My Party Pants: Gold Metallic Sasha Trousers

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Can I sell you on the power of party pants? Party pants are the rock star of your closet; they are shiny, or metallic, or covered in a loud print. They get noticed right away and will make you feel invincible. They may even attract a few groupies, lured in by the magnetic pull of your pant’s tractor beam. Party pants are my favourite kind of pants.

These party pants have been literally years in the making. Way back on my first fabric buying experience in New York (was it 2012? Or 2013?) I found this beautiful gold metallic stretch twill. As soon as I saw the bolt I immediately knew I wanted to make a pair of slim fitting trousers with it, so I bought a couple yards. And then it sat in my fabric closet for… years. The plan was always the same, but I never had the right pattern until I designed our Sasha Trousers. I think I may have drafted Sasha just so I could finally make the gold disco pants of my dreams.

Gold Party Pants! Gold Metallic Sasha Trousers // Closet Core PatternsGold Party Pants! Gold Metallic Sasha Trousers // Closet Core PatternsGold Party Pants! Gold Metallic Sasha Trousers // Closet Core PatternsGold Party Pants! Gold Metallic Sasha Trousers // Closet Core Patterns

Although I’m not sure how well the fabric captures on cameras, trust me when I say Operation Party Pants is finally achieved. I broke them in at Christmas Party and intend to wear them for many semi-formal occasions to come. Although I wear mostly neutrals these days, I’ve realized I like wearing colorful or bold pieces on my bottom half. It makes a black turtleneck feel like more of an occassion.

These are actually my first personal pair of Sashas period, if you can believe it. We made so many samples when we were in pattern development that I had to wait a while before I felt like sewing a pair for myself (pattern burn-out is a thing). I’m also working on a mustard bengaline pair which are nearly done whenever I can find an hour or two to move them from my WIP pile. Although I am a size 12 waist/14 hip in our patterns, I cheated and made these in a straight size 12. Because I was a little nervous the fabric wasn’t quite stretchy enough, I added 1/4″ to the side seams from the hip down. It created an ever so slightly straighter leg, a good simple pattern mod you can make if your fabric is on the less stretchy side, or you want a less slim-fitting pair.

Gold Party Pants! Gold Metallic Sasha Trousers // Closet Core PatternsGold Party Pants! Gold Metallic Sasha Trousers // Closet Core PatternsGold Party Pants! Gold Metallic Sasha Trousers // Closet Core Patterns

I also pressed in leg creases since I think they add instant polish to trousers. And while I added the welt pockets in the back, I skipped the actual pocket bags since I was worried about the pocket bags showing through with the shimmery fabric (which they do in the front). I think my tush looks better with welts, but I don’t always need the functionally of working pockets back there. I just serged all around the welt pocket facing to seal it up.

Have you made our Sasha Trousers yet? I’ve noticed them cropping up on so many Make Nine lists on Instagram. What is your dream pair of Party Pants?

Sewing a Pants Waistband for the Sasha Trousers

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One of the best aspects of a me-made wardrobe is the little details that just aren’t there with RTW garments. There are always opportunities to personalize the things we make, and while a waistband might not seem like the most obvious place to throw a pants party, it’s actually a great place to create a special detail only you’ll be able to see. This tutorial will walk you through sewing a beautiful, unique and professional looking waistband for your Sasha Trousers, or any other pants pattern out there.

Start with your two waistband pieces. One of the waistband pieces is interfaced – this is the outer waistband and you will leave it as is. The non-interfaced waistband piece is the facing. Trim 1/4″ off the bottom edge of this non-interfaced waistband facing.

Sasha Trousers // Sewing a pants waistband // Closet Core Patterns

Finish the raw bottom edge of the waistband facing you just trimmed with either a serged stitch or by covering it with bias tape. Now is your chance to use some more of your own pretty handmade bias tape so you’ll have something to admire when you go to put on your pants! We used double fold bias tape for our example, but you could also use unfolded bias tape and sew a hong kong seam.

Sasha Trousers // Sewing a pants waistband // Closet Core Patterns

Match your waistband facing to the outer waistband along the top edge and pin with right sides together.

Sasha Trousers // Sewing a pants waistband // Closet Core Patterns

When you sew the top waistband seam, you can reinforce it with some lightweight twill tape. This will ensure a stable waistband that won’t stretch out over the day as you wear your pants. Cut a length of twill tape the length of the waistband. When you put your machine foot down to sew the seam, carefully center the twill tape under your needle, and sew as usual with your 5/8″ seam allowance. We sewed the twill tape in along the side of the waistband facing, since we want the profile of the seam to be pressed towards the inside of the pants.

Sasha Trousers // Sewing a pants waistband // Closet Core Patterns

This is what your waistband will look like with the top seam sewn with the twill tape; the waistband facing is on the top side.

Sasha Trousers // Sewing a pants waistband // Closet Core Patterns

Press the waistband open with the seam allowance pressed towards the facing and understitch along the facing side.

Sasha Trousers // Sewing a pants waistband // Closet Core Patterns

To grade the seam, trim the seam allowance of the facing.

Sasha Trousers // Sewing a pants waistband // Closet Core Patterns

Fold the waistband in half along the seam and give it a good press. Your waistband is now assembled and ready to be sewn to your pants.

Sasha Trousers // Sewing a pants waistband // Closet Core Patterns

If you haven’t done so already, stay-stitch 1/2″ around the waist of the pants, starting and stopping at either side of the fly front.

Sasha Trousers // Sewing a pants waistband // Closet Core Patterns

Pin and baste the ends of four belt loops in place at the circle markings indicated on the front and back leg pattern pieces. The last belt loop will be positioned at center back.

Sasha Trousers // Sewing a pants waistband // Closet Core Patterns

Unzip the fly front of the pants and open up the waistband. With right sides together, pin the interfaced part of the waistband along the waist of the pants, matching notches. The waistband will be longer on either side of the fly front.

Sasha Trousers // Sewing a pants waistband // Closet Core Patterns

Sew the waistband to the trousers with a 5/8″ seam allowance. The ends of the belt loops will be sandwiched within the seam.  When you do up the zipper, the waistband should meet evenly on either side of the fly. If it isn’t even, now is the time to rip out a few stitches and readjust as necessary.

Sasha Trousers // Sewing a pants waistband // Closet Core Patterns

Fuse a scrap of interfacing to the waistband facing to reinforce the area where the hook closure will be sewn.

Sasha Trousers // Sewing a pants waistband // Closet Core Patterns

If your zipper was longer than your fly front and the zipper teeth extend past the waistband seam allowance, trim the ends down with sharp scissors and remove the extra teeth with pliers, if necessary. Trim the ends of the waistband down, leaving a final seam allowance of 5/8″ beyond the edge of either side of the fly front.

Sasha Trousers // Sewing a pants waistband // Closet Core Patterns

The seam along the waist of the pants should also be pressed up and graded.

