Made-to-measure sewing pattern
Pants and shorts sewing pattern, drafted to your measurements
Make pull-on trousers, shorts, Bermudas or joggers with an elastic waist. The front and back legs are drafted from your waist, hip, rise and thigh, and the inseams and side seams are measured to match before you print.
- Level
- Beginner
- Sewing time
- 3–4 hours
- Pieces
- 4
- Fabric
- 2.30 m × 150 cm
Styles and options
Make the pants your way
Each style changes how the pieces are drafted. Pick one to open it in the studio, then set your size.
Fabric requirements
How much fabric do I need for a pants?
Main fabric to buy for the straight-leg pull-on pants, worked out from the actual cutting layout for each standard size. Amounts are rounded up; the studio recalculates them for your measurements and design.
| Size | Waist / Hip (cm) | 150 cm wide fabric | 110 cm wide fabric |
|---|---|---|---|
| Women's | |||
| XS | 62 / 86 | 2.10 m · 2 3/8 yd | 2.20 m · 2 1/2 yd |
| S | 68 / 92 | 2.20 m · 2 1/2 yd | 2.30 m · 2 5/8 yd |
| M | 74 / 98 | 2.30 m · 2 5/8 yd | 2.60 m · 2 7/8 yd |
| L | 82 / 106 | 2.40 m · 2 5/8 yd | 2.60 m · 2 7/8 yd |
| XL | 90 / 114 | 2.30 m · 2 5/8 yd | 2.80 m · 3 1/8 yd |
| 2XL | 100 / 124 | 2.30 m · 2 5/8 yd | 3.10 m · 3 1/2 yd |
| 3XL | 110 / 134 | 2.30 m · 2 5/8 yd | 4.00 m · 4 3/8 yd |
| Men's | |||
| S | 78 / 94 | 2.30 m · 2 5/8 yd | 2.60 m · 2 7/8 yd |
| M | 86 / 100 | 2.30 m · 2 5/8 yd | 2.60 m · 2 7/8 yd |
| L | 94 / 106 | 2.40 m · 2 5/8 yd | 2.60 m · 2 7/8 yd |
| XL | 102 / 112 | 2.30 m · 2 5/8 yd | 2.90 m · 3 1/4 yd |
| 2XL | 110 / 118 | 2.30 m · 2 5/8 yd | 2.90 m · 3 1/4 yd |
| 3XL | 118 / 124 | 2.30 m · 2 5/8 yd | 3.10 m · 3 1/2 yd |
| Kids' | |||
| Age 2 | 51 / 54 | 0.90 m · 1 yd | 1.30 m · 1 1/2 yd |
| Age 4 | 53 / 58 | 1.00 m · 1 1/8 yd | 1.40 m · 1 5/8 yd |
| Age 6 | 55 / 63 | 1.10 m · 1 1/4 yd | 1.60 m · 1 3/4 yd |
| Age 8 | 58 / 68 | 1.20 m · 1 3/8 yd | 1.90 m · 2 1/8 yd |
| Age 10 | 61 / 74 | 1.80 m · 2 yd | 1.90 m · 2 1/8 yd |
| Age 12 | 64 / 80 | 2.00 m · 2 1/4 yd | 2.10 m · 2 3/8 yd |
| Age 14 | 67 / 86 | 2.10 m · 2 3/8 yd | 2.20 m · 2 1/2 yd |
Suggested fabrics
- Linen
- Tencel twill
- Cotton twill
- Viscose crepe (for wide leg)
- Flannel (pyjamas)
Also needed (size M)
- All-purpose polyester thread1 spool, matching colour
- Elastic, 3 cm wide71 cm
- Safety pin1
What's in the pattern
Pieces, measurements and step-by-step instructions
Everything that comes with the straight-leg pull-on pants: 4 pattern pieces, the finished measurements and the full sewing order.
Pattern pieces
- AFrontCut 2 (1 mirrored pair)
- BBackCut 2 (1 mirrored pair)
- CWaistband casingCut 1
- DPocket bagCut 4 (2 mirrored pairs)
Finished measurements (size M)
- Inseam72.8 cm
- Elastic68 cm
Sewing instructions
Prepare5 steps
- 01
Pre-wash your fabric
Wash and dry the fabric the way you will launder the finished project, then press it flat. This removes shrinkage before you cut.
