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How Pants Work

Cut 2 each of the Front and the Back, marking darts, etc.
Cut 2 each of the Front and the Back, marking darts, etc.  Make sure the crease line is on grain.
Sew all darts.
Sew all darts.

Watchpoint: You need to set up 2 pairs of fronts and backs – one for the left side of the body and one for the right.  So, technically, you’ll want to sew darts so that they’re on the inside of the side they’re on.  That’s easy to tell if you’re using a test fabric with a right and wrong side, but harder in plain muslin.  I’m a fan of adding a big X in pencil on the wrong side, so I don’t end up making two left legs.  So many years of sewing, and yes, I still need to save myself from myself…

Sew a Front to a Back at the inseam to form the crotch curve. Repeat with the other side, making a mirror image.
Sew a Front to a Back at the inseam to form the crotch curve. Repeat with the other side, making a mirror image.
Sew each leg into a tube by closing the outseam.
Sew each leg into a tube by closing the outseam.
Leave one leg inside out. Turn the other leg right-side out.
Leave one leg inside out. Turn the other leg right-side out.
Place the right-side out leg inside of the inside out leg, then sew the crotch seam. Leave at least 7" of the front open so that you can try them on.
Place the right-side out leg inside of the inside out leg, then sew the crotch seam. Leave at least 7″ of the front open so that you can try them on.
Yay! Pants accomplished!
Yay! Pants accomplished!

Well, not exactly.  This is a fitting block.  It’s about as sexy as toast, and has as much style as damp cardboard.  (That’s the thing with blocks – they’re really more of a means than an end.)

Next: Fitting Issues and Fixes

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2 Comments

  1. Anna-Carin Betzén
    Anna-Carin Betzén June 2, 2016

    Great instructions! Good point on how to measure the crotch depth, that will help when fitting commercial patterns too.

    BTW, there may be a problem with the scaling of some of the pics – on my computer, the silhouette pics are displayed 2335 px tall…

    • missa
      missa June 2, 2016

      Thanks, Anna-Carin! I’ll figure out what’s up with the images – I’m out of practice…

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