Sasha Trousers // Sewing a pants waistband // Closet Core Patterns

Turn the waistband inside out. Fold the bottom corner of each facing up at 45 degree angle and pin in place. Try to fold the egdes so so that the angled bias tape is not caught in your stitch line. The top seam allowance of the waistband should be folded towards the side of the facing. Sewing the seam in place like this will ensure it is in the right place when we turn everything right side out later.

Sasha Trousers // Sewing a pants waistband // Closet Core Patterns

Here is a close up of the left side of the fly front:

Sasha Trousers // Sewing a pants waistband // Closet Core Patterns

And this is what the right side  will look like:

Sasha Trousers // Sewing a pants waistband // Closet Core Patterns

Stitch the outer waistband and facing together directly next to the edge of the fly front. Clip the corners so the waistband can be neatly turned right side out.

Sasha Trousers // Sewing a pants waistband // Closet Core Patterns

With the help of a point-turner, turn the waistband right side out and press. Turning the facing edge at 45 degrees creates a nice, neat finish with the bias finished seam.

Sasha Trousers // Sewing a pants waistband // Closet Core Patterns

Pin the waistband facing in place around the circumference of the waist of the pants. The bias-finished edge of the waistband facing will hide the waist seam you pressed up earlier.

Sasha Trousers // Sewing a pants waistband // Closet Core Patterns

To secure the facing in place, stitch in the ditch along the waist seam. We like using a zipper foot or edge-stitch foot to help us sew directly on the seam line. Go slowly when you reach each belt loop, since you will be sewing through a few layers of fabric. Be careful when you sew over the ends of the zipper as well.

Sasha Trousers // Sewing a pants waistband // Closet Core Patterns

Time for the finishing touches! To finish your belt loops, stitch them down 1/4″ below the waist seam, then press them up. Fold the top part of the belt loop so it aligns with the top of the waistband and topstitch in place. Trim any excess belt loop as necessary.

Sasha Trousers // Sewing a pants waistband // Closet Core Patterns

Make a buttonhole along the inner edge of the waistband and sew in your button and hook and bar pants closure as indicated in the Sasha Trousers instructions. If you don’t have an invisible pants closure, you can also just use a regular button for the outside closure.

Sasha Trousers // Sewing a pants waistband // Closet Core Patterns

Congratulations! Put on your new pants and take them for a fancy pants dance!

How to Sew a Fly Front Zipper for Pants + Trousers

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Want to know how to sew a fly front zipper? We’ve got you covered with this utorial! Sewing a fly front zipper is one of those sewing tasks that is often met with trepidation but it’s actually very doable using our easy to follow method. If you’re sewing our Sasha Trousers (or any other pants pattern) this tutorial will walk you through sewing one with absolute ease, I promise. While it’s similar to the method I’ve posted before for our Ginger Jeans, the process is reversed. Jeans (and pants for men) always open on the right side.  Women’s trousers traditionally open from the left side, which is what we show you here.

If you are wondering what kind of zipper to use, we recommend a metal zipper like this, although you can also use a lighter weight plastic zipper for loose fitting or lightweight trousers. It doesn’t matter if your zipper is a little too long – you can trim it to fit (see our guide to customing zipper lengths!) If you aren’t sure if your zipper is long enough for the size you are making, measure your front leg pattern piece along the center front from the circle marking to the notch, subtracting your seam allowance to check.

ADJUSTING THE PATTERN PIECE FOR A FLY FRONT

One thing to note: this tutorial demonstrates a fly front zipper when the fly extension is actually drafted as part of the front pant pattern piece. Many methods call for the fly extension to be sewn to the center front instead, but I think this is needlessly complicated and makes for a longer and less intuitive process. If you are using a pants pattern without this extension, I suggest adding it yourself. Ours is about 1 5/8″ or 42mm wide parallel to the center front. The bottom of the extension curve starts where the crotch starts to curve out. Obviously, you have to do this before you cut your fabric, but it only takes a minute to draft; I do this now to every commercial pants pattern since I dislike sewing fly front zippers without the extension built-in.

SEWING A FLY FRONT ZIPPER

To prepare the front legs for the fly front installation, finish the raw edge of the right front leg’s fly extension with a serged or zig-zag stitch. Please note that the right and left leg refer to the pants as you are wearing them!

Sasha Trousers // Sewing slanted pockets no gaping // Closet Core Patterns

In our instruction booklet, it says to start stitching at the bottom of the extension so you don’t cut into your fabric if you are serging. Here I started sewing from the top of the extension, and folded the leg out of the way when I reached the bottom but be careful – I have had a lot of students accidentally cut into the front of the leg by mistake!

Sasha Trousers // Sewing slanted pockets no gaping // Closet Core Patterns

When you get to the bottom, you can even disengage your knife to be extra sure you won’t cut into your fabric if your machine allows you to do so mid-stitch.

Sasha Trousers // Sewing slanted pockets no gaping // Closet Core Patterns

Weave the tail of the serger thread into the stitching along the bottom of the fly extension so it doesn’t unravel later.

Sasha Trousers // Sewing slanted pockets no gaping // Closet Core Patterns

Pin the right and left front trouser legs together along the edges of the fly extension and crotch seam. Draw a straight line from the top center front notch to the circle marking at the beginning of the crotch seam – this will be your stitch guide.

Sasha Trousers // Sewing slanted pockets no gaping // Closet Core Patterns

Sew a long basting stitch along the straight stitch line you drew. When you reach the circle marking, switch to a regular stitch length (2.5mm) and continue sewing along the crotch seam at 5/8″ seam allowance. Make sure to backstitch a few times at the circle before continuing to the end of the seam.

Sasha Trousers // Sewing slanted pockets no gaping // Closet Core Patterns

Snip from the bottom corner of the fly extension to the circle marking, without cutting into your stitch line.

Sasha Trousers // Sewing slanted pockets no gaping // Closet Core Patterns

Serge the crotch seam and pull the tied loose thread tail through the seam to secure. Press the fly extension open and the crotch seam to the right (ignore the photo below; the seam should be pressed to the right leg).

Sasha Trousers // Sewing slanted pockets no gaping // Closet Core Patterns

SEWING IN THE ZIPPER

With the wrong side of the pants facing up, lay your zipper on the left fly extension with the teeth facing down. The right edge of the zipper tape should align with the center front seam, and the bottom of the zipper stop should rest at least 3/4″ from the bottom of the left fly extension. If the zipper is positioned correctly, the actual edge of the zipper teeth should be about 1/2″ away from the center front seam. Pin in place.

Sasha Trousers // Sewing zipper fly front // Closet Core Patterns

Switch to a zipper foot and sew the left side of the zipper to the left fly extension. Keep the left pant leg tucked out of the way! Sew the zipper to the fly extension only.

Sasha Trousers // Sewing zipper fly front // Closet Core Patterns

Turn the zipper right side up, folding the left fly extension under the seam you sewed. Topstitch 1/8″ to the right of the zipper, keeping the pant legs out of your stitch line.

Sasha Trousers // Sewing zipper fly front // Closet Core Patterns

Now flip the zipper and left fly extension to the right of center front. The left fly extension will be resting on top of the right fly extension, and the zipper will now be to the right of the center front seam. Pin the right side of the zipper to the right fly extension, keeping the pant legs out of the way.

