I’ve been thinking about doing this lately. Mostly because the major maker of heavy duty work clothes doesn’t make double front heavy canvas work pants anymore. And I’m always up for being self reliant. So helpful to see where things went sideways. Thanks for the video.
Good to see an experienced sewer making clothing. It helps to determine how to teach other people how to sew clothing. I would suggest that you make a paper pattern with the old pants and then cut your new fabric from the pattern, adding information written on paper pattern and adding matching parts. Then if you love your new pants, you will have a great pattern to make more ! Love your videos
Good trousers! I've made a load of clothes as an amateur sewer, and the waistband, fly and zip are tricky. I think you've done an excellent job. I can recommend Cornelius Quiring's TH-cam channel if you want to learn about patterns and making clothes, as he's clear and understandable.
I’ve been watching your videos for several years now and was surprised to see you post a video about sewing clothing! I take a very different approach than you with my sewing, so I enjoy watching how you just jump into things and figure them out as you go, whatever happens. Since you asked numerous times in your video, perhaps these suggestions/observations will be useful to you: 10:52 - If you understitch your pocket (sew the seam allowance to the pocket bag without sewing through the pants front) then you can prevent the pocket bag from rolling to the front and becoming visible as you use the pockets. 16:59 - For patch pockets, I like to press the seam allowances as you did (usually ⅝”) and then after pressing, trim the seam allowances to ¼” so that they are contained within the topstitching and don’t stick out inside the pocket. Leaving them wide creates too much bulk. 23:22 - You don’t need to topstitch the whole side seam down (it is possible to do, but indeed finicky, as you suggested). However, it’s a good idea to topstitch the side seam allowance down to the back of the pants *up to where the bottom of the pocket bag is* on the front. This area gets a lot of stress. You might notice this on an existing pair of jeans - topstitching down the side, followed by a bartack at the pocket bottom. 25:10 - Belt loops are usually folded in three then coverstitched, but you can achieve very nice results by serging only *one end* of the long belt loop strip, then folding in three, and then topstitching two rows. 26:08 - It’s easier to attach the belt loops after the waistband is attached, as you discovered. You also don’t need to “sandwich” the belt loops into the waistband and can just fold them and topstitch (followed by bartacks) like on jeans. For thinner fabrics like khakis, you can attach the belt loops to the top of the pants before attaching the waistband, then fold the belt loops to attach them to the top of the waistband. 29:10 - It’s common for waistbands to actually be cut a tiny bit shorter than the top of the pants, but you have to EASE the pants into the width of the waistband. This gives you a nice tight waistband so the pants don’t easily fall off, as opposed to a waistband that is larger than the pants which can lend itself to gaping or the pants not sitting well as they stretch throughout the day. It can be hard to do this well, but it makes a difference! If you’re not opposed to buying a pattern, I would recommend the Canadian company Thread Theory (threadtheory.ca) which specializes in menswear. You don’t have to use the pattern pieces since you already have the ones you created from your pants. But with the instructions, you’ll have a better idea of a normal construction order, reasons why, and even some tips. I’ve sewn a lot of pants over the years, so I’ve created my own construction order which I can send you if you’re interested. (It has no instructions or tips, just a construction order.) I hope you find my comment useful. Thanks for all the videos!
Hi Daniel, Thank you SO MUCH for adding such great info to the conversation! I'm finding myself wandering further and further down the apparel rabbit hole, and while I have loads of sewing experience, it feels like a whole new world, so I truly appreciate all the help I can get! And thanks so much for telling me about Thread Theory, they are exactly the kind of pattern source I have been looking for! Definitely picking up a couple of patterns from them to try! I would love to see your construction order, you can email me at the jason of all trades @ gmail . com (remove the spaces), that would be a huge help. Thanks!
Very nice! My first pair’s outing I just knew they were going to blow out or fall off me at the restaurant! I think I’m still wearing those. Proud of you. You’re doing great!
Brilliant job,it will get easier the more clothes you make.i used to sew collars in a shirt factory,the parts were made up first eg the pockets on back,then sewn together,😊
You made an excellent job of them. I took a shirt that fits perfectly to a seamstress here (NZ) and she made a pattern for me. (I don't think she had to pull it apart to do that but she is a professional!) She used very heavy brown paper.
