ADDING A STRIPE DOWN THE SIDE OF PANTS

I recently finished making a pair of pants for a performer to wear in his act on stilts. Another performer, Todd, who I have made several pairs for referred me to Jeff. In our first meeting, Jeff and I talked about the last pair of pants I made for Todd to look like baseball pants that Todd wore at a gathering celebrating the Kansas City Royals playing in the World Series. Jeff said he didn't want a stripe now but maybe on another pair.

Anyway, that conversation reminded me of my experience putting the stripe down the legs of Todd's pants and that I had never shared that experience with you. I took pictures; just never got around to writing a post for them.

Before I forget how I did it (just kidding), I thought I should share it in case you ever find yourself wanting to do this. While it might seem difficult and scary, it isn't.

Since Todd had the baseball jersey and wanted the pants to resemble baseball pants, I found some white jersey fabric that was made without a selvage ... like a "tube". It was a wide enough tube, that I could cut each leg out of it and not have a seam on the outside. (This method would work even if you had a seam. Just press the seam open and match the center of the stripe with the seam. But I am getting a little ahead of myself.)

I laid the pattern along the "tube" so that the side seam was along the fold and cut around the other edges of the pattern.

With the cut out leg smooth on my table, I simply laid the stripe (purchased ribbon that I didn't cut before hand) along the folded edge with half of the ribbon on the "pant's leg and the other half off the edge. I used my short metal ruler to make sure I was accurate. 

I carefully pinned the ribbon to the leg with my quilting pins.

All finished with the pinning.

I didn't worry as I was pinning the ribbon to the leg if I were going through both layers. That meant when I opened the leg out, I had to repin some of the pins so that the pin only went through one layer. (sorry the picture is a little blurred)

Once I had this all done, I opened the leg out and starting at the bottom of the leg, I repinned the ribbon down the center making sure it was smooth. Since I had left the ribbon on the spool and had not cut it, I had extra ribbon left at the waistband.

I used my walking foot attachment on my machine so that the material wouldn't stretch as I sewed close to the edge of the ribbon with matching thread.

After I had finished sewing one side, I repinned the ribbon making sure it was laying flat against the material. Then I sewed along the other side of the ribbon close to the edge. Make sure you sew in the same direction as you sewed the first time.

All finished with the stripe.

With the wrong sides together I then sewed the inner leg seam.

And then the center and back inseam.








I cut the ribbon off at the top (waist) long enough to tuck it slightly under the 2 - inch casing I made to run the elastic. I also finished it off nicely in the hem I took in each leg.

Finished pants.

Here is a picture Todd sent me from the Royals Gala event.

 GO ROYALS!