Sasha Trousers // Sewing zipper fly front // Closet Core Patterns

With your zipper foot, sew the zipper to the right fly extension close to the right side of the zipper teeth, and then again along the right edge of the zipper tape to secure it in place. The zipper should be secured to the right of center front. This is what it will look like from the other side:

Sasha Trousers // Sewing zipper fly front // Closet Core Patterns

TOPSTITCHING THE FLY

Turn the front of the pants over so the right side is facing up. Locate the bottom zipper stop with your fingers, and place your topstitching guide about 1/2″ below it with the straight edge of the guide along the center front seam. You want to make sure you are catching the fly extension below, while also avoiding sewing over the zipper stop, so adjust as necessary until you get the positioning right. With a removable marking tool, trace your stitch line along the curved edge of the topstitching guide.

Sasha Trousers // Sewing zipper fly front // Closet Core Patterns

With your regular machine foot, topstitch along the traced stitch line. To achieve a smooth curve, go slowly and readjust your position every couple of stitches. Backstitch when you reach the center front seam.

Sasha Trousers // Sewing zipper fly front // Closet Core Patterns

INSTALLING THE FLY SHIELD

Prepare the fly shield for installation. It doesn’t matter which of the fly shield pieces is interfaced, but we prefer to interface the outer shield since it will be resting against the zipper.

Sasha Trousers // Sewing zipper fly front // Closet Core Patterns

With right sides together, sew the two fly shield pieces together along the curved edge at 5/8″. Trim down the seam allowance and clip the curve.

Sasha Trousers // Sewing zipper fly front // Closet Core Patterns

Turn the fly shield right side out and press well. Topstitch 1/8″ around the curved edge.

Sasha Trousers // Sewing zipper fly front // Closet Core Patterns

To position the fly shield in place, place the straight edge of the fly shield over the left fly extension, and align the top of the fly shield with the waist of the pants. Pin the fly shield in place so that when it is sewn with a 1/4″ seam allowance, the stitch line will just catch the left zipper tape. You will need to trim some excess fabric from the left fly extension.

Sasha Trousers // Sewing zipper fly front // Closet Core Patterns

After the fly shield has been sewn in place to the left fly extension using a 1/4″ seam allowance, finish the raw edge. You may use a serged or zig-zag stitch, or finish the seam with bias tape.

Sasha Trousers // Sewing zipper fly front // Closet Core Patterns

To secure everything in place, sew a 1/2″ bar tack at the bottom of the topstitching where it meets center front. Begin sewing at center front and sew through all layers. The fly shield will now be anchored stay in place.

Sasha Trousers // Sewing zipper fly front // Closet Core Patterns

If you haven’t done so already, remove the basting stitches along center front and test your zipper!

Sasha Trousers // Sewing zipper fly front // Closet Core Patterns

The front and back of your trousers are now ready to be sewn together! We recommend taking the time to baste your legs together before permanently sewing everything together. Need fitting help? Our pants fitting post should help!

How to Sew Slashed Pockets for the Sasha Trousers (or Any Pants!)

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We’re wrapping up 2017 with one last tutorial post! Our Sasha Trousers feature chic slashed pockets with a pocket stay extending to center front, which helps create a beautiful smooth line at the waist. They look very sleek and are a lot easier to sew than the front slanted welt pockets we had originally designed for this pattern (make sure to check in with our welt tutorial for the back pockets). Heres’s how to sew them!

Start by finishing the raw edges of your front pocket facings with either a serged or a zig-zag stitch. The inner pocket facings (F) should be interfaced, and you will serge along the longest straight edge of the facings. For the outer pocket facings (E), you will serge the long curved edge.

Sasha Trousers // Sewing slanted pockets no gaping // Closet Core Patterns

Now we’ll sew the pocket facings to the pocket lining pieces. If you go to the effort of choosing a pretty pocket lining, it makes no sense to hide the right side of the fabric inside a pocket where no one will see it and the sun doesn’t shine! For this reason, we will make sure the wrong side of the pocket lining will be inside the pocket, so you can see the right side of the fabric when you go to put on your trousers. With the wrong side of the outer pocket facing placed against the wrong side of the bottom pocket lining (G2), position the facing in the top corner of the lining and pin in place. Sew all around the facing 1/4″ from the edge; you may want to sew 1/8″ from the edge along the serged side.

Sasha Trousers // Sewing slanted pockets no gaping // Closet Core Patterns

Repeat for the inner pocket facing. With wrong sides together, match the inner pocket facing to the top pocket lining piece (G1) along the slanted edge. Pin in place and sew 1/4″ around the perimeter of the facing.

Sasha Trousers // Sewing slanted pockets no gaping // Closet Core Patterns

We like to close the pocket bag with a nice french seam. With right sides together, match the top and bottom pocket lining pieces along their curved edges. Pin and sew at 1/4″.

Sasha Trousers // Sewing slanted pockets no gaping // Closet Core Patterns

Trim the seam and turn the pocket bag right side out. Press and sew along the same curved edge at 3/8″ (you may need to clip the curved seam so it lays flat). The pocket is starting to take shape!

Sasha Trousers // Sewing slanted pockets no gaping // Closet Core Patterns

Open the pocket bag and line up the slanted pocket opening with the front trouser leg. The right side of the inner pocket facing will be against the right side of the leg. We have a special trick to help prevent these finished front pockets from gaping when worn; sewing lightweight twill tape to the seam helps stabilize it. Cut a length of twill tape that is about 1/4″ shorter than the length of the pocket opening and pin it in place at the beginning and end of the seam line.

Sasha Trousers // Sewing slanted pockets no gaping // Closet Core Patterns

Stitch the inner facing to the trouser leg at 5/8″ seam allowance while carefully aligning the twill tape under your needle and easing the tape so it stretches to match the length of your seam. Adding some tension to the twill tape will help the pocket lay flat later.

Sasha Trousers // Sewing slanted pockets no gaping // Closet Core Patterns

Open the seam and press the seam allowance towards the pocket bag. Understitch the inner facing to the seam allowance and grade.

Sasha Trousers // Sewing slanted pockets no gaping // Closet Core Patterns

This is what the pocket should look like so far. Remember the wrong side of the pocket lining fabric should be inside the pocket!

Sasha Trousers // Sewing slanted pockets no gaping // Closet Core Patterns

Press the inner facing to the inside of the trousers along the slanted edge of the pocket opening and pin the pocket bag in place along the side seam and waist, matching notches. The outer pocket facing should be in place at the hip.

Sasha Trousers // Sewing slanted pockets no gaping // Closet Core Patterns

Baste the pocket bag in place along the fly extension, waist and side seams, sewing just within the 5/8″ seam allowance.

Sasha Trousers // Sewing slanted pockets no gaping // Closet Core Patterns

Repeat the steps for the opposite trouser leg and admire your pretty lining fabric!

Sasha Trousers // Sewing slanted pockets no gaping // Closet Core Patterns

We still have a few posts on sewing a fly front and waistband for pants and trousers; these will be coming your way in the New Year!