I know you're joking, but when I got Bobbin, it was my intention to leash train him so he could go places with me. I (of course) even made his first collar. He nearly choked himself out trying to get out of that collar (yes, it had a velcro breakaway) and that pretty much put an end to my aspirations of having a cat on a leash. :( I wish it had worked out, because I really wish I could bring him to work with me, but it isn't practical without him being leash trained. He would look awesome with a 2" webbing parachute harness-derived leash 😂
Nice work! PANTS ON FIRE! The GAP was an awesome store in the 90s, then the quality changed, but I remember those clearance items were awesome, and they lasted forever!
Making the waistband extra long and finishing the length afterward is the way I've seen it done most successfully. Early on I sewed over pins until I broke sewing machine needles on them so I pull them as I go.
All the patterns for clothes, I have done, you lay out the patterns you are cutting out on the fabric that is folded in half, so you get two pieces with one cut. This also I believe might have kept you from having the "wrong side out" on the fabric.
Congrats on a great success! I have done the fabric-wrong side out once or twice…no one has ever noticed, including my family who know I sew a lot of my own clothes. Painters tape on the back side for the win. As you mentioned, there are lots of ways to do anything. Regarding the waistband…many patterns and tutorials I have used suggest making the waistband a little smaller than the needed circumference. You then stretch the waistband to fit as you assemble. Provide some tension for wearing…and I have done the added piece near the button, too. Great save and problem solving. That is one of favorite parts of making things. Looking forward to the next thing you try. Another tip if you are stocking a few things for this new garment making adventure: Wawak has great pricing on zippers, especially jeans/heavy duty zippers and threads. They ship really fast as well..carries rivets etc if you decide to add that for looks or stability. Final comment is to check Harbor Freight or Home Depot for long spring loaded clips to hold parts together since most pins are not strong enough to go through several layers of bull denim. Chris in Melbourne
I have totally forgotten to put my presser foot back down before I resume sewing! I saw the Bobbin flash! 😻😻 Oh, also, I have a magnetic pin cushion so that as I'm sewing, I flick the pins toward the cushion where they snap into place without me taking my eyes off my sewing.
I have a favorite pair of jeans that are no longer made and I've often considered breaking them down and making a pattern out of them to sew a new pair (or several) for myself. You've just given me inspiration to do it.
I did a pants project a few years back using hardware store cotton denim drop cloth. Great for painter's pants! lol. Really though, I think the 9x12ft drop cloth was $18 at the time.They have different drop cloth canvas (cotton, polyester, etc) so look at what's in the package. .. Convert them into "Tin Pants" by rubbing all the cloth with paraffin canning wax and using a heat gun/hair drier to melt the wax into the cloth, then you can hike through wet prairie grass and not get soaked.
Overall you did a really good job. I still need to trace my trousers, and im stalling. Look up on how to do waistbands, when you master that these will be excellent 👌
Deconstructing existing items is a great start - instant patterns... although it may be worth your time transferring the pattern onto paper first, which can then be altered or adjusted - rather than straight onto the new material... good items to use some of that great hardware you got in a previous video... some of those buckles... although they may be an issue for your washing machine... Those seams on the pants legs may be a clue - the same garment was probably made as shorts for a different season, and the extension of the legs into pants is a simple process... As for the phone pocket, cargo pants style pockets on the side or front of the thigh are great, because your phone can stay in the pocket, even when you sit down... Hard to tell, but some reinforcing bar-tacks are a good idea for the stress points... You've learned so much and taught us as well... Can you do 'Blue Steel' in your modelling of the garment next time...
Pants are a rather ambitous project but you did an AWESOME job ... they fit!!! Keep in mind, in sewing there are no mistakes, only "learning opportunities" 😉. Consider checking online for tutorials for understitching (attached is a short one with decent info). It's rather magical and very helpful for lots of projects where a lining is involved. On the pants, when attaching the pocket bag to the front leg, understitching would be done by adding a 2nd line of stitching on the pocket bag to the seam allowance. It holds the lining (pocket bag) to the inside so it doesn't roll to the outside, also makes pressing these areas a snap and gives a crisp line for top stitching. It's something I 'discovered' somewhat recently and how I wish I knew about it years ago. th-cam.com/video/9Q2It5CH9xQ/w-d-xo.html
Thanks! I had not heard of under stitching (there is a whole new world of techniques and nomenclature awaiting me as I finally start learning garments), but that makes total sense, thanks for sharing the video!
