How to Make Jeannie Pants
Jeannie pants, also called genie or harem pants, are a common site at costume parties. They are often worn for Middle Eastern dances to accentuate the movement of the legs. Make your own jeannie pants out of light, gauzy fabric like cotton or silk to ensure they breathe properly. Choose a slightly translucent fabric to create a shimmery look to your outfit.
Instructions
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1
Measure the distance around your waist. Multiply it by 1.5 and divide it by 2. This is measurement A.
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2
Measure the distance from the top of your hip to your ankle and add 4 inches. This is measurement B.
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3
Cut 2 rectangles of fabric using measurements A and B as a guide.
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4
Lay out one rectangle on a flat surface in front of you, with the length corresponding with measurement A running horizontally and the length corresponding with measurement B running vertically. If this fabric has a pattern on only one side, place the patterned side up.
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5
Fold the fabric in half from right to left.
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6
Mark a point that is 18 inches down from the upper left-hand corner on the edge with chalk.
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7
Mark a point that is 7 inches to the left of the lower right-hand corner on the edge with chalk.
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8
Connect the two chalk points with a chalk line.
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9
Cut along the chalk line.
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10
Repeat steps 1 though 9 for the other piece of fabric. These are the legs of the pants.
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11
Sew up both legs along the slanted lines you cut. These slanted lines are seams that run along the inner leg of the jeannie pants. The straight-cut seams above them are the crotch seams.
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12
Bring the two legs together by sewing the crotch seam on one leg to the crotch seam of the other leg, leaving 2 inches unsewn at the top. When the pants are laid flat, they look like a large rectangle with a triangle cut out of the bottom.
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13
Fold the unfinished top edge of the pants down to create a fold that is 1 inch deep.
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14
Iron the fold into the fabric.
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15
Slide a length of cord equal to measurement A into the fold .
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16
Sew the fold of fabric down, encasing the cord in a fabric tube. You will need to scrunch the tube of fabric occasionally to ensure that the cord protrudes from both ends of the tube as you do so.
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17
Hem the bottom cuffs of the pants by folding them twice, creating a fold of ¼ inch both times, and sewing them flat.
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