How to Sew Welt Pockets for the Sasha Trousers Pattern

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Welcome to the first tutorial for our latest pattern, the Sasha Trousers. We won’t be doing a full sewalong for Sasha, but I am going to walk you through the trickest parts, and in this post we’ll be talking about how to sew single welt pockets, for Sasha or any other pants pattern your maker’s heart desires. Welt pockets tend to give sewists a little anxiety if they’ve never sewn them before, but I think the heartburn is unwarranted. With a little care, beautiful welts are totally within your power, I promise.

SEWING METHOD FOR WELT POCKETS

This welt pocket method is a little different than one you may have tried before. We wanted to create a very professional, strong back pocket with a completely clean finish, so there are a few extra steps that will guarantee an extra beautiful final product. First things first, go ahead and sew those back darts and press them towards center back.

How to sew welt pockets // Welt Pocket Tutorial // Closet Core Patterns

In the instructions, we suggest placing your fusible interfacing on the welt location before sewing the dart, but you can also do it after. This helps anchor the dart point down. Just make sure you interface here; we’ll be cutting into the fabric so you need to stabilize the area beforehand.  You should have already marked the location of the welt opening on your pants. Once your interfacing is applied to the wrong side of the fabric, join those two marks with a straight line, ensuring you mark it on the right side as well (make sure you use something washable so you don’t see when all is said and done). The interfacing should extend past this line by 1/4″ (6mm). Be precise here; we want to make sure our interfacing will completely cover the welt opening we’ll be cutting shortly.

How to sew welt pockets // Welt Pocket Tutorial // Closet Core Patterns

Next up, stabilize both of your welt pieces, and then serge or zig zag the tops and bottoms of both welt and back pocket facing. Make sure you transfer the welt location marks to the interfaced side of the welts.

How to sew welt pockets // Welt Pocket Tutorial // Closet Core Patterns

Now it’s time to prepare the welt pocket lining. Line up the pocket facing in between the notches on the pocket lining, with wrong sides together. This may seem counterintuitive, but we want the right or “nice” side of the lining on the outside of the pocket so you can see and enjoy it when you put your pants on. The facing is the part you’ll see underneath the welt itself, so it’s important the right side of the fabric is facing up. Stitch in place 1/8″ (3mm) from each edge.

How to sew welt pockets // Welt Pocket Tutorial // Closet Core Patterns

Line up the welt on the right side of the pants. The top of the box you drew earlier on the interfacing will line up with the straight line you marked on the right side of the pants. Pin into place. To make sure you’re extra accurate in the next step, use a long hand basted stitch around that welt opening to ensure the leg and welt are correctly aligned.

How to sew welt pockets // Welt Pocket Tutorial // Closet Core PatternsHow to sew welt pockets // Welt Pocket Tutorial // Closet Core Patterns

Here’s what that looks like from the wrong side of the pants. Notice that the interfacing is centered on our basted welt opening.

How to sew welt pockets // Welt Pocket Tutorial // Closet Core Patterns

Before we sew that welt for real, we need to pin the pocket lining in place. With the wrong side of the leg facing you, lay the lining on the leg with the right side of the lining touching the wrong side of the leg. Match the notch on the top of the pocket lining to the dart. Ensure the lining is centered evenly on the welt location and pin into place. The pocket facing should be face up; the lining will be folded in half wrong sides together, and that facing will then cover the welt opening at a later step.

How to sew welt pockets // Welt Pocket Tutorial // Closet Core Patterns

Here’s what your little pants sandwich looks like from the other side:

How to sew welt pockets // Welt Pocket Tutorial // Closet Core Patterns

At your sewing machine, place the leg face up. Stitch around the basted welt opening using a short stitch length (1.5mm), leaving your needle down as you turn the corners, backstitching at beginning and end. Make sure you are sewing through the three layers of welt, leg and lining, with everything laying flat. Make sure the dart point does not extend past the welt opening you are sewing or it will look weird when you’re done; it should end somewhere in the middle.

How to sew welt pockets // Welt Pocket Tutorial // Closet Core Patterns

Here’s what it will look like on the other side:

How to sew welt pockets // Welt Pocket Tutorial // Closet Core Patterns

Remove all the pins and basting stitches. To make the welt turn neatly to the inside on the next step, press the top edge down along the stitch line. Repeat for the bottom edge.

How to sew welt pockets // Welt Pocket Tutorial // Closet Core Patterns

Now the scary (not really) part: use a sharp, small pair of scissors and cut a line straight through the middle of the welt opening. Stop about 1/2″ from the corners, and then snip on an angle to each corner creating a triangular wedge. You are cutting through all three layers of welt, leg and pocket lining. Snip as close as you can to the stitching without actually cutting it; this will ensure there are no puckers at the corner.

How to sew welt pockets // Welt Pocket Tutorial // Closet Core Patterns

Now the fun part! Pull the welt through the opening to the wrong side of the leg. Press very thoroughly around the opening so you get a nice, crisp rectangle. If you see any puckers, you may need to clip a little bit closer to the corners of the sewn welt opening.

How to sew welt pockets // Welt Pocket Tutorial // Closet Core Patterns

Here’s what it looks like on the wrong side. Cool, huh?

With the wrong side facing up, lift the bottom edge of the facing up so you can see the seam allowance you just cut open. Press that seam open; this will help reduce bulk.

How to sew welt pockets // Welt Pocket Tutorial // Closet Core Patterns

While you’re at your ironing board, fold the facing down so the fold aligns with the top of the welt opening in an accordion fold. From the outside this will create the look of the welt.

How to sew welt pockets // Welt Pocket Tutorial // Closet Core Patterns

Here’s what it looks like from the right side:

How to sew welt pockets // Welt Pocket Tutorial // Closet Core Patterns

To help anchor everything in place and prevent your welt from sagging, stitch the facing to the bottom edge of the welt opening, along the center of the seam you pressed open in the above step, as close as you can get to the stitching (using a zipper foot helps). Some methods call for stitching in the ditch along the bottom of the welt on the right side of the pant leg but I prefer to do it this way so everything is nice and hidden.

How to sew welt pockets // Welt Pocket Tutorial // Closet Core Patterns

Now we want to anchor the sides of the welt opening as well. To do that, flip the side of the welt over to the side so you can see that little triangle wedge you snipped earlier.

How to sew welt pockets // Welt Pocket Tutorial // Closet Core Patterns

Sew the wedge to the folded welt, again as close as you can get to the original stitch line.

How to sew welt pockets // Welt Pocket Tutorial // Closet Core Patterns

Once both sides are sewn, your welt should look something like this:

How to sew welt pockets // Welt Pocket Tutorial // Closet Core Patterns

To anchor the bottom edge of the welt to the lining, flip the lining out. Pin the bottom edge of the welt in place to the lining only.

How to sew welt pockets // Welt Pocket Tutorial // Closet Core Patterns

Stitch to the lining using a 1/8″ seam allowance; make sure the pant leg is tucked out of the way and not caught in your stitching.