Good job. Just out of curiosity - could You try to estimate how much time You spent on this project (sewing / cutting, I don't mean the video making part ;-) )
Hi! It's hard to say. Taking the pants apart took quite a while, and figuring out the order of things made the project slower than if I was following a pattern (or knew what I was doing). As you allude to, filming generally quadruples the time it takes to do the thing I'm filming. I would guess somewhere between 10 and 20 hours, maybe? For comparison, I made a pair of (simpler) pants based on an existing shorts pattern that I already had cut out, that took maybe 4 hours or so. Compared with the simpler pair, this pair had belt loops, a fly and a waistband, adding a lot of steps to the process. I have to admit, I often work on one of these projects for a while, then get pulled away with other work or just distracted, sometimes not coming back to it until days later, so I'm not good at estimating time spent, unfortunately. I imagine with some practice and experience, one could make a pair of pants in one day. Sorry I don't have a better answer, thanks for the question, and thanks for watching!
Thanks for sharing, makes me want to give it a go and make the ultimate Cordura favourite pant :-) Hm Singer "HD" is now the default sewing machine? Did not see that coming 😀
@@thejasonofalltrades Just goes to prove you're able to question your own biases. Can't say I feel like changing my Pfaff 545 for a Singer HD yet, tho :-D
I’ve been thinking about doing this lately. Mostly because the major maker of heavy duty work clothes doesn’t make double front heavy canvas work pants anymore. And I’m always up for being self reliant. So helpful to see where things went sideways. Thanks for the video.
Good to see an experienced sewer making clothing. It helps to determine how to teach other people how to sew clothing. I would suggest that you make a paper pattern with the old pants and then cut your new fabric from the pattern, adding information written on paper pattern and adding matching parts. Then if you love your new pants, you will have a great pattern to make more ! Love your videos
Sorry, not matching parts, it needs matching points
As soon as I finished these, I immediately made a paper pattern. I definitely want to make some more of these :)
Thanks for the great suggestions!
They look pretty good.
Good trousers! I've made a load of clothes as an amateur sewer, and the waistband, fly and zip are tricky. I think you've done an excellent job.
I can recommend Cornelius Quiring's TH-cam channel if you want to learn about patterns and making clothes, as he's clear and understandable.
I've been watching some of Cornelius' videos recently! And thanks!
I’ve been watching your videos for several years now and was surprised to see you post a video about sewing clothing! I take a very different approach than you with my sewing, so I enjoy watching how you just jump into things and figure them out as you go, whatever happens.
Since you asked numerous times in your video, perhaps these suggestions/observations will be useful to you:
10:52 - If you understitch your pocket (sew the seam allowance to the pocket bag without sewing through the pants front) then you can prevent the pocket bag from rolling to the front and becoming visible as you use the pockets.
16:59 - For patch pockets, I like to press the seam allowances as you did (usually ⅝”) and then after pressing, trim the seam allowances to ¼” so that they are contained within the topstitching and don’t stick out inside the pocket. Leaving them wide creates too much bulk.
23:22 - You don’t need to topstitch the whole side seam down (it is possible to do, but indeed finicky, as you suggested). However, it’s a good idea to topstitch the side seam allowance down to the back of the pants *up to where the bottom of the pocket bag is* on the front. This area gets a lot of stress. You might notice this on an existing pair of jeans - topstitching down the side, followed by a bartack at the pocket bottom.
25:10 - Belt loops are usually folded in three then coverstitched, but you can achieve very nice results by serging only *one end* of the long belt loop strip, then folding in three, and then topstitching two rows.
26:08 - It’s easier to attach the belt loops after the waistband is attached, as you discovered. You also don’t need to “sandwich” the belt loops into the waistband and can just fold them and topstitch (followed by bartacks) like on jeans. For thinner fabrics like khakis, you can attach the belt loops to the top of the pants before attaching the waistband, then fold the belt loops to attach them to the top of the waistband.
