Fold Over Elastic Knit Pants & Shorts

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  Step 1

  Start by grabbing some pants/shorts in the size desired as a general guide. Carefully fold in half so the curve of the back seam is clear. Place on paper and trace from waistband to bottom cuff and marking Fold front ways and repeat on other side of paper. Stretch the waistband so it is not gathered to determine the width of the waist and draw the line across the top. A design ruler can really help to make the curves just right or to double check all the measurements against the garment. Now you have an ideal pattern piece to work from.

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  Step 2

  Fold fabric, selvages together, and place your pattern on top, parallel to the selvages and cut out:

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  Step 3

  Assemble the pants as usual: bring the sides of one leg inseam together, with right sides facing, and stitch. Repeat with the other leg. Then stitch together the two legs by turning one right side out and inserting it into the other, matching up front, back and crotch seams pinning and then stitching.

  There are lots of ways to stitch with knits, but if you don't have a serger one of the best options is a knit stitch, as shown.

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  Step 4

  Alternatively you can use a triple stitch, which looks almost identical to a single stitch, except it makes it so each stitch done over three times. It's meant to providing strength & elasticity, so it's ideal for a knit/elastic combo. Such an underrated stitch!!

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  Step 5

  To finish the leg hem, fold the elastic in half around the raw edge of the fabric, just as you would with bias tape, and stitch close to the edge of the elastic. Cut the elastic just a little longer than the leg hole, so the raw edge of the FOE can be folded under and and overlapped with the start for a nice finish.

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  Step 6

  For the waistband - no casing required! Just cut a piece of FOE that is the exact length of the wearer's waist. To make it into a loop, make a french seam. Fold in half, with right sides out, and stitch 1/4 inch from ends. Then turn wrong sides out and stitch 1/4 inch from the edge.

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  Step 7

  Flip the waistband right side out again and stitch down the seam.

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  Step 8

  Mark both the waist of the pants and the FOE waistband in fourths and line up those marking on both pieces, pinning the FOE over the right side of the fabric, so they overlap about 1/2 inch.

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  Step 9

  The FOE will need to be stretched while stitching the FOE onto the fabric, using a twin needle.

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  Step 10

  You could trim off the excess fabric of the seam allowance, but it's not required. Leaving it doesn't affect anything, since knit doesn't fray, but trimming it down leaves a nicer interior finish.

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