How to sew welt pockets // Welt Pocket Tutorial // Closet Core Patterns

If you want to sew a buttonhole, now is the time to do it. This step is completely optional; it looks cleaner and more streamlined without a button, but you may prefer to anchor the pocket closed with one. You should have just enough room to fit the buttonhole along the bottom edge of the welt; if not press a little bit of fusible interfacing to the underside of the lining to help stabilize the area. See our post on sewing perfect buttonholes if you need some tips for this step. You can also make a little rouleau loop if you prefer (something like this perhaps?), but that would have to be sewn at the same time you sew the welt to the pant leg, with the loop sandwiched in the stitching along the top edge. Cut your buttonhole open now; it will be too hard to do it once the pocket is assmbled.

How to sew welt pockets // Welt Pocket Tutorial // Closet Core Patterns

To make a truly beautiful pocket bag, we are going to french seam everything for a super clean finish.  To start, press the pocket bag up along the notches/indicated fold line, wrong sides together. Now open the pocket bag up and place it face down on your work surface with the leg facing you. Roll your leg inwards to expose the raw edges of the pocket bag.

French seam welt pocket // Welt Pocket Tutorial // Closet Core Patterns

Now fold the leg up and out of the way.

French seam welt pocket // Welt Pocket Tutorial // Closet Core Patterns

Flip the pocket up and over the folded up pant leg along the line you pressed earlier, right sides together. Stitch along each long edge of the pocket bag at 1/4″ (6mm). Make sure you are not catching the leg in your stitching.

French seam welt pocket // Welt Pocket Tutorial // Closet Core Patterns

Trim the seams if necessary. Now turn the pocket right sides out. Use a point turner if necessary to get nice sharp corners along the bottom. Press and stitch the sides seams again at 3/8″ (10mm).

How to sew welt pockets // Welt Pocket Tutorial // Closet Core PatternsHow to sew welt pockets // Welt Pocket Tutorial // Closet Core Patterns

One final step to anchor the welt construction down before we finish the pocket. Once again we need to stabilize the top of the welt so it doesn’t sag. To do so, fold the top of the pants away from the pocket bag.

French seam welt pocket // Welt Pocket Tutorial // Closet Core Patterns

Stitch the lining together right where it is attached to the top of the welt opening. Get as close as you can to the existing stitch line; again a zipper foot helps.

French seam welt pocket // Welt Pocket Tutorial // Closet Core Patterns French seam welt pocket // Welt Pocket Tutorial // Closet Core Patterns

To finish, baste the top edge of the pocket bag to the top of the pants, well inside the seam allowance. It probably won’t line up exactly; don’t worry since all of this will be enclosed in the waistband at a later step. Trim off any bit of lining extending past the waist of the leg if necessary.

Once both welt pockets are done you can proceed to sew your back crotch as described in the instructions. Just be sure to reinforce it with two lines of stitching since this seam sees a lot of stress. Doesn’t it look pretty when you can see the right side of the lining? If you sewed a buttonhole, you can now sew the button in place along the inside of the pocket on the facing.

French seam welt pocket // Welt Pocket Tutorial // Closet Core Patterns

And that’s it for this tutorial on welt pockets! Stay tuned the rest of this month; we’ll also be sharing tutorials on sewing slant pockets, the fly front and the waistband.

Pants Fitting Adjustments: Best Tips for Perfectly Fitting Pants!

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If you’ve ever struggled with fitting pants, this post is for you! Here at Closet Core we love sewing pants, but we know that making pants fitting adjustments gives many of you the cold sweats. One of the most common comments I hear whenever we release a pants pattern (like our Sasha Trousers, Pietra Pants, Ginger Jeans or Jenny Overalls) is “I really want to make these but I’m scared of fitting them”.  I have a major bugaboo about allowing fear to dictate the things you make or create (if you need reminding, this post encapsulates my thoughts on the subject). I know I’ve addressed your fitting anxiety in the past, but some things bear repeating.

First off, let’s take a few deep breaths. Getting a good fit is great, but not at the expense of spiking cortisone levels. My biggest piece of advice is to view this whole thing as an ongoing, continually improving process. So many of you put an insane amount of pressure on yourselves to achieve “perfection” when you’re sewing as if there was some prize or punishment at the end of a project. No one really cares if your pants fit perfectly or not – people are WAY more impressed that you made pants to begin with. THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE FUN. You are making pants because you enjoy the actual time you spend sewing. Actually enjoy yourself! This means doing the best you can to resolve any fit issues, but also learning when to say “good enough”. Saying “Good enough” (and then maybe trying to improve a little the next time around) will mean enjoying your clothes and this hobby a lot more. Unless you’re one of those fit nerds who really enjoy drilling down and tweaking and tweaking for days at a time, I am officially giving you permission to not care quite so much. Good enough is good enough (especially when your good enough is leagues above anything you could buy RTW).

Although we’ve created a downloadable resource for fitting jeans, I wanted to offer something a little more thorough for pants fitting adjustments in particular, especially since some of these techniques will be unique to sewing trousers like Sasha. This post will cover the best tips for pants fitting, with illustrations showing you how to diagnose and correct any problems you may encounter. It’s not as complicated as you might think, and I’m hoping you’ll be brave and jump in if it’s something you’d like to do. We’ve also made all of this information available in a PDF ebook you can download and save for later. To access it, you’ll need to sign up for our newsletter below; we’ll send you the password to our members-only Sewing Resource Library where you can download all our free patterns, fit guides and downloadable sewing resources. Already a subscriber? Check the yellow footer of the last email we sent you and you can find the password there!

GETTING STARTED

Fitting pants can be an enjoyable exercise if you think about it like the problem-solving activity that it is. It’s also quite a bit easier with stretch pants like Ginger or Sasha; stretchy fabric tends to be more forgiving and easier to finetune. To get started, always begin by retaking your measurements and confirming what size you need to make. I always encourage you to grade in between sizes if you need to; it will save you time down the road. One thing to note is that just because you’re a size 12 in the hip, doesn’t necessarily mean you have a size 12 leg. This means you may find you like a slightly looser or tighter leg (or you may need to adjust because of the type of fabric you’re using). If that’s the case, simply add or remove from the side seam before you do anything else. For a recent pair I worked on, I added 1/4″ to each side seam to make a slightly less form-fitting pair; you definitely have some wiggle room here, so don’t feel overwhelmed if the fit through the leg isn’t exactly what you want straight out the gate.

Once you’ve settled on your size, take the time to make a muslin, or at the bare minimum, do a quick baste using your fashion fabric to see what needs to be addressed. You are primarily looking for “drag lines”; these are tension lines on the fabric, and generally point to the source of the problem. You also want to assess feelings of tightness or looseness; your pants should be comfortable and not dig into you anywhere. While you should enter into the pants fitting process with the idea of making an incremental improvement (if the pattern actually needs adjustments), I would once again like to stress that having a pair of “perfectly” fitting pants is elusive. Some horizontal lines at the back of your thighs in slim fitting pants is necessary; it’s called sitting ease. You may have “drag lines” depending on how you’re standing, or what you ate for breakfast that morning. Stop thinking about it in terms of reaching some pants-fitting pinnacle, and aim for pants that feel comfortable and make you feel good. That’s all that matters.

