Cute and Easy Culotte Pants Sewing Pattern Tutorial

If you’re asking “what are culottes?”, they’re sometimes called a divided skirt. They’re wide legged pants that normally come to just below the knee or the top of the calf.

I’m going to show you how to draw a culotte pants sewing pattern directly onto the fabric. I give the measurements for size S to M (38 European) but instructions to adapt them for sizes L and XL are shown in the video.

Tools and materials: 

• 1 1/4 yards (1 m) of 60” (150 cm) wide crepe or other medium weight fabric
• 3/4” (0.9 m) wide elastic
• Fabric marker
• Ruler
• Measuring tape
• Pins
• Scissors
• Large safety pin
• Sewing machine
• Serger (optional)

1. Draft the culotte pants pattern

Trim your fabric to 33 inches (84 cm) long and put the surplus aside for the waistband.

Fold the fabric lengthways twice and place it in front of you with the main fold towards you.

For size S and M, measure 11.5 inches (29 cm) along the fold from the right hand edge. Details for other sizes are shown in the video from 0:47 to 1:11.

Draw a line 14.5 inches (37 cm) long across the width of the fabric from that point.

Measure 11 inches (28 cm) from the fold along the right edge and join it with a straight line to the first line.

Curve the corner where the two lines meet.

Measure 13.4 inches (34 cm) from the fold along the left edge and join it to the end of the first line.

Cut out the culottes.

2. Make the front pleats

Open out both layers of fabric with the right sides together.

Mark 4 inches (10 cm) from the front crotch along the waist and make a second mark 2 inches (5 cm) from the first. 

Transfer the markings to the wrong side of the lower layer.

Place the two marks on each piece together with the wrong sides facing, to make a pleat. 

Stitch the pleat vertically for about 2.5inches (6 cm) on the right side.

Flatten the pleat on the wrong side and sew it in place across the two folds.

Repeat on the other piece of fabric.

3. Shape the front waist

Place both pieces together with the right sides together.

Mark 2 inches (5 cm) down from the waist at the front crotch.

Draw a diagonal line from the mark tapering to the back crotch.

Cut along the line through both layers.

Trim half an inch (1 cm) from the front inside leg seam.

4. Sew the center and inner leg seams

Pin and sew the two crotch seams, with the right sides facing.

Refold the culottes so the seams are in the center, and sew the inner leg seams.

Finish the seam allowances on your serger or using an overlock or zigzag stitch on your machine.

5. Make the waistband

Cut a strip from the remaining fabric, 39 inches (100 cm) long by 4 inches (10 cm) wide.

Join the two short ends into a loop, with the right sides together.

Finger press the seam allowance open and fold the waistband in half lengthways with the wrong side inside.

Placing the waistband seam to the center back seam of the culottes, sew the waistband to the right side of the pants, matching the raw edges.

Leave a small opening at the center back to insert the elastic.

Cut the elastic to 25 inches (64 cm) or to fit comfortably around your waist with an overlap.

Use the safety pin to thread the elastic through the waistband, being careful to keep it flat.

Overlap the ends and sew them together securely.

Sew the opening closed.

Arrange the gathers so that the front section of the waistband between the pleats is flat and pin them in place.

Stitch vertically through the waistband and elastic just outside the pleats.

6. Finishing

Finish the raw edge at the bottom of each leg.

Turn up a single hem and sew in place.