How to Draft Elastic Waist Pants (draft)

Project

Date Created

February 3, 2026

Author

Untitled

Tools & Skills

bernettesewing

[CoF] Careers of the Future

Advanced Manufacturing

Launch Lab Connection

Fashion Manufacturing DD

Competency

Problem SolvingSTEAM Agency

Status

In Progress

Materials
Pants Assembly
Hems

In this workshop you will learn beginner drafting techniques through measuring their own body and using your measurements to create a sewing pattern. We will explore the geometry behind pattern drafting, along with the process of combining body measurements with your own style to create a sewing pattern that you love, fits you perfect, and can be sewn over and over again.

WORD WALL?

Materials

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Measuring your body!

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Pattern Anatomy

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Using your measurements to draft pattern pieces

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Seam Finishing

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Sewing Safety

Let’s talk seam finishing!

All cut woven fabric will fray, threads will come off the edge making the fabric weaker.

On the edge of rolls of fabric there is a special part called the Selvage this part of the fabric is woven way tighter than the rest of the fabric, makings it so it can't fray.

Seam finishing Techniques

Test out a few seam finishing techniques by making a seam finishing sampler before deciding which one you would like to use on a project!

Beginner! - Pinking shears

Pinking shears are the easiest was to control the fraying of a woven fabric. Cutting a zig-zag into the edge into a fabric makes it the fabric only frays within the width of the zig-zag.

Intermediate!

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Zig-zag stitch

Advanced!

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Serger (overlock)

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Again Sub info [this is just copied and pasted]

Pants Assembly

Before worrying about the waistband and hem of your shorts, you have to sew together the four main pieces, front right, front left, back right, back left.

ALL OF THESE SEAMS ARE SEWN WITH A 1/2 INCH SEAM ALLOWANCE.

Start by sewing the front pieces together right sides together along the crotch curve using a 1/2 inch seam allowance. Then sew the back pieces together along the seat curve.

Side seams are next. Sew front and back pieces together right sides together along the long side seam edges.

Inseams are last. When aligning these edges use the crotch and seat curve seams you've already sewn to help center everything. The crotch and seat curves should line up with each other.

They should start to look like shorts now! they might look a little big. That's where the elastic waistband comes in.

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Waistbands

Hems

For the hem of our pants we will do a double fold hem. By folding our fabric over twice it makes it so the raw edge, or finished edge, is tucked away. This makes for a very clean finish with no weird threads poking out.

To form our hem, start by stitching a basting stitch (regular straight stitch but with a way longer stitch length 5ish mm) at 1 inch seam allowance all the way around the hem of your shorts.

YOU ARE NOT STITCHING ANY FABRIC TOGETHER YOU AR JUST SEWING THROUGH ONE LAYER OF FABRIC.

Your basting stitch is put in to mark where your first fold should be.

Go to the iron and fold your hem toward the inside of your shorts so you can see your basting stitch on the very edge of your fold. You don't want to see your basting stitches from the front or back so make sure you are accurate with your folding & ironing.

Next tuck the edge of your fabric down into the fold you just created and iron again to fold away the raw edge.

Your last step is top stitching the edge you just ironed to lock in these folds.