ASSESSING “GOOD” PANTS FIT

I think it always helps to see an example of what “good fit” looks like. Here are a few examples.

How to assess pants fit | Tips for perfectly fitting pants | Closet Core Patterns

Above you can see our Sasha Trousers. Since this is a slim-fitting pant designed for stretch fabrics, the fit is quite snug through the bum and upper thigh. The front crotch is smooth with no drag lines. The bum fits well and it is relatively smooth along the back thigh. The fit is a bit looser through the calf and is laying smoothly in this area, not bunching up or showing strain through the widest part of the calf. Those two horizontal lines under the tush are not fit issues – rather it is “sitting ease” which ensures the pants stretch when you bend over or sit down. If you eliminated that ease for a perfectly smooth back thigh, your pants would really only be wearable when standing (the only exception to this is really stretchy pants like leggings – the high stretch of legging fabric does not require this ease). There are some very mild drag lines at the back of the knee which could *maybe* be fixed with a low seat adjustment, but frankly, in a dark fabric like this, they are hardly noticeable and not something I would stress myself out about.

Let’s take a look at a looser fitting style like our Jenny Overalls:

The fit of these pants is very good. The front looks great – no drag lines across the hips or around the crotch. I am seeing a slight bubble at the inner thigh that could be eliminated with a tidy wedge removed at front inseam, but this is very mild and may be due to how she is thrusting her hip. In the back, the bum looks great. Those mild vertical draglines at the upper thigh could be aided with a tiny wedge removed from back thigh, but since it’s so slight, I would personally not bother. The overall effect is of a well-fitting pair of pants, so it always helps to take a step back and look at the overall effect rather than zooming in and obsessing about something no one else would ever notice.

THE PANTS FITTING PROCESS

Here are our tips for how to start fitting your own pants.

Pants Fitting Worksheet // Best tips for Pants Fitting // Closet Core Patterns

  1. Print the Pants Fitting Worksheet in our PDF ebook, which you can access in our Sewing Resource Library (you need to sign up for our newsletter to get access)
  2. Assemble your basted pants. Make sure the waistband and facing are basted together and sewn to the waist of the pants. This ensures you are studying the fit of the waistband, and also not stretching out the waist opening of your pants.
  3. Stand in front of a full-length mirror in good lighting, feet hip-width apart. Look at the front first. Are there any drag lines along the abdomen, crotch, thighs or knees? Does anything feel tight or uncomfortable anywhere?
  4. Bend over and squat down. Is the rise high enough for you?
  5. Look at the back with a hand mirror, or better yet, have someone take a picture of you. Note any drag lines or feelings of tightness or looseness.
  6. Take pictures of the front, side and back with your crotch more or less at eye level.
  7. Using the worksheet, draw any drag lines you see on the drawing of the pants, however minor. Make notes to capture any initial observations you have.
  8. Study the following diagrams to see what fit issues you may be having.
  9. Check off the corresponding adjustment on the worksheet and draw the adjustment you will make to the mini pattern pieces.
  10. Make corresponding adjustments to actual paper pattern pieces.
  11. Adjust muslin or fashion fabric you’ve cut out; many adjustments can be made to the original fabric, but anything involving a wedge added or removed (ie. a full tummy or flat seat adjustment) will require new pattern pieces to be cut out.
  12. Re-baste and try on. Take more photos so you can study the improvements.
  13. Repeat as needed, or take a breath and say “Good enough!”, and get cracking on your final pants.

COMMON PANTS FITTING ADJUSTMENTS

In the following diagrams, I outline sixteen of the most common pants fitting adjustments I think you’ll need to make for the Sasha Trousers, but these apply to just about any pants pattern.  If you’re still stumped, I highly recommend the book Pattern & Fitting Alteration; it’s the most exhaustive fitting book out there. Pants for Real People is also helpful but I find it poorly organized and difficult to navigate, so if you have the budget, the former book is definitely my favorite. Let’s get started!

SHORTEN CROTCH ADJUSTMENT (CROTCH TOO LONG)

Shorten Crotch Adjustment - crotch too long // Pants Fitting Adjustments // Closet Core Patterns

Symptom: Drag lines radiating downwards from front crotch, resembling a frown.

Solution: Remove width from the inseam (or front thigh) to shorten front crotch curve. Work in 1/4” increments since small adjustments make a big difference. Smoothly join your new inseam line into mid-thigh with a french curve or ruler.

LENGTHEN CROTCH (CROTCH TO SHORT)

Lengthen Crotch Adjustment - Crotch too short // Pants Fitting Adjustments // Closet Core Patterns

Symptom: Drag lines radiating upwards from front crotch, resembling a smile. Crotch will feel tight.

Solution: Add width off to inseam (or front thigh) to lengthen front crotch curve. Work in 1/4” increments since small adjustments make a big difference. Smoothly join your new inseam line into mid-thigh with a french curve or ruler.

FLAT PUBIS

Flat Pubis Adjustment // Pants Fitting Adjustments // Closet Core Patterns

Symptom: Horizontal wrinkles at the front crotch may indicate that your pubic bone is a little flatter than what is drafted for. Many horizontal lines spanning the width of the hip indicate that pants are too tight at the hip, so if it feels too snug try letting out the hip first before attempting this adjustment.

Solution: Draw in a shallower front crotch curve; this flattens the curve.  A 1/4” or 1/8” adjustment can make a  big difference.

ROUND PUBIS (CAMEL TOE ADJUSTMENT)

Symptom: Vertical drag lines around the front crotch seam. Seam digs into pubic area.

Solution: Scoop out front crotch curve. This deepens the curve and creates room for the pubis.  Work in 1/4” increments since small adjustments make a big difference.

FULL TUMMY ADJUSTMENT

Full Tummy Adjustment // Pants Fitting Adjustments // Closet Core Patterns

Symptom: A full tummy may create diagonal drag lines radiating from your stomach. The side seams may also come forward around the stomach, along with a little tightness in the crotch.

Solution: To correct, slash along the center front to the hip and rotate along a “hinge” to add length and width through the abdomen area. You may also find you need to add a little length to the crotch curve by letting out the inseam.

FULL SEAT ADJUSTMENT

Full seat Adjustment // Pants Fitting Adjustments // Closet Core Patterns

Symptom: If you have a fuller bottom, you may notice drag lines all pointing to the back crotch seam.The back waistline may also be tugged down so it sits too low at the small of your back – this is very common with rounder bums.

Solution:

Option #1: You need to add length to the back seat curve to make room. The proper method is to cut through the center back seam to the hip and rotate along a “hinge” to add length and width through the seat.

Option #2: A quicker method is to add a little to the inseam and top seam as indicated above. You may also find that you need a deeper seat curve – if you scoop out that curve more, please note you will have to add a little to the hip since you are removing width across the hip with this adjustment.

