Empire Trousers | Sewalong
I have been blown away by the reception the Empire Trousers have had, you guys have gone crazy for them! I must admit, I find myself reaching for them time and time again from my wardrobe. I even wore them to the Sustainable Academy Awards last week. So whether you’ve already treated yourself to the pattern, or need a little encouragement to push your skills from beginner to intermediate, I’d like to get stuck in to the sewalong!
[Please note, this version does not include the optional ties, but they’re super easy to do if you want to try for yourself!]
Step One
Pin each back leg right sides together matching at the notches and markings for each dart.
Pin and sew.
Press towards the side seam.
Step Two
Pin your pocket facing right sides together to your front leg, matching at the notches and sew.
Press your pocket away from the trouser leg.
Understitch.
Step Three
Pin your pocket to your pocket facing and sew around the long edge and bottom edge.
Neaten your seam.
Press your pocket and pin the unfinished edge to the outer leg of your trouser front, securing in place.
Step Four
Pleat your trouser front by folding between the notches in a direction away from the crotch seam.
Pin in place.
Baste.
Step Five
Pin your front legs together at the crotch and sew a 1.5cm seam allowance.
Neaten your seam.
Press.
Step Six
Repeat this process on the back legs at the crotch.
Step Seven
Neaten your edges on both the front and back outer legs.
Pin your back legs to your front at the side seams.
Be sure to match at the notches and ease your back leg into your front slightly.
Sew the entire length of your right side seam (as the trousers are worn) before sewing the length of your left, but stop at the base of the pocket opening to allow for insertion of the concealed zip.
Press your seams open.
Step eight
Pin your front and back trouser legs right sides together.
Matching both the seam at the crotch and the notches along the inseam.
TOP TIP: PIN THROUGH THE SEAM FOR PERFECT ALIGNMENT
Neaten your seam and press.
Step Nine
Having ironed your interfacing onto both waistband pieces, pin them right sides together and sew along the top edge.
Clip away any excess at the corners.
Turn your waistband the right side out and press.
Step Ten
Turn the lower waistband edge, intended to be closest to the wearer, up by 1CM and press.
Step Eleven
Pin your unfolded Waistband (6) edge right sides together around the top opening of your trousers. Aligning at the notches and keeping the left side seam open for insertion of the concealed zip.
Sew. Press your seam upwards.
Step Twelve
Before insertion, press your concealed zip on the wrong side to ensure the tape lies flat and the teeth stand up and away, this will not only help the zip slide smoothly through the specialist machine foot but improve your accurate stitching too.
Step Thirteen
With the waistband unfolded, insert your concealed zip by aligning the zipper tape to the back trouser leg and waistband first.
Change your machine foot to a zipper foot.
Place the open zip face down on the right side of the fabric. The zip teeth should should lie 1CM from the fabric edge, with the stopper at the top of the waistband.
Fit the groove of the machine foot over the teeth and stitch the tape in place.
Step Fourteen
Pin the un-stitched zipper tape right side down to the opposing side of the garment (the front leg), matching at the waistband seam.
The zip stopper will be 2CM below the top of the front side waistband due to the stepped design.
Repeat the process ensuring you align the placement of the zip correctly.
Pull your zipper closed to check alignment and pin and tack below the seam if needed.
Clip away any zipper tape excess at the top to neaten the waistband.
Fold over your waistband with the turned up edge and sandwich the zip with a line of stitching to secure. Turn your waistband right side out and press.
Step Fifteen
Pin your waistband so the folded edge covers the line of stitching on the interior and encases the top, unfinished edges of your trousers.
Turning your work right side out, stitch in the ditch along the waistband seam to secure everything in place.
Remove pins.
Step Sixteen
Finish the edge of your hem in your chosen method before pressing up 2.5CM, pin in place and sew.
VOILA!
