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Prepare the waistband
This is a contour waistband and fly front sample - not full pieces. Interface the buttonhole area on both sides and along the top seamline one piece to prevent the waistband from stretching. Press the seam allowance under on the waistband facing. The pockets, zipper and fly shield are already completed. I used .5 inch seam allowances.
Step 2
Sew the outer waistband to the facing, stitching with the interfacing waistline strip on top to prevent stretching. Press the seam open, and trim the seam allowance slightly near the buttonhole area. Clip the seam allowances as needed to get a good press.
Step 3
Mark the seam allowances. I used machine basting so they would show on both sides.
Step 4
Press the waistband favoring the outside and machine baste the edgestitching and topstitching through all layers to help mark the buttonhole position. I pressed the jeans buttonhole shank into a bar of soap and pressed/twisted it right where I wanted it.
Step 5
I used a larger button in the buttonhole attachment as a previous test showed that the jeans button did not make the hole long enough due to the thickness of the button and height of the shaft. This button is just under 1 inch long.
Step 6
Stitch the buttonhole. There are no bulky seam allowances to get in the way of the buttonhole attachment.
Step 7
The finished buttonhole. Remove all bastings, but keep the markings for the seam allowances.
Step 8
Fold in the short end of the waistband and press. Trim seam allowances as needed to clear the buttonhole. Fold back the facing and sew the waistband to the top of the jeans.
Step 9
Press the waistband flat, pressing under the seam allowances on the facing to prepare for topstitching. Pin or hand baste all layers in place. Edgestitch and topstitch in place. Start stitching where you plan to place a belt loop so the overlapped stitches will be hidden. To hep turn the corner while stitching, take a stitch with a hand needle and strong thread through the corner and pull the threads behind the machine when starting to stitch the edge. You can see the faint white mark where the buttonhole SHOULD be, as I rushed through this sample, so take your time and yours will come out better.
Two types of buttonholes
The finished buttonholes. The buttonhole on the tan pants was done manually. Using a washable marker, draw on the buttonhole shape and straight stitch the outline. Cut open next to the stitching. Zig zag stitch over the cut edge. I stitched twice with regular thread. This is similar to the Angela Kane method https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tT4vzW8HYkw but I cut open the butonhole first. This will give a larger opening at the end for the jeans button shank
Manual Buttonhole
Interface the buttonhole area. Mark the buttonhole position by rubbing the shank of the jeans button into a bar of soap and press/twist onto the fabric. Mark the length, here I used 3/4 inch. Outline the buttonhole with small (1.5) machine stitches, starting and ending about 1/4 inch past the mark. Lift the presser foot and pivot going around the end. Cut the buttonhole open next to the stitches, cutting away the end where the shank will sit. Zig zag over the outline. I started at the end with 2 width and 1.5 length, increased to 3 width, increased length to 2 going around the end, then back to 3 headed back to the beginning, and stitched over the previous stitching. Experiment with your machine. Stitch twice if using regular thread. I turned the bottom buttonhole into a whale by adding a dorsal fin, flipper and tale. The 2 machine made buttonholes I tried, a keyhole and rounded end, do not provide enough room for the shank, and distorts the waistband when worn. These would be an option for a regular button with a thread shank.
Patterns
Draft the pattern (or lay your purchased pattern pieces) so the front and back are at the waist, with no cut outs for pockets or yokes. In the back, I will pin in the dart in the width I think I need while fitting, to make sure the yoke contour is correct. The extra fabric will be trimmed off before the yoke is attached. I made templates for pocket placement in the front and a pressing template for back pockets. Making the seam allowances larger (up to 1 inch) makes pressing the back pockets easier, and any extra can be trimmed after if you wish. The back crotch will probably need to be stitched lower, but this can change depending on the fabric, so I leave it for now. The waist can now be lowered or raised without interfering with the pockets. I like the waist to be lower in front than in the back, with the top of the waistband at my waist. That big note in red on the front pattern piece reminds me to soak the denim in water and vinegar (should also say SALT) to remove extra dye. Repeat as needed, until nothing rubs off the dry fabric with a white paper towel. UPDATE – vinegar and/or salt does not work, don’t believe everything you read, and rub a paper towel on the denim in the store before purchasing.
Making the pockets
Cut 4 of your pocket fabric, 2 of the denim upper hip sections (stitched on top of the cotton), and 1 coin pocket if adding that. Place the cotton fabric on top of the denim and trace the stitching line. Here I used a template made from the RTW jeans I drafted the pattern from. The pocket extends to center front and will be caught in the zipper fly stitching. Stitch along the traced line, cut off the extra fabric leaving a small SA 1/4 - 3/8 inch. Clip into curves, turn and press. Topstitch as usual, at the edge and then 1/4 inch away. Attach the coin pocket if using one to the upper hip section. Here I embellished mine with a whale tale and a wavy stitch that my machine has. Lay the front on top of the assembled pocket, stitch and serge the pocket bottom edge together, and baste the waist and side.
The finished pockets
The finished pockets inside and out. I repeated the wavy stitching along the belt loops that will be cut and attached later. My machine does simple embroidery that enabled me to stitch the date on the back of the pocket. Not shown here - baste the pocket to the center front and trim off any extra. The interfacing shown is for the fly topstitching as this fabric has a slight amount of stretch that might interfere with the topstitching.
Zipper fly Step 1
The zipper is installed after the pockets are completed. Trim off the fly extension on the left front, leaving a .5 inch SA, and serge the edge. Interface the area if fabric is not stable enough for topstitching. The fly extension above is 2 inches wide plus .5 SA, with the edge serged. I like to cut the fly pieces a little longer and trim off after sewing. I have marked the .5 inch SA on the left side, placed the zipper face down with the teeth about 5/8 inch from the CF, and stitched twice on the edge of the zipper tape, from bottom to top. Since the fabric is so dark, I have marked on top of the stitching lines. The fly shield on the right is stitched RS together with a curve at the bottom, and the edges serged.
Zipper fly Step 2
Fold the zipper out of the way and stitch the fly facing to the left center front with a .5 inch SA.
Zipper Fly Step 3
Turn and press. Edgestitch along the edge from the right side. Start at the bottom of the zipper to the waist. This stitching will connect with the crotch seam topstitching later.
Zipper Fly Step 4
To prepare for topstitching, fold the zipper tape out of the way and take a few hand stitches to hold in place. It is OK to stitch over the other side of the zipper tape, but not the side closest to the edge.
Zipper Fly Step 5
Mark topstitching lines, keeping clear of the bottom stop of the zipper. Test your marking tool on a sample to make sure it will not leave a residue when removed (usually steaming or pressing). If it does, mark the inside and thread trace the topstitching line so it is visible from the right side.
Zipper Fly Step 6
Topstitch on the marked lines. Start at the waist, down to the curve, take 2-3 stitches at the edge (to equal 1/4 inch - depends on your stitch length), then back up to the waist. Practice, practice, practice. My topstitching did not always look this good.
Zipper Fly Step 7
Place the assembled fly shield behind the zipper, fold back the left front and stitch once or twice along the right edge of the zipper tape. This will be stitched again in the next step, so one line of stitching is OK here. I marked over the stitching lines so they could be seen in the photo. The extra length at the waist will be trimmed later.
Zipper Fly Step 8
Connect the right and left front. I have marked the CF with a thread tracing from waist to crotch. Fold under the edge along the top of the zipper tape, making sure the CF of both pieces are aligned. The left fly just covers