FLAT SEAT ADJUSTMENT (AND/OR THIN THIGH ADJUSTMENT)

Flat seat Adjustment // Pants Fitting Adjustments // Closet Core Patterns

Symptom: Bagginess under the bum with diagonal drag lines pointing up to the hip indicate either a) the upper thigh of the pant is too roomy or b) the seat is flatter than what the pattern was drafted for.

Solution:

Fast method: Remove length from the back seat curve. Start by taking in the inseam.

Proper method: Cut through the center back seam to the hip and rotate down along a “hinge” to remove length and width through the seat.

LOW SEAT ADJUSTMENT (LOW BUTT ADJUSTMENT)

Low Butt Adjustment or Low Seat Adjsutment // Pants Fitting Adjustments // Closet Core Patterns

Symptom: If the curve of your bum sits a little lower than the pant has been drafted for, you’ll find horizontal drag lines under your seat and excess fabric at the crease of your bum and legs.

Solution: To remove horizontal drag lines, scoop out the seat curve so it makes more of an “L” shape. This will make room for the lower curve of your seat.

GAPING WAISTBAND

Gaping Waistband adjustment , Waistband gapes // Pants Fitting Adjustments // Closet Core Patterns

Symptom: Waistband gapes against lower back. Pinch out excess with a pinned dart so you know how much you need to remove.

Solution: You must remove length from the top waistband edge so it sits closer to the body. Note the width of the dart you made and cut and hinge your waistband between side seam and center back to remove width to top seam only. Your waistband will now have a more pronounced curve.

GAPING BACK

Gaping Waistband Adjustment // Pants Fitting Adjustments // Closet Core Patterns

Symptom: Pant gapes against lower back, below waistband. Pinch out excess with a pinned dart so you know how much you need to remove.

Solution:

Option #1: Try to correct gaping by sewing a deeper dart. If more width needs to be removed, take from center back seam, changing angle of back crotch seam.

Option #2: Cut from back crotch seam to hip and leave a hinge. Rotate in top of back leg at hip hinge. Redraw center back crotch seam so the angle is the same before you rotated it. This method removes width at waist and height at the small of the back.

SWAYBACK ADJUSTMENT

Swayback Adjustment // Pants Fitting Adjustments // Closet Core Patterns

Symptom: Pants pool with horizontal lines below waistband and above seat. This indicates a hollow at the small of the back, with a shorter depth between hip and waist.

Solution:

Option #1: Remove height along top of pant, grading to nothing at hip.

Option #2:  Cut through the center back seam to the hip and rotate down along a “hinge” to remove length through the seat.

Option #3: Try sewing deeper darts.

FULL THIGH ADJUSTMENT

Full Thigh Adjustment // Pants Fitting Adjustments // Closet Core Patterns

Symptom: If you need more room in the thigh, your pants will tell you with diagonal drag lines or wrinkles pointing towards your crotch inseam.

Solution: Extend your back crotch at the inner thigh to give yourself more room.

THIN THIGH ADJUSTMENT

Thin Thigh Adjustment // Pants Fitting Adjustments // Closet Core Patterns

Symptom: If the thighs are too roomy, you may see vertical drag lines along the back of your thigh. Sometimes a thin thigh adjustment resembles a flat seat adjustment with diagonal drag lines pointing up to the hip.

Solution: Taking width off the back inseam will help; you may also need to remove a little from the front inseam as well.

FULL CALF ADJUSTMENT

Full Calf Adjustment // Pants Fitting Adjustments // Closet Core Patterns

Symptoms: Horizontal drag lines above the back of your knees along with a snug fit through the calf indicate the need for a full calf adjustment. If the calf does not feel too tight, try a low seat adjustment first – sometimes scooping out the seat curve can eliminate horizontal lines above knee.

Solution:  Cut your pattern as indicated above, and hinge seams along the lower leg to create more width along the back of the calf. This will widen the ankle opening. If you prefer a skinnier fit, you may want to try taking in the side seams below your calf to taper the ankle opening.

KNOCK KNEED ADJUSTMENT

Knock Kneed Adjustment // Pants Fitting Adjustments // Closet Core Patterns

Symptom: If you’re a little knock-kneed you may find that the fabric is tight along your inseam and looser at your side seam. You’ll see diagonal drag lines radiating from along the side seam above and below the knee.

Solution: You need a little more length at the inseam and a little less at the side seam. To achieve this, slash to a center point in the center of the thigh on either side and rotate the entire upper pant so that you are reducing the length along the side seam while slightly adding to the inseam.

BOW LEGGED ADJUSTMENT

Bow Legged Adjustment // Pants Fitting Adjustments // Closet Core Patterns

Symptom: You’ll notice drag lines radiating out from the inseam around your knee and calf.

Solution: The exact opposite adjustment we made for the knock-kneed; you need more length on the side seam and less on the inseam. To achieve this, slash to a center point in the center of the thigh on either side and rotate the entire upper pant so that you are adding to the length of the side seam while reducing the length of the inseam.

Phew! I know this is a lot of information, but hopefully, the breakdown of these pants fitting adjustments has demystified the process a little bit. I know it can feel a little overwhelming, but it’s important to realize that small, incremental changes can make a big difference, you don’t need to figure everything out your first time around, and good enough is good enough.

Hope this helps on your pants fitting journey! And if you need help fitting other types of garments, be sure to check out all our fitting posts!

​
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Stretch Woven Fabric Options for the Sasha Trousers

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Today I want to talk fabric options for our latest pattern, the Sasha Trousers. This pattern was designed for stretch woven fabric; think stretch denim, cotton sateen, and twill, and stretch suitings like gabardine. I even think Sasha would work well with a nice beefy ponte; as long as your fabric stretches at least 20% along the cross-grain, you should be good to go.

To test if your fabric has enough stretch, use this fast method. Lay the cut edge of your fabric against a ruler and measure 10″ from the selvage. Now pull this 10″ section of fabric; if it stretches to at least 12″, it should be stretchy enough. If you’re buying online, look for fabrics with lycra; I suggest 2% or more. If your fabric doesn’t stretch quite as much as I suggest, it could still work provided your pants have a slightly looser fit. In that case, I suggest either adding a 1/2″ seam allowance to your side seam to play with, or grading to a larger size from the waist down.

Although I don’t normally sew with a lot of polyester, there are some great stretch poly fabrics out there; one of my fabric suppliers here in Montreal always carries a few colors in something they call “Prada twill”. It’s not a term I’ve seen used in fabric shops, but it’s something I’m sure you’ve encountered in rtw pants and casual blazers; it’s very stretchy with great recovery and is a perfect choice for a stretch trouser like Sasha (I think it’s probably an in-trade name for the type of fabric Prada used for their iconic black trousers). If you do happen upon some of this fabric, you may notice the stretch runs in the same direction of the grainline; make sure you re-orient your pieces so that the stretch spans the width of the body rather than the length of the legs.

