How to Sew Cute and Comfy Pants

Tools and materials:

• Stretch corduroy fabric
• Cotton for pocket bags
• Ribbing fabric
• 1" wide elastic
• Pants to use as pattern
• Large sheets of paper for pattern
• Tailor's chalk
• Pencil
• Pins
• Large safety pin
• Scissors
• Sewing machine with zigzag foot
• Serger (optional)

1. Make pattern

I used a well-fitting pair of stretch pants to make the pattern.

Tuck one pants leg inside the other, fold them in half lengthways and lay the pants on the paper.

Draw around half the back section up to the waistband and mark the position and size of any pockets.

Flip the pants over and make the front pattern in the same way.

Draw a diagonal line from the side seam to the top edge for the side pocket and use your hand as a guide for marking the pocket depth.

Trace the front pocket area on to 2 separate pieces of paper and cut along the diagonal line on one piece. Cut the main pattern along the diagonal pocket line.

See the video at 1:50 for how to make the pattern for the back pockets.

2. Cut out the fabric pieces

Make sure all the pieces are cut with the nap of the corduroy running in the same direction.

Cut 2 each of the main front and back pieces, adding a 1/2 inch (1 cm) allowance to all edges and 1.25 inches (3 cm) at the hem.

Cut 4 pocket bags from the cotton fabric and 2 diagonal pieces from the main fabric.

3. Side pockets

Top stitch the diagonal corduroy piece to one of the pocket pieces. 

Lay the other piece on top of the front, right sides together and lining up the diagonal edge, and sew.

Fold the pocket to the inside, pin along the diagonal edge and top stitch.

Place the larger pocket piece on top of the front pants, right sides of the pockets facing, and sew the pocket bags together along the curved edge.

Zigzag stitch or serge the raw edge.

Top stitch the top and side edges of the pocket to strengthen them.

4. Back pockets

Draw a line across the back pocket 0.75 inches (2 cm) from the top edge. Zigzag stitch or serge around the pocket edges.

Fold the top edge in along the marked line and sew on the wrong side.

Turn in the side and bottom edges and pin, then top stitch to the back of the pants.

5. Sew leg seams

Lay the pants back over the front, right sides together, and pin the sew the inner leg and side seams.

Zigzag stitch or serge the raw edges.

6. Sew crotch seam

Turn one pants leg right side out and tuck it into the other leg. Make sure the two back sections are together. 

Pin the legs together along the crotch, matching the inner leg seams and the top edges.

Sew and serge the seam. Turn the pants right side out and top stitch the crotch seam to strengthen it.

7. Waistband

Cut a piece of ribbing fabric 70% - 80% of the pants waist in length.

Join the short edges together, leaving a small opening to insert the elastic.

Fold the waistband in half lengthways and use pins to divide the circle into 8 equal sections.

Pin the ribbing evenly to the top edge of the pants on the right side.

Match the ribbing seam, with the opening visible, to the center back of the pants and align the center of the ribbing to the front seam of the pants. Sew in place and finish the raw edge.

Attach a safety pin to the elastic and insert it into the waistband through the opening.

Overlap the edges and stitch them securely together. Hand sew the opening using a ladder or invisible stitch.

Top stitch the pants close to the waistband.

8. Hem

Zigzag stitch or serge the raw edge. Turn up a 1 inch (2.5 cm) hem and top stitch in place.

How to sew pants

I really enjoyed making these pants. I didn’t encounter any problems sewing with corduroy, I treated it like any other stretch fabric. My DIY pants fit perfectly and I think they look great!

I hope you liked my method of making side seam pockets too, it’s so much easier doing them this way.

Please leave me a comment below and let me know what you thought of this project.