- 02
Print and check scale
Print the pattern at 100% ("actual size", no scaling). Measure the test square: it must be exactly 10 cm (the small square is 1 inch). Trim and tape the pages following the page grid.
- 03
Lay out and cut
Fold the fabric in half lengthwise, selvage to selvage, right sides together. Follow the cutting layout: keep every grainline parallel to the selvage, and put pieces marked "place on fold" right against a fold. Cut lining and interfacing pieces as shown in their own layouts.
- 04
Transfer the markings
Snip 3 mm into the seam allowance at each notch. Mark dart legs, dart points and other placement marks with chalk or a washable marker on the wrong side.
- 05
Seam allowances
Seam allowance is 1.5 cm unless the piece says otherwise. Hem allowances are already included on hem edges. Sew with right sides together (RST).
Sew8 steps
- 01
Attach pocket bags
Sew a D (Pocket bag) to the side seam of each A (Front) and B (Back) between the pocket notches, right sides together, at 1 cm. Press the bags outward and understitch the front ones.
- 02
Sew the side seams
Pin each A (Front) to its B (Back) along the outer side seam, matching the hip notches, and sew from the waist down, pivoting around the pocket bags. Finish and press.
- 03
Sew the inseams
Pin the inseams of each leg, right sides together, and sew from the hem to the crotch point. Finish and press towards the back.
- 04
Sew the crotch seam
Turn one leg right side out and slip it inside the other so they are right sides together. Match the inseams at the crotch and sew the curved crotch seam from the front waist to the back waist. Stitch a second row in the curve for strength, trim to 6 mm in the curve and finish.
- 05
Make the waistband
Sew the short ends of C (Waistband casing) right sides together to form a loop (this seam is the centre back). Fold in half lengthwise, wrong sides together.
- 06
Attach the waistband
Pin the band to the waist with raw edges together: band seam to the centre back seam, the quarter notches to the centre front and side seams. Stitch all round, leaving a 5 cm gap at the back. Finish the seam allowances together.
- 07
Insert the elastic
Cut 68 cm of 3 cm wide elastic. Thread it through the gap with a safety pin, overlap the ends 2 cm and zigzag them together. Stitch the gap closed and spread the gathers evenly.
- 08
Hem the legs
Press up 3 cm on each leg, turn the raw edge under 1 cm and stitch.
Finish2 steps
- 01
Final press
Press every seam from the inside with steam, then give the outside a light press using a pressing cloth.
- 02
Check the fit
Try it on (or test it) and make small adjustments now. Note any changes on your pattern for next time.
These are the instructions for the design shown. The studio rewrites them for the options you choose.
Questions
About the pants pattern
Do I need to know my crotch depth?
It helps the fit. Sit on a flat chair and measure from your waist at the side straight down to the seat. If you leave it out, the value from your standard size is used.
Can I make shorts or joggers from the same pattern?
Yes. Choose shorts, Bermuda, cropped or full length, a straight, wide or tapered leg, and add a drawstring. Joggers are tapered pants in a knit fabric.
How much fabric do I need for a pants?
For the straight-leg pull-on pants in women's size M, buy 2.30 m (2 5/8 yd) of 150 cm wide fabric, or 2.60 m (2 7/8 yd) of 110 cm wide fabric. The chart on this page lists every size, and the studio recalculates it for your own measurements, design and fabric width.
What fabric is best for a pants?
Good choices for the straight-leg pull-on pants are linen, tencel twill, cotton twill, viscose crepe (for wide leg) and flannel (pyjamas). The studio updates the suggestions when you change the design, for example between knit and woven.
How long does it take to sew a pants?
The straight-leg pull-on pants is rated Beginner and takes about 3–4 hours, not counting printing and cutting. The pattern comes with step-by-step instructions written for its pieces.
Describe the pants you have in mind
Write it the way you would say it. Sewing Pattern AI drafts it in your size.