.

Iron the hem up and the split seams back into place.

Hand stitch the hem in place.

Sew on the button, and its all done!

Warm pants on a cold damp day.

Little Miss 4 loves picking dandelions from the lawn. She collects up handfuls of them and I float them in wineglasses of water on the window sill. Winter's not all that bad.