How to Sew Sweat Pants
A pair of sweat pants is one of the most popular leisure pants around. Perfect for sports and fitness, they are comfortable and non-binding. The sweat pants available in most stores are a little boring, usually nothing but solid colors or professional sports teams logos. If you want to bring a little personal flair to your sportswear, you can sew sweat pants out of heavy cotton and make them as customized as you want them.
Things You'll Need
- Heav-weight cotton sweat pant material
- Sweat pant pattern
- Sewing tape measure
- Scissors
- Pins
- Sewing machine
- Thread or needle and thread
Instructions
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1
Measure the person who will be wearing the pants. You will need measurements of the waist, hips, outside seam from waist to ankle and the inseam.
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2
Cut the pattern to size. You can also locate a sweat pant pattern at any fabric or sewing store. Figure out the size you need to cut the pattern down to by comparing your measurements to the manufacturer's pattern measurements.
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3
Cut the sweat pant material to the size of the pattern. Hold the pattern in place by pinning the pattern to the fabric every 3 to 4 inches, then carefully cut around the outside edge of the pattern.
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4
Sew together the pieces. The instructions on the pattern will be precise, but if you are working without one, you will pin the pieces together with the fabric inside out. Sew them together about a 1/4 inch from the edge of the fabric.
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5
Try the pants on before adding any elastic. Alterations to sweat pants will be much easier before you add the elastic bands. If they are too loose, you can easily remove stitches and move the seam in slightly.
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6
Add the elastic. Measure around the waist to get the length of the elastic needed for the waistband. Cut the elastic 4 to 5 inches shorter than that measurement. This allows the elastic to stretch when the sweat pants are worn. You will fold the waistband around the elastic on the inside of the sweat pants, pin the fabric in place and sew the elastic into the waistband. If you want ankle elastic, measure the ankle to get the amount of elastic needed. You can cut the ankle elastic slightly shorter than the ankle measurement or the same size. Most ankle elastic isn't tight fitting. Then, sew into the ankle the same way that you sewed the elastic into the waistband.
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7
Wash your pants before wearing. This gets rid of any loose threads and fabric remnants from cutting.
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Tips & Warnings
Your sweat pants don't have to be a solid color. Try two different fabrics for a multi-colored look.