29:10 - It’s common for waistbands to actually be cut a tiny bit shorter than the top of the pants, but you have to EASE the pants into the width of the waistband. This gives you a nice tight waistband so the pants don’t easily fall off, as opposed to a waistband that is larger than the pants which can lend itself to gaping or the pants not sitting well as they stretch throughout the day. It can be hard to do this well, but it makes a difference!
If you’re not opposed to buying a pattern, I would recommend the Canadian company Thread Theory (threadtheory.ca) which specializes in menswear. You don’t have to use the pattern pieces since you already have the ones you created from your pants. But with the instructions, you’ll have a better idea of a normal construction order, reasons why, and even some tips.
I’ve sewn a lot of pants over the years, so I’ve created my own construction order which I can send you if you’re interested. (It has no instructions or tips, just a construction order.)
I hope you find my comment useful. Thanks for all the videos!
Hi Daniel,
Thank you SO MUCH for adding such great info to the conversation! I'm finding myself wandering further and further down the apparel rabbit hole, and while I have loads of sewing experience, it feels like a whole new world, so I truly appreciate all the help I can get!
And thanks so much for telling me about Thread Theory, they are exactly the kind of pattern source I have been looking for! Definitely picking up a couple of patterns from them to try!
I would love to see your construction order, you can email me at the jason of all trades @ gmail . com (remove the spaces), that would be a huge help. Thanks!
@@thejasonofalltrades I’m glad I was able to help! I'll send you an email shortly.
Very nice! My first pair’s outing I just knew they were going to blow out or fall off me at the restaurant! I think I’m still wearing those.
Proud of you. You’re doing great!
Brilliant job,it will get easier the more clothes you make.i used to sew collars in a shirt factory,the parts were made up first eg the pockets on back,then sewn together,😊
You made an excellent job of them. I took a shirt that fits perfectly to a seamstress here (NZ) and she made a pattern for me. (I don't think she had to pull it apart to do that but she is a professional!) She used very heavy brown paper.
I know you're joking, but when I got Bobbin, it was my intention to leash train him so he could go places with me. I (of course) even made his first collar. He nearly choked himself out trying to get out of that collar (yes, it had a velcro breakaway) and that pretty much put an end to my aspirations of having a cat on a leash. :(
I wish it had worked out, because I really wish I could bring him to work with me, but it isn't practical without him being leash trained. He would look awesome with a 2" webbing parachute harness-derived leash 😂
Nice work! PANTS ON FIRE! The GAP was an awesome store in the 90s, then the quality changed, but I remember those clearance items were awesome, and they lasted forever!
Making the waistband extra long and finishing the length afterward is the way I've seen it done most successfully.
Early on I sewed over pins until I broke sewing machine needles on them so I pull them as I go.
Great trousers, you now have a pattern and could make shorts out of that bright orange fabric with a bit of modification….
Shorts are DEFINITELY the plan for that fabric :)
Thanks!
👍
All the patterns for clothes, I have done, you lay out the patterns you are cutting out on the fabric that is folded in half, so you get two pieces with one cut. This also I believe might have kept you from having the "wrong side out" on the fabric.
Congrats on a great success! I have done the fabric-wrong side out once or twice…no one has ever noticed, including my family who know I sew a lot of my own clothes. Painters tape on the back side for the win. As you mentioned, there are lots of ways to do anything. Regarding the waistband…many patterns and tutorials I have used suggest making the waistband a little smaller than the needed circumference. You then stretch the waistband to fit as you assemble. Provide some tension for wearing…and I have done the added piece near the button, too. Great save and problem solving. That is one of favorite parts of making things. Looking forward to the next thing you try. Another tip if you are stocking a few things for this new garment making adventure: Wawak has great pricing on zippers, especially jeans/heavy duty zippers and threads. They ship really fast as well..carries rivets etc if you decide to add that for looks or stability. Final comment is to check Harbor Freight or Home Depot for long spring loaded clips to hold parts together since most pins are not strong enough to go through several layers of bull denim. Chris in Melbourne
Well done! Satisfying indeed.
Great job. I've been wanting to make some casual shirts, so I may give that a try soon.
Thanks Dennis!
I have totally forgotten to put my presser foot back down before I resume sewing! I saw the Bobbin flash! 😻😻 Oh, also, I have a magnetic pin cushion so that as I'm sewing, I flick the pins toward the cushion where they snap into place without me taking my eyes off my sewing.
