Pants have easy, hidden waistband
Dear Julia: I want to make casual pants that don’t have a bulky, traditional waistband. I don’t like most elastic-waist pants, as I find them to be too bulky. What I’d like to sew are pants that are like some I have purchased. They have no real waistband; instead, they have a facing consisting of a wide, soft elastic band. They are pull-on type pants, preferably in a lightweight or mediumweight woven fabric. They are extremely comfortable and look smooth when worn with a knit top. Do you have suggestions for patterns? Thank you. — Carol G.
Hi Carol: I think I’ve found a pattern that meets most of your needs: McCall’s pattern No. 7198. This pair of pants has no zipper and a hidden elastic waistband — just what you’re looking for. But it calls for a medium-weight moderate stretch fabric, like jersey, cotton knit or interlock, not a woven fabric.
The pattern is designated as “very easy” and includes good instructions and sewing tips. As a bonus, it includes capris and shorts, so you can make different versions of the design if you find that it works for you. Good luck, and let us know how it turns out!
Dear Julia: I recently made my own drapes to save some money. They can be so expensive! I thought it wouldn’t be too difficult, because it’s just sewing a rectangle. Well, I was wrong. I’d also prefer to have pleats, but that just seemed way too hard. So I made the rodpocket kind instead, because I thought that would be easiest. That part turned out OK, but it’s the hem that’s a mess! It is really uneven. The panel is so big that I have a hard time laying it out and getting it straight. Is there any way to fix this? Thanks for any help you can provide. — Margo
Hi Margo: I usually make my own window coverings, too, because of the cost of purchasing them. As far as the pleats go, instead of trying to measure out the pleats by hand, purchase some pleating tape and drapery hooks. The pleating tape is sewn into the top of your drapery panel. The tape has evenly spaced, narrow vertical channels that you insert the prongs of the drapery hooks into. It does all of the work — and math — for you. I’ve even bought inexpensive ready-made drapes and pleated them using pleating tape and hooks to make them look more expensive.
As for your uneven drapery panel, one trick I use for getting an even hem on drapes is to finish sewing the drapery panel EXCEPT for the hem, then hang the almostfinished panel on the curtain rod and pin the hem while it’s in place. This way, you can see exactly how it’s hanging, and can get an evenlooking hem.
Your panel could be perfectly square, but often our homes are not. The curtain rod might not be hung exactly level, or the floor could be slightly slanted. All of these things can throw off the hem and make it look uneven, even if it’s not.
So try pinning the hem of your curtain while it’s hanging on the curtain rod, and see if you get better results.