Cropped Trousers with Stitched Front Creases
Women's cropped straight-leg trousers in stretch denim, with stitched creases down the front legs, jeans-style curved front pockets and a shaped facing band at the top instead of a waistband, fastened with two buttons above a fly zip.
When To Wear
- In spring and summer with flat shoes, so the cropped length shows.
- With T-shirts, shirts and short jackets for everyday wear.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Straight legs.
Length: Cropped above the ankle; 3 cm hem allowance, overlocked, turned up and topstitched.
Waist: No separate waistband. The top edge is finished with interfaced facings (front right, front left and back), each cut double: the outer and inner layers are stitched together along the upper edge and understitched, then joined to the trousers with the side seams matched. Belt loops are caught into the lower edge of the facing band.
Closure: Fly front zip with grown-on fly facings and an interfaced fly shield; two buttons and buttonholes, one above the other, on the facing band.
Pockets: Curved front pockets: the opening is faced with the larger pocket bag and understitched, and the smaller pocket bag is joined to the side front piece. Pocket bags in cotton lining fabric.
Front: A crease is marked and stitched down the centre of each front leg.
Back: Darts on the back halves.
Finishing: Overlocked seams pressed open; a second row of stitching along the crotch seam; topstitching on the facing band, fly and pockets.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Fly zip with a fly shield, curved front pockets with pocket bags, a double facing band with belt loops and buttonholes.
Fabric Recommendations
Denim with elastic fibres (stretch denim).
Additional Supplies
- Cotton lining fabric (pocket bags)
- Fusible interfacing (facings, fly shield)
- 1 zip
- 2 buttons
Cutter's Must
- From main fabric:
- Front Right Facing – 2 pieces
- Front Left Facing – 2 pieces
- Back Facing – 2 pieces
- Front Half – 2 pieces
- Side Front Half – 2 pieces
- Back Half – 2 pieces
- Belt-Loop – 1 piece (strip, cut into loops later)
- Button Catch (fly shield) – 1 piece
- From cotton lining fabric:
- Smaller Pocket Bag – 2 pieces
- Bigger Pocket Bag – 2 pieces
- From fusible interfacing: Front Right Facing, Front Left Facing, Back Facing, Button Catch.
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse interfacing to the Back Facing, Front Right and Front Left Facings and the Button Catch.
- Mark and stitch the creases on the Front Halves. Stitch the side seams of the front and back facings. Press the side seams of the facings open.
- Mark and stitch the darts on the Back Halves.
- Place the Bigger Pocket Bag on the Front Half, right sides together, and stitch along the pocket opening. Understitch the seam onto the pocket bag 0.2 cm from the seam and press. Stitch the Smaller Pocket Bag to the Side Front Half and serge. Lay the Front Half on the Side Front Half along the marking that defines the pocket opening. Baste the Side Front Half to the Front Half along the upper and side edges with a 1 cm seam. Stitch the pocket bags together and serge.
- Serge the side edges, the inseam edges and the front and back crotch edges of the Front and Back Halves. Stitch the side edges of the front and back. Press open the side seams.
- Stitch and press open the inseams. Stitch the front and back crotch seam up to the zipper notch. Stitch a second row of stitching along the crotch seam next to the first.
- Press the grown-on fly facings to the wrong side. Place the zipper under the folded edge of the left half and edgestitch. Stitch the free zipper tape to the grown-on fly facing of the right half. Fold the Button Catch (fly shield) in half lengthwise and stitch the short lower end. Stitch the grown-on fly facing of the left half to the fly shield. Topstitch the right side of the opening, catching the fly facing.
- Place the outer and inner facings right sides together and stitch the upper edge. Understitch the seam onto the inner facing 0.2 cm from the seam, stopping 3 cm from the ends. Turn the facings right side out and press.
- Fold the belt loop lengthwise in half, right side in, align the edges, and stitch at a distance of 0.5-0.7 cm from the edges. Then turn out, straighten the seam, positioning it on the fold or forming a 0.1-0.2 cm wide piping on the inside, and press.
- Serge the lower edge of the inner facings. Cut the belt loops to size, mark the position of the belt loops. Attach the belt loops to the lower edge of the facings. Attach the facings to the upper edge of the trousers, aligning the side seams. Stitch the corners of the facings. Trim the seam allowances at the corners, turn out, and press. Topstitch the serged edge of the facing into the attachment seam.
- Serge the hem allowance and press to the wrong side. Topstitch the allowance to the trousers. Make 2 buttonholes on the right facing and sew 2 buttons on the left.