Nice video on pants construction. It re-affirms why I purchase ready made clothing.
Nice. They look great
I have a favorite pair of jeans that are no longer made and I've often considered breaking them down and making a pattern out of them to sew a new pair (or several) for myself. You've just given me inspiration to do it.
get your hands on a pattern anyways... in the pattern you will get an order of operations...
@colemine7008 But where's the fun in that? 😂
@@thejasonofalltrades I don't even know what he's talking about
I did a pants project a few years back using hardware store cotton denim drop cloth. Great for painter's pants! lol. Really though, I think the 9x12ft drop cloth was $18 at the time.They have different drop cloth canvas (cotton, polyester, etc) so look at what's in the package. .. Convert them into "Tin Pants" by rubbing all the cloth with paraffin canning wax and using a heat gun/hair drier to melt the wax into the cloth, then you can hike through wet prairie grass and not get soaked.
Overall you did a really good job. I still need to trace my trousers, and im stalling. Look up on how to do waistbands, when you master that these will be excellent 👌
Deconstructing existing items is a great start - instant patterns... although it may be worth your time transferring the pattern onto paper first, which can then be altered or adjusted - rather than straight onto the new material... good items to use some of that great hardware you got in a previous video... some of those buckles... although they may be an issue for your washing machine... Those seams on the pants legs may be a clue - the same garment was probably made as shorts for a different season, and the extension of the legs into pants is a simple process... As for the phone pocket, cargo pants style pockets on the side or front of the thigh are great, because your phone can stay in the pocket, even when you sit down... Hard to tell, but some reinforcing bar-tacks are a good idea for the stress points...
You've learned so much and taught us as well... Can you do 'Blue Steel' in your modelling of the garment next time...
I definitely need to work on my modeling skills lol!
Very nice pants!!😊
Pants are a rather ambitous project but you did an AWESOME job ... they fit!!! Keep in mind, in sewing there are no mistakes, only "learning opportunities" 😉. Consider checking online for tutorials for understitching (attached is a short one with decent info). It's rather magical and very helpful for lots of projects where a lining is involved. On the pants, when attaching the pocket bag to the front leg, understitching would be done by adding a 2nd line of stitching on the pocket bag to the seam allowance. It holds the lining (pocket bag) to the inside so it doesn't roll to the outside, also makes pressing these areas a snap and gives a crisp line for top stitching. It's something I 'discovered' somewhat recently and how I wish I knew about it years ago. th-cam.com/video/9Q2It5CH9xQ/w-d-xo.html
Thanks!
I had not heard of under stitching (there is a whole new world of techniques and nomenclature awaiting me as I finally start learning garments), but that makes total sense, thanks for sharing the video!
Good job. Just out of curiosity - could You try to estimate how much time You spent on this project (sewing / cutting, I don't mean the video making part ;-) )
Hi!
It's hard to say. Taking the pants apart took quite a while, and figuring out the order of things made the project slower than if I was following a pattern (or knew what I was doing). As you allude to, filming generally quadruples the time it takes to do the thing I'm filming.
I would guess somewhere between 10 and 20 hours, maybe? For comparison, I made a pair of (simpler) pants based on an existing shorts pattern that I already had cut out, that took maybe 4 hours or so. Compared with the simpler pair, this pair had belt loops, a fly and a waistband, adding a lot of steps to the process.
I have to admit, I often work on one of these projects for a while, then get pulled away with other work or just distracted, sometimes not coming back to it until days later, so I'm not good at estimating time spent, unfortunately.
I imagine with some practice and experience, one could make a pair of pants in one day.
Sorry I don't have a better answer, thanks for the question, and thanks for watching!
I guess they still make them, maybe I’m not willing to pay $90 for a consumable.
Thanks for sharing, makes me want to give it a go and make the ultimate Cordura favourite pant :-)
Hm Singer "HD" is now the default sewing machine? Did not see that coming 😀
I don't think anyone is more surprised than I am how much I enjoy using that machine now 😳
@@thejasonofalltrades Just goes to prove you're able to question your own biases. Can't say I feel like changing my Pfaff 545 for a Singer HD yet, tho :-D