Joy to the World, the Pants are Done!

Friends, I certainly hope viewing this pic isn't putting anyone's job in jeopardy.  But I just finished my cherry leopard stretch denim pants and I am ready to rap, or whatever one does, shirtless, in leopard pants.  Actually, I'm listening to my lovely Concert, Theater & Parlor Songs of John Philip Sousa CD.  Weird, right?

I love these pants: they're funky, yet cut like ordinary straight-leg jeans.  Here's the more conservative look, relatively speaking.  Hope this doesn't give you a pattern-induced headache.



Here's the rear, for those who wonder about such things.  I'm not sure leopard is doing me any favors back there, frankly.



These pants turned out much better than I'd expected, though I did have a few challenges.  I put a hook and eye in the waistband, which went in without a problem.



But I also added a 1" waistband extension on which I'd hoped to put a buttohole, only my vintage Singer buttonholer doesn't want to do it -- I guess the fabric, which has heavy waistband interfacing inside, is just too thick.



I'll either stitch on the flimsier type of hook and eye or make a buttonhole by hand, which I've never done before but would be open to trying.  Either way, the whole area is under a belt and therefore not visible, plus the original tailor-type hook and eye securely closes the pants.

Since the fabric stretches width-wise, I serged twill tape onto the top of the pockets before turning them under.



Normally the top of the pocket would be turned under twice, but the fabric is too thick and stretchy for that.  Finished this way, I could turn them under only once.  I then topstiched along the top, and the twill tape cut down on the horizontal stretching.



The back pockets went on without a problem.  I used my Singer 201 for all the topstitching (using heavy topstitching thread from Sil Thread) and my Featherweight for most other seams.





I used commercial waistbanding inside the waistband as interfacing, since I really wanted the waistband to be sturdy and I had some lying around.  It worked well, though it may be the reason I can't make a buttonhole through the waistband extension.



BTW, all my flat-felled seams are faux.  Spongy, stretchy fabric and true flat-felled seams do not mix.  I just serged my seam allowances and topstitched from the outside twice.  You'd never know that difference.

Even though they're basically jeans, I hemmed by hand because I didn't want the width-wise stretch to create ripples or waves in the hem -- do you know what I mean?  Before I hemmed, I stitched twill tape to the hem edge.



And that's it!  I am happy to be done and excited about working these pants into my wardrobe, though my burgundy and black saddle shoes won't be here till next week, sadly.

In closing, indulgent readers, are you ready to take the leopard plunge?  Predator preppy is so going to happen in 2012, I just know it.

Have a great day, everybody!