High Waisted Pants with Welt Pockets
Full-length women's trousers with a high waist and wide legs. There is no waistband: the top edge is finished with an interfaced facing. Slanted welt pockets at the front, horizontal welt pockets at the back, a zip in the left side seam.
When To Wear
- In spring and summer when made in linen, with blouses and fitted knit tops tucked in.
- For the office, with a shirt and a short jacket.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Fitted through the high waist and hips, legs widening to the hem.
Length: Full length.
Waist: Raised waistline without a waistband, finished on the inside with a front and a back facing, each cut on the fold. One dart on each front and each back, pressed toward the centre.
Closure: Invisible zip in the left side seam; the ends of the facing are sewn to the zip tape.
Pockets: Slanted welt pockets on the fronts with a large and a small pocket bag. Horizontal welt pockets on the back with a pocket underlay piece and a lining pocket bag.
Finishing: Seam allowances overlocked and pressed open; hem turned under and sewn by hand.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Four welt pockets, an invisible zip and a faced waistline.
Fabric Recommendations
Trouser fabrics of natural or blended fibres; the sample is made in linen.
Additional Supplies
- Fusible interfacing (waist facings, pocket facings)
- 1 zip
- Lining fabric for the back pocket bags
Cutter's Must
- From main fabric:
- Front Half – 2 pieces
- Back Half – 2 pieces
- Front Facing – 1 piece (cut on fold)
- Back Facing – 1 piece (cut on fold)
- Front Pocket Facing – 2 pieces
- Back Pocket Facing – 2 pieces
- Back Pocket Underlay Piece – 2 pieces
- Big Pocket Bag – 2 pieces
- Small Pocket Bag – 2 pieces
- From lining:
- Back Pocket Lining – 2 pieces
- From fusible interfacing: Front Facing, Back Facing, Front Pocket Facing, Back Pocket Facing.
Sewing Instructions
- Reinforce the Front Facing, Back Facing, Front Pocket Facings and Back Pocket Facings with fusible interfacing (fusible interfacing is pressed onto the wrong side of the piece with a hot iron).
- Stitch the darts and press them toward the center.
- Make the welt pockets on the Back Halves: on the wrong side of each Back Half, press a strip of fusible interfacing about 4 cm wide over the pocket marking. Fold the Back Pocket Facings in half lengthwise, right side out, and press. Along the marked pocket opening line, pin the Back Pocket Facing below the line with its raw edges toward the line, and the pocket bag (Back Pocket Lining) above the line with its raw edge toward the marking. Stitch 1 cm from the line. Cut the Back Half along the line between the two stitching lines, cutting diagonally into the corners toward the ends of the stitching. Be careful not to cut the facings or pocket bags! Press the seam allowances toward the pants. Turn the facings to the wrong side so they form a neat welt, and baste. From the right side, stitch in the ditch of the facing attachment seam. Turn the small triangles at the ends of the cut to the wrong side and stitch them onto the facing, exactly from the end of one stitching line to the end of the other. On the wrong side, stitch the free end of the pocket bag to the seam allowances of the facing attachment seam, press the pocket bag down, align the edges and stitch it closed.
- Make the welt pockets on the Front Halves in the same way, using the Front Pocket Facings. Stitch the Big Pocket Bag along the marked pocket bag attachment line, and the Small Pocket Bag to the seam allowance of the facing attachment seam.
- Stitch the side seams and inseams, leaving the left side seam open for the zipper. Overlock the seam allowances and press them open.
- Stitch the crotch (center) seam.
- Insert the zipper so that the teeth are not visible.
- Stitch the Front Facing and Back Facing together, leaving the left side seam open. Place the facing on the pants, right sides together, and stitch along the upper edge. Turn the facing to the wrong side and press. Turn under the short ends of the facing and sew them to the zipper tape.
- Press the hem allowance to the wrong side, turn under the raw edge and hand-stitch the hem.
