Patchy Pants how-to?

So I've been wanting to make a pair of patchwork pants for a while now... And I was just wondering, how do you go about doing it?

Do you use a pattern for it or just eyeball everything?

Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

 

I wanted the some patchwork cords myself, all I did was just go by eye. I would use a sewing machine its a lot easier. If you have one that is. Other that its trial and error. I havent made a lot of mistakes I couldnt fix though

 

I'd suggest getting a pattern, or taking apart a pair of your own pants with good fit. I always tell people to get a pattern when they're learning to make something they've never sewn before. Keep reading it and reading it to understand, and you'll learn a lot of good techniques. That's awesome some people can learn by eye, but for someone else, it may not be so easy. Pants are definately not easy to make and even harder to make that fit right.

 

Find an easy pattern to start with, like a simple pajama pants pattern that only has 1-2 peices. My biggest mistake in making patchy pants ever was I made 2 left legs and I didnt have enough fabric to make 2 pairs of pants instead of one. I think I ended up cutting the crotch out the same front and back. Whaddya gonna do ya know?

 

How did you assemble the patchwork though? I mean, I've made pants before, but I was just wondering the order... Did you basically just sew the patches together in the general shape of the pattern piece or...?

That's the part that gets me.

 

Oh doh! I see what you mean. Yeah thats the tricky part, For an example I did all random patchwork, with the same type of calico floral fabrics, but put a sun and moon on each leg in the same spot but on different legs, or you *could* do both the same but just be sure you dont have a two left leg accident! Its mostly trial and error I guess. Good luck with your pants, I wanna see pics when your done!

 

the best way to make the pants is by used a draw string method and a serger. the serger will help to keep the pants together better than a sewing machine would.

 

Try sewing the patches together into the general shape of the pattern piece, and then trimming the edges so it's the right shape and using that.

 

Nonsense. I've been making my own clothes for over 20 years and I just got a serger a couple of years ago. A regular sewing machine is just fine. If you are concerned about fraying seams, you can use a zigzag over the edges, but I never bother when it's just an item for myself.

 

I'm working on patching up an old pair of blue jeans that I can't bear to part with. I am using two other pairs of jeans (one black, one purple corduroy) to put patches right on to the pants. it's turnign out really spiffy. I'll post pictures when I am done.

 

I've made a cordoroy patchy skirt and cordoroy patchy pants and if I had a serger it would have been sooooo much easier/faster. With the skirt I made it, it was beautiful, I washed it, it frayed and fell apart after the third wash. It got to the point that repairing it was impossible anymore.

With the pants I avoided that by hemming all the squares before sewing them together. SLOW AND ANNOYING. Get a serger for cordoroy if possible!

 

HI,

I make four large panels of patchwork.
(Front left/back left leg, and front right/back right leg).
Use a regular pants pattern, lay on panels.
(Make sure right side pieces are facing each other or you will have two front left pant pieces instead of a left front and a right front for example).

Cut and sew
I use both a sewing machine straight stitch and then serge.
Press with an iron, then top stitch.

Peace!
...Diana

 

what's a serger?

 

^ a serger is a complicated sewing macine that only does 1 thing. look in a manufactured piece of clothing, along the inside seams. the twisty stitches that go along it are serged.

i use a zig zag stitch for almost all my clothing, it works just as well.
for the patchwork part, you basically make a quilt top. whatever pattern, if you want it random with angles do it like a crazy quilt top. then use the quilt top like a solid piece of fabric. my clothing bible is "the illustrated hassle free make your own clothes book" by sharon rosenberg and joan wiener. 1971. it makes clothes making so easy.
i can make new clothes when i cant find anything to wear.

 

I love making patchy bags. The first one I made on my singer and it was really a pain in the butt because I like to put shiney and sparklie fabrics in with the chord blocks. My mom gave me her serger this year for my birthday and oooh mama is it soo much smoother!!! It trims and binds everything all in one go so the seams are real nice!

The easiest way I've found is to lay the pattern out and then layout the blocks, then stitch them into rows, then stitch the rows together. It helps the seams to lay in one direction and makes for easier ironing. Then I pin and cut.

Happy Making!

 

gosh i hate pins. i do almost everything without them. if i NEED pins i'll use them but i always get stabbed.

 

Same here mothers love. I never use pins except on dresses.

I am actually currently working on a pair of patchwork drawstrings. Making them from scratch...it's tideous. but the journey is all a part of it. ^-^

 

I made these pants for festivals, first I made a patchwork design, then I cut out the stitching that holds each leg together from top to bottom and flared it out a bit at the bottom, I love the pants, very festy

 

^^^^^^^^^^^
i wanna do that too a pair of pants that dont fit me anymore. ive never made any clothing in my life cept for some tye-dye. how hard was that mcraver?

 

it was a goddam pain in the ass, however I did the stitching by hand, with a machine it would probably been done in no time