Men’s Utility Trousers with Knee Panels & Welt Pockets

Men's Utility Trousers with Knee Panels & Welt Pockets

Men's straight-leg trousers with no waistband: the front waist is faced and flat, the back waist is gathered on elastic. Each front leg has a curved knee panel and a large pocket stitched on at the hip with a framed welt opening; zip fly with one button.

When To Wear

• For outdoor work, gardening, walking and travel.
• Everyday, with a T-shirt, sweatshirt or overshirt.

Key Design Features

Silhouette: Relaxed fit, straight legs.

Waist: No waistband. The top edge is finished with facings; a casing for elastic is stitched through the back facings, so the back waist is gathered and the front stays flat.

Closure: Zip fly with a button catch and a cut-on fly facing; one button at the top.

Pockets: Large pockets topstitched onto the upper fronts, each with a horizontal double-welt opening reinforced with interfacing.

Legs: Each front leg is made of three parts: upper front, a curved knee panel and lower front; seams pressed towards the knee panel and topstitched. Backs in one piece, with no darts or pockets.

Finishing: Hems turned up twice and topstitched; fusible interfacing on the facings, button catch, welts and pocket facings.

Level Of Difficulty

Intermediate. Framed welt openings cut into the pockets, a zip fly with a button catch and a faced waist with an elastic casing. The rest is straight seams and topstitching.

Fabric Recommendations

Dense cotton fabrics or water-repellent treated fabrics. The sample is made in heavy gabardine.

Additional Supplies

• Fusible interfacing
• Elastic tape
• Trouser zip
• 1 button

Cutter’s Must

From Main Fabric:

1. Button Catch – 1 piece
2. Pocket – 2 pieces
3. Off-Set Welt – 2 pieces
4. Pocket Facing – 2 pieces
5. Upper Front Half – 2 pieces
6. Middle Front Half – 2 pieces
7. Lower Front Half – 2 pieces
8. Back Half – 2 pieces
9. Front Facing – 2 pieces

From Fusible Interfacing: Pocket Facing, Front Facing, Button Catch, Off-Set Welt.

Important Information

Before cutting your fabric:

• Print and lay out pattern pieces to determine yardage.
• Check mirrored pieces, notches, and grainlines.

Assembly Instructions

1. Preparation – Fuse Interfacing

From the wrong side, apply fusible interfacing to the Pocket Facings, Front Facings, Button Catch and Off-Set Welts. Press with a hot iron until fully bonded.

2. Welt Pockets on the Pocket Pieces

• On the wrong side of each Pocket, press a 4 cm wide strip of interfacing over the pocket opening marking.
• Fold the Off-Set Welt in half lengthwise, wrong sides together, and press.
• On the right side, pin the Off-Set Welt below the marked opening line (fold away from the line) and the Pocket Facing above it (raw edge to the marking). Stitch 1 cm from the line.
• Cut along the opening between the stitching lines, clipping diagonally into the corners. Take care not to cut the welt or the facing.
• Turn the welt and facing to the wrong side to form a neat frame and baste. From the right side, stitch in the ditch of the welt seam.
• Fold the small triangles at the ends to the wrong side and stitch them to the welt across the ends of the opening.

3. Attach the Pockets

Position each Pocket on the Upper Front Half by the markings and topstitch it in place.

4. Front Legs

Join the Upper, Middle and Lower Front Halves. Press the seam allowances towards the Middle Front Half (knee panel) and topstitch.

5. Zip Fly

• Stitch the front centre seam up to the fly marking.
• Press the cut-on fly facing to the wrong side: on the left along the centre front line, on the right 1 cm short of the centre front line.
• Place the zipper face down on the right fly edge, lay the Button Catch (folded in half, wrong sides together) on top with raw edges matching, and stitch through all layers. Turn out and stitch along the zipper edge.
• Pin the opening, matching the centre front lines. Stitch the free zipper tape to the left fly facing only.
• Neaten the allowances and zigzag the lower edges of the facings on the wrong side. Topstitch the left front along the fly marking, catching the facing.

6. Waist and Seams

• Place the Front Facings on the top edges of the fronts, right sides together, and stitch along the top edge.
• Stitch the inside leg and side seams, continuing through the facings. Stitch the centre seam of the fronts and backs.
• Turn the facings to the wrong side, baste and press. Topstitch the casing for the elastic by the markings, insert the elastic tape and secure it at the markings.

7. Finishing

• Press the hem to the inside, turn under the raw edge and topstitch.
• Make a buttonhole on the left fly extension and sew the button on the right.
• Give the trousers a final press.