A master class on sewing slim pants from stretch faux leather: choosing the material, fabric usage, 15 and 30 mm seam allowances, checking the knees, basting, fitting, pockets, zipper, French terry waistband facing, and hem finishing.
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Translated
Things you will learn
The source does not include a pattern: take one from Burda or another source, while this tutorial covers the sewing specifics.
Soft stretch faux leather 1.45 m wide is recommended; the source fabric composition is 62% polyamide and 38% polyester.
Fabric usage is calculated as pants length + 3 cm; width is hip circumference + 15 cm.
For slim pants, always check the knee circumference before final stitching.
From the author's discussion experience, a regular No. 90 needle and a roller foot worked well.
What you will get
Finished slim pants from black stretch faux leather. The model holds its shape because of the close fit, but it requires careful fitting: the discussion specifically mentions the risk of folds and bagging around the knees.
Materials and tools
Materials
Soft stretch faux leather, pants length + 3 cm; width hip circumference + 15 cm, In the source, the fabric is 1.45 m wide and made of 62% polyamide and 38% polyester.
Two-thread French terry, 6 cm, Used for the inner waistband piece.
Zipper, Needed for the version with a front closure.
Button, For the waistband closure.
Fusible interfacing, Used to stabilize pieces and secure pocket turn-ins.
Thread, Choose thread matching the fabric.
Tools
Ready-made pants pattern, The source recommends taking a leather pants pattern from Burda or another source.
Pins and basting supplies, Needed for holding the pattern, fabric, and preliminary assembly.
Sewing machine, For main seams, pockets, zipper, and waistband.
Overlocker, In the source, the leg hems are first finished on an overlocker.
Regular No. 90 needle, In the discussion, the author says special needles did not work, while a regular No. 90 needle solved the problem.
Roller foot, Used by the author when sewing faux leather.
Preparation
Prepare the pattern separately
The source does not include pattern drafting. Take a suitable pattern for leather or slim pants from Burda or another source, then lay out the pieces using that pattern.
Treat fitting as mandatory
For stretch faux leather, both stretch and fit matter. The discussion notes directly that the pants should fit closely, be narrow at the bottom, and be based on a skinny-style pants pattern.
Cut the pieces
Cut from a ready-made pattern on fabric folded in half. Before final sewing, check the measurements, especially if the pants are slim.
Choose stretch faux leather
It is best to use soft stretch faux leather. In the source model, the fabric is 1.45 m wide and made of 62% polyamide and 38% polyester; black was chosen as a universal color.
Final fit of slim black stretch faux leather pants.
Fit is critical
Not every leather substitute works for slim pants: the material must stretch and hold its shape.
Lay the pattern on folded fabric
Fold the material in half, mark the pieces, and pin the pattern to the fabric. Cut with 15 mm allowances around the pieces, except at the hems.
The pieces are marked on fabric folded in half.
Leave 30 mm at the hem
At the bottom of the legs, leave a 30 mm allowance for hemming. If you are sewing slim pants, check the knee circumference in advance.
Main pieces are cut with allowances; leave 30 mm at the hems.
Knees
This check reduces the risk of extra folds and tension around the knees.
Cut the waistband and pockets
In addition to the main pieces, cut a waistband 8 cm wide. Its length equals the total length of the upper edges of all pieces plus 8 cm. Cut the pockets in any convenient shape and size.
Baste the pants and fit them
Assemble the pants with basting first. Do the final stitching only after fitting and correcting the shape.
Baste the front and back along the inner seam
Join the front and back halves with a basting stitch along the inner seam. If the zipper will be in front, sew only up to it; if there will be no zipper, trim away the excess fabric and baste up to the top.
The front and back halves are first joined with basting stitches.
Baste the side and inseam seams
After the inner seam, baste the side seams and inseams. Try on the pants and make adjustments before machine stitching.
After basting side seams and inseams, adjust the fit during try-on.
Knee risk
The discussion notes that faux leather can develop folds or bagging at the knees if the material and pattern do not suit the fit.
Make and attach the pockets
The source uses patch pockets: first finish the allowances, then stitch the pockets to the legs close to the fold.
Cut two pocket pieces
Cut two pocket pieces with 1 cm allowances. Choose the shape and size for your pattern and the look you want.
Pockets are cut with 1 cm allowances.
Turn and secure the edges
Turn the pocket edges under and secure them with fusible interfacing. Stitch the pocket opening edges, and hold the bottom turn-ins with basting.
Pocket edges are turned, fixed with interfacing, and prepared for stitching.
Stitch the pockets 1 mm from the fold
Place the pockets on the legs and stitch 1 mm from the fold. Make sure both pockets are symmetrical.
Pockets are positioned on the legs before machine stitching.Pockets are stitched 1 mm from the fold.
Insert the zipper and stitch the seams
After fitting, move on to permanent stitching and the closure.
Insert the zipper or prepare the waistband for elastic
Insert the zipper. If you are sewing pants without a zipper, it is better to put elastic into the waistband.
For a model with a front closure, insert the zipper before final assembly.
Machine stitch the basted seams
Now machine stitch all seams that were previously basted. For faux leather, the author used a regular No. 90 needle and a roller foot successfully.
After fitting, machine stitch the previously basted seams.