In my sample-making for Sasha and Ginger, I’ve noticed stretch wovens can vary widely in terms of fit. Two fabrics with the same stretch percentage can have very different effects depending on the weight, drapiness, and fiber content.  All this to say, no matter how confident you are with the fit of your Sashas (or Gingers for that matter) it’s critical to always baste the side seams and try on your pants before finalizing your seam finishes. I’ve made a few new pairs of Gingers this year, all in the same size, and almost every pair fits a little bit differently. Baste, baste, baste! Each pair may need a few small adjustments at the side seams to get the desired fit, especially through the leg.

To take some of the guesswork out of the process for you, I’ve rounded up some appropriate fabrics below. If you’re shopping online, try using the following search terms: stretch woven, stretch suiting, stretch twill. If you’re lucky the fabric store will also categorize fabrics by use, so look for bottom or pants weight fabrics that have some lycra content.

STRETCH TWILL

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Stretch twills are ideal for Sasha. A twill is a fabric with a diagonal weave and can be made from wool, cotton, poly, even tencel and viscose. Look for something medium weigh; if it’s too light, you may find it doesn’t have enough heft to stand up to the rigors of pants.

STRETCH SUITINGS

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The term “stretch suiting” can be a bit confusing, since these fabrics can be used for much more than making suits. Many of those Victoria Beckham and “Galaxy” bodycon dresses from the last decade are made from stretch suiting. You’ll find lots of fibers falling under the banner of “stretch suiting”; Mood is a great resource for this type of fabric.

PATTERNS

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Don’t feel compelled to make Sasha in a solid! For some dramatic and fun “party pants”, prints are the way to go. I found a heap of great options at Tessuti, but I’m sure you could also score at your local fabric shop; I’m always stumbling on beautiful stretch prints in my travels.

What fabric are you hoping to use for Sasha? Any fabric questions for me while we’re on the subject?

Styling Inspiration for the Sasha Trousers Pattern

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We launched the Sasha Trousers this week, and I couldn’t be happier about adding this wardrobe staple to your closet, and mine. I’m a pants person. I wear them pretty much every single day, and while I love my Morgan and Ginger Jeans, it’s a welcome change to have a more polished option to choose from.

It’s easy to think of flat front trousers as “office pants”, but I’m excited to wear mine in all sorts of ways (I’m currently working on some in gold metallic, and a more classic pair in camel twill). This styling & inspiration post should help you figure out how indispensable this style of pants can be when you’re getting dressed.

DRESSED DOWN

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I mean, is there anything more effortlessly chic than slim trousers and flats? I say nope! I love the idea of Sasha worn with an oversized sweatshirt and slip-on sneakers, or with a crew neck sweater and a pair of brogues. Dressed down it’s a little menswear-inspired, but easy to feminize if that’s your thing. I’m also keen to go full fashion editor in head-to-toe black; I think the slit on the ankle in image ten adds a simple but key detail to a more minimalist look.

DRESSED UP

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I love dressing up pants. It’s warmer for one (almost always my number one concern) and more comfortable than squeezing into a tight dress. It’s also easy AF; a pretty blouse and heels and you’re already out the door having a wonderful time. Co-ordinate with a blazer for a more professional look, or go all black for the iconic Le Tuxedo silhouette. I also love the idea of layering a pair of slim Sashas under a floaty dress – a little more modern and interesting than basic tights.

BOLD & COLOURFUL

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I’ve been keeping my eyes peeled for Sasha appropriate fabrics (more on that in our next post) in bright, bold hues, because I think we should make Party Pants a thing. With a simple top it’s basically the happiest, easiest outfit in the world, and conveys confidence without being over the top. Party Pants for the win.

How will you wear your Sasha Trousers?

 

Meet our Latest Pants Pattern: the Sasha Trousers!

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I’ve had my dream pants pattern in mind for a while now. They would be slim fitting with a little stretch. Perfectly casual in a cotton twill, or professional and chic in stretch suiting. The kind of pants that make every outfit feel polished and pulled together, whether paired with fancy heels or comfortable brogues. You know. Desert island pants. TNT pants. Holy grail pants.

I think our new Sasha Trousers are those pants. Destined to become your new can’t-live-without-them bottoms, they are based on the same great fitting block as our best-selling Ginger Jeans. Featuring a comfy mid-rise, contour waistband, and slim, tapered leg in two lengths, they’re our modern answer to the classic cigarette pant question.

Sasha Trousers Pattern // Ultimate pants pattern // Closet Core PatternsSasha Trousers Pattern // Ultimate pants pattern // Closet Core Patterns

View A is a full-length pant with a classic slashed pocket and tummy slimming pocket stay, holding all your bits in place.  Add single welt pockets along the back for a classic trouser detail; ours have a totally clean finish on the inside, and are surprisingly fun to sew.

I love the proportion of our slim waistband, while darts in the back help create shaping at the waist. We’ve added buttons to our welt pockets, but they can also be left off for a cleaner, more minimal look.

Sasha Trousers Pattern // Ultimate pants pattern // Closet Core PatternsSasha Trousers Pattern // Ultimate pants pattern // Closet Core Patterns

View B is a breeze to make. We’ve omitted all the bells and whistles for a simple cropped trouser; even the most beginner of sewists could tackle these pants with confidence. Add a pressed crease along the length of the leg for a crisp, polished detail.

Sasha Trousers Pattern // Ultimate pants pattern // Closet Core PatternsSasha Trousers Pattern // Ultimate pants pattern // Closet Core PatternsSasha Trousers Pattern // Cropped pants pattern // Closet Core Patterns

As I mentioned last week, we slightly updated our Ginger pattern (you can read more about that here). Those changes are present in our Sasha Trousers; Sasha fits similarly through the waist and hip, although the waistband is more contoured.  Since Sasha is meant to be slim fitting with some negative ease, it’s important to choose a fabric with enough stretch. We recommend fabrics with at least 20% crosswise stretch, or a minimum of 2% lycra. Since stretch wovens differ widely, I highly suggest basting the sides seams before trying on your final pant; you may find they need to be taken in or let out slightly depending on the stretch in the fabric.

While we’re not doing a full sewalong for this pattern (partly because the instructions are some of our most exhaustively written to date) we will be covering all the tricky bits in the coming month, including fabric selection and tutorials on sewing the welts, slash pockets, fly front zipper and waistband. I am also planning an epic pants fitting post. If this is something that makes you nervous, I’ll be providing loads of resources to make this as painless as possible. In my experience, stretch woven pants are much easier to fit than non-stretch, so this will be a great pattern to dip your toe into pants-making.

I am sooooo excited about this pants pattern! I’ve got two pairs nearly finished for myself so I’ll finally have some alternatives to jeans this fall. I’ve frequently felt the absence of a dressier pant in my life, and I know Sasha will be the thing I reach for whenever I want to feel a little more pulled together. I know this is a pattern many of you have requested, so we hope you’re as jazzed as we are about this release!

 

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ps. This pattern is named after Sasha, who writes the ever inspiring blog Secondo Piano. With the fastidiousness of a craftsperson and the sharp eye of a designer, Sasha has an utterly original sense of cool, tailored style that makes us want to move to Italy and learn all we can from her.

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