I don't know about you all, but I really love 70s fashions. I really love 50s fashions, and I really love 20s fashions. The fashions of 2000, everything that has been "in" or "out" since I've been born has been so horribly mediocre compared. I understand not liking the "hair bands" because of their hair and outfits, but when you look at Lady Gaga's new line, suddenly you appreciate everything so much more(don't get me wrong, Lady Gaga is great, but a dress made out of bubbles?). Since I got my hair cut about 2 months ago, I've been wanting to make more clothes to go with it. I haven't really been styling it most days, so at first all I wanted was to break out the leather and go Joan Jett. But then I thought of how much I really love my (suicide) blonde locks, and went in another direction. So here is how I made my flares and bell bottoms from scratch and made my own pattern. Please notice the striped pants are drapery material and the flowery pants are a thick and velvety material. Don't use thin cottons.
Step 1: Making the Pattern
I'm no expert pattern maker, and I usually just use clothes I already have, so this was a new experience for me, as it might be for you. This is really easy and I got it on my first try.
You will need:
- measuring tape
- newspaper or other large paper
- writing utensil (thin tipped markers will work best)
- ruler, book, or something with a straight edge
- optional for people with flat butts: zipper/buttons
Take the following measurements: inseam, hips, natural waist line, above knee when knee is bent at a 90° angle, from top on inseam to natural waistline(front and back), the very top of your thigh(like the very very top)and how large you want your flare/ bell to be.
The pattern drawing is the easiest part. Use the ruler or straight edge to draw the lines for everywhere but the crotch curve thing(I didn't use one but I draw really straight lines, the curse of geometry). It will look something like the image on the right.
*** is the measurement that changes, like "inseam + inseam to NWL". Basically, the 2 front pieces will have the inseam to NWL(natural waistline) front measurement, and the 2 back pieces will have the inseam to NWL back pieces. Just think of it as the extra space you need for your rear end.
You should also know that the curve goes in to your hip measurement, and there is a diagonal to the NWL measurement(I forgot to draw that in). Now all you have to do is cut out the pattern pieces. You just need 2, one for the front and 1 for the back, which will look the same but one will be a little longer.
Step 2: Cutting and Sewing
You will need:
- fabric(I used old fabric, but I think I had about 1 1/2 yards?)
- pins
- thread
- sewing machine*
- the pattern you just made!
*I suppose you could hand sew pants, but there is a greater chance they won't survive the wash and/or pop a seam.
CUTTING!
Fold your fabric in half, pin the pieces on, cut out with seam allowance, you know the drill. If you had a big difference in the front and back pieces, make sure you have 4 pieces. For me, it was only about 2 inches, so on the striped pair I only had 2 pieces. Make sure when you lay it out you have 2 front pieces that are opposites and 2 back pieces that are opposites(or 2 half pieces that are opposites if you have a flat bottom and only use 2 pieces).
SEWING!
Here comes the fun part... Pin a front piece to a back piece on the straight side with wrong sides out. If you are using buttons or a zipper, here is where you would put it/them in. Do the same on the other 2 pieces(but without the zipper or buttons). From the start of the curve, sew down to the bottom on each piece. be sure to not go above the curve or start below it, you need to start on the exact point where it meets the inseam measurement length.
This next part is a little harder, and I would recommend slowing down on the speed. Pin the back pieces to each other, wrong sides still out, and continue pinning all the way to the top of the front pieces. The first pair I made, I sewed it like that, but you could also turn one leg right side out and stuff it in the wrong side out leg so the raw edges line up. Both ways are challenging, but I found the first way easier. My sister, who is studying costume design in school, said the second way was easier, so use whichever way you think will be easier, and sew from the back to the front on the raw edges. The hardest part of here is turning around where the curve starts, because it looks sharp. DO NOT stop your machine and turn the piece, it makes it super uncomfortable to wear! DO slow down even more and take the turn and the clash of multiple seams very slowly, so slow you think back to your first time using a sewing machine, and you went the faster on purpose. Yes, go THAT SLOW.
At this point, you can hem the legs and waist and turn the pants right side out. Put them on, and look dang fine in them! For both of the pairs above, I went back and tightened from my thigh to the long knee thing measurement because they weren't as snug as I wanted them to be.
I hope you have lots of fun making your own pants, because I certainly did! I've worn them to special events and just out for the day. They're nice to chill in, or they're nice if you have a 70s dance to go to! They're great, and I can honestly say having pants that touch my skin and are the right length is a new experience for me, and I really love it. ☮
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