Needle and foot
From the author's experience, special needles did not work, while a regular No. 90 needle and a roller foot made it sew like regular fabric.
Finish the waistband, button, and hems
Final assembly includes the inner French terry waistband piece, closure, and leg hems.
Assemble the waistband with an inner French terry piece
Cut the inner waistband piece from French terry. Stitch the waistband pieces together and attach the waistband using the usual method.
The inner waistband piece is cut from two-thread French terry.
Make the buttonhole and sew on the button
Make a buttonhole on the waistband and sew on the button, checking that the closure aligns with the zipper and does not pull the top of the pants tight.
Final closure: buttonhole and button on the waistband.
Finish the leg hems
Finish the bottom of the legs on the overlocker, turn up the allowance, and stitch it. After that, the pants are ready.
Finish and variations
Finish
Final check
Check the fit at the waist, hips, knees, and hem; pocket symmetry; zipper and button function; and the stretch of the waistband or elastic.
Variations
Elastic waistband
If the pants are sewn without a zipper, it is better to insert elastic into the waistband.
Knee darts
The discussion suggested knee darts as a possible way to improve movement and reduce wear in this area.
The faux leather gathers in folds around the knees or may stretch out during wear.
Likely cause
The material is not suitable enough for a close fit, or the pattern is not made for a skinny silhouette.
How to fix it
Choose elastic stretch faux leather, check the knee circumference before final stitching, and do not skip fitting. The discussion suggested knee darts as one option for movement and wear in this area.
The material does not stretch well
Problem
The pants do not fit closely and are uncomfortable to move in.
Likely cause
Not every leather substitute is suitable for slim pants.
How to fix it
Use soft stretch faux leather and a pattern for skinny-style pants. In the source, the fabric is 1.45 m wide and made of 62% polyamide and 38% polyester.
The machine does not sew faux leather well
Problem
A special needle does not produce a good stitch, or the machine refuses to sew.
Likely cause
A particular machine and material may not work well with a special needle.
How to fix it
From the author's discussion experience, a regular No. 90 needle and a roller foot helped. Test the stitch on a scrap before sewing the main seams.
The fit is not good after basting
Problem
After trying on the pants, the side seams or inseams need adjustment.
Likely cause
The ready-made pattern and chosen faux leather did not match in stretch or fit.
How to fix it
Correct the fit at the basting stage. Do the final machine stitching only after fitting.
You want a version without a zipper
Problem
A front zipper is not planned.
Likely cause
The model is being sewn more like simple slim pants or leggings.
How to fix it
If there is no zipper, the source recommends inserting elastic into the waistband.
?FAQ
Does the master class include a ready-made pattern?
No. The source directly suggests taking a leather pants pattern from Burda or another source. This material explains the cutting and sewing specifics for stretch faux leather.
How much fabric do I need for the pants?
According to the source, fabric length equals pants length + 3 cm, and width equals hip circumference + 15 cm. The source used stretch faux leather 1.45 m wide.
What seam allowances should I leave when cutting?
Leave 15 mm around the pieces, except at the hems. At the bottom of the legs, leave 30 mm for hemming.
What needle should I use for faux leather?
The author writes in the discussion that special needles did not work, while a regular No. 90 needle and a roller foot solved the problem.
How can I avoid bagging at the knees?
Before final stitching, check the knee circumference and fit. The discussion emphasizes elastic faux leather, a slim skinny-style pattern, and close fit; knee darts can also be considered.
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The choice of leather for sewing probably matters a lot, especially how elastic it is. I bought ready-made leggings with faux leather inserts on the sides. They seem soft and stretchy, but still do not sit very nicely around the knees. In your photos I can also see folds at the knees. Is there anything that can be done about this? I am afraid that over time "bubbles" will appear at the knees, like on old Soviet sweatpants. That is why I do not sew pants like this for myself, though I really want to...Show full quoteCollapse
The choice of leather for sewing probably matters a lot, especially how elastic it is. I bought ready-made leggings with faux leather inserts on the sides. They seem soft and stretchy, but still do not sit very nicely around the knees. In your photos I can also see folds at the knees. Is there anything that can be done about this? I am afraid that over time "bubbles" will appear at the knees, like on old Soviet sweatpants. That is why I do not sew pants like this for myself, though I really want to...
This bothers me a lot too. It seems that after a few outings the pants will become, to put it mildly, not very aesthetic around the knees. I do not know whether they do this with eco-leather, but I bought ski pants for my son with special darts at the knees. I liked it: wear after a season of active use was minimal, and movement was much better than in straight models. Darts can be different in construction: textured or almost invisible. Here are photo examples
I have another question. What needle did you use for eco-leather? I just have not worked with this kind yet.
You know, for some reason the process did not work with special needles for me. The machine simply refused to cooperate. Then I took a regular No. 90 needle and hooray, the problem disappeared. I did use a roller foot though. Otherwise, everything was like sewing regular fabric.
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The choice of leather for sewing probably matters a lot, especially how elastic it is. I bought ready-made leggings with faux leather inserts on the sides. They seem soft and stretchy, but still do not sit very nicely around the knees. In your photos I can also see folds at the knees. Is there anything that can be done about this? I am afraid that over time "bubbles" will appear at the knees, like on old Soviet sweatpants. That is why I do not sew pants like this for myself, though I really want to...Show full quoteCollapse