Contents

About the Authors

A Little History

1. The Palmer/Pletsch Approach to Pant Fitting

2. Pants Can Flatter You

Flattering Styles. Flattering Fabrics, Colors. Building a Pant Wardrobe.

3. Pant Fabrics

Fabric Choices. How Can I Tell If It Will Make Nice Pants? Fabric Drape. What Should I Use for My First Pair? Preshrink the Fabric.

4. Buy the Right Size

Rules for Measuring. The Pattern Doesn’t Come in My Size. Ease. Finished Garment Measurements. Multisize Patterns. Palmer/Pletsch Pant Patterns. Body Shape and Age.

5. Alteration Tools

6. Fit the Tissue

Try on the Tissue. 5 Steps for Tissue-Fitting Pants on Yourself. Common Adjustments. Mark the Tissue. Your “Body Map” Pattern Alteration Worksheet.

7. Fit-As-You-Sew

Fit the Fabric. Mark the Changes. Sewing Order. Crotch Oddities.

8. REAL People/Fitted Pants

Susie. Melissa. Marta. Connie. Melissa in Low-Rise Pants. Alicia. Verna.

9. Terrific Pleated Trousers

Trousers Are Easy. An Illusion Trick. Tissue-Fitting Trousers. Get the Tissue Ready. Check for Accuracy. Cutting and Marking Trouser Fabric. Sewing Order at a Glance. Direction of Pleats. Crease Front Legs before Sewing.

10. REAL People/Trousers

Sue. Jean. Marta.

11. Cut, Mark, Sew, and Press

Quick Tips…Cutting. Quick Tips… Marking. Cut ‘n Press Board. Quick Tips…Sewing. Easy Seam Finishes. Press As You Sew. Creasing Pants.

12. All About Darts

Fitting Darts. Sewing Pucker-Free Darts.

13. Zippers Made Easier

Zipper Length. Centered Zipper. Lapped Zipper. Fly Front Zipper for Women. Invisible Zippers Are Back.

14. The Perfect Non-roll Waistband

Tissue-Fit. Cut Out Fabric. Sew. Wrapped Seam Allowance Waistband. Shaped Non-roll Waistband.

15. Belt Loops the Easy Way

16. Comfortable, Expandable Waistbands

Elastic Waistband in Zippered Pant. Non-roll Waistband Combined with Elastic. Elastic-Gathered Back.

17. Pull-on Pants in Any Fabric-Knits or Wovens

Cut-on Casing. Sew-on Casing. Sew-on Casing for Lightweight Fabrics. Drawstring Pants. Drawcord Sport Elastic. No-Side-Seams Pull-on Pants.

18. Faced and Contour Waistlines

Faced Waistline. Finishing a Faced Waistline With an Invisible Zipper. Fitting Contour Waistlines. Sewing Contour Waistlines.

19. Side Seam and Patch Pockets

Simple Side Seam Pockets. Sporty Designer Side Seam Pockets. Single-layer Topstitched Pockets. Traditional Patch Pockets. Pocket Flap. Cargo Pockets. Zippered Patch Pockets.

20. Classic Trouser Pockets

Front Stay. Sewing Trouser Pockets. Sporty Topstitched Trouser Pockets.

21. Welt Pockets

Fake Double Welt. Vertical Double-Welt Front Pockets. Vertical Single-Welt Pockets. Sporty Single-Welt Topstitched Pocket. Double-Welt Back Pocket. Horizontal Single-Welt Pockets. Zipper Welt Pocket.

22. Easy Hems and Cuffs

Leg Width and Pant Length. Four Rules for an Invisible Hem. Types of Hems. Tapered Hems. Side Slit. Deep Side Slits. Cuffs. Stirrups.

23. Lining and Underlining

Why Use? Fabrics. Glue and Fold Method of Underlining. Pro Tips for Linings.

24. Jumpsuits & Culottes

25. Jeans

Why Sew Jeans. Don’t Let All The Pockets Scare You. A Little About Jeans Fit. Marta Fits and Sews Jeans. Marta’s “Efficiency” Sewing Order When Using Topstitching Thread. Hems. Fabrics and Preshrinking. Thread. Interfacing and Pocket Lining. Rivets. Flat-Felled and Mock Flat-Felled Seams. Fly Protector. More Fit Issues. Pocket Designs. Bias Jeans.

26. Pants for Men

27. Altering Pants for Weight Change

Altering What You Have Sewn. Altering Ready-to-Wear. Maternity.

28. Design Ideas for the Creative

Metric Conversions Chart

Index

Other products from Palmer/Pletsch