camelotcats
the DUDE has returned
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2007
- Messages
- 2,196
There's a really easy way to make pants with or without a side seam, as long as it's for a kid, or pajama pants. 
To make pants with a side seam:
Cut 4 rectangles of fabric. The measurements are:
Width: 1/4 the hip measurement (Or waist measurement, whichever's bigger) of the person the pants are for plus 2.5" (3.5" for an adult)
Length: Outseam measurement (waist to ankle) plus 2.5"
Put two rectangles right sides together and cut a "J" out of one top-side of both rectangles. The J should be about 9-10" high and 2" deep. Similar to the cut out of a peasant top arm-hole. (does this make sense??)
sew the "j"'s together.
Do the same thing on the other 2 rectangles.
Open up both sets, and line up the pants with the J's in the center, and sew up one leg and down the other. Then sew together the ouside seams.
Turn under .5" at the top ans sew down, then turn under 1" and sew that down leaving room for elastic (or a waistband). use 3/4" elastic or a drawstring fo the waistband.
Hem legs.
For Side seam free pants:
Make TWO rectangles, the same length as above and twice the width as above.
Put the two rectangles right sides together and cut the "j"'s on BOTH top corners of the rectangles.
Sew both sets of J's together.
open up the pants with the J's lined up in the middle, and sew up the inside seams.
Do the waistband the same, and hem.
Clear as mud?
The pants are pretty unconstructed, and on adults can be prettty wide-legged. I do this for all of my kids pants and shorts.
I hope this wasn't too confusing. The "j" is harder to explain than it is to do.

To make pants with a side seam:
Cut 4 rectangles of fabric. The measurements are:
Width: 1/4 the hip measurement (Or waist measurement, whichever's bigger) of the person the pants are for plus 2.5" (3.5" for an adult)
Length: Outseam measurement (waist to ankle) plus 2.5"
Put two rectangles right sides together and cut a "J" out of one top-side of both rectangles. The J should be about 9-10" high and 2" deep. Similar to the cut out of a peasant top arm-hole. (does this make sense??)
sew the "j"'s together.
Do the same thing on the other 2 rectangles.
Open up both sets, and line up the pants with the J's in the center, and sew up one leg and down the other. Then sew together the ouside seams.
Turn under .5" at the top ans sew down, then turn under 1" and sew that down leaving room for elastic (or a waistband). use 3/4" elastic or a drawstring fo the waistband.
Hem legs.
For Side seam free pants:
Make TWO rectangles, the same length as above and twice the width as above.
Put the two rectangles right sides together and cut the "j"'s on BOTH top corners of the rectangles.
Sew both sets of J's together.
open up the pants with the J's lined up in the middle, and sew up the inside seams.
Do the waistband the same, and hem.
Clear as mud?
The pants are pretty unconstructed, and on adults can be prettty wide-legged. I do this for all of my kids pants and shorts.
I hope this wasn't too confusing. The "j" is harder to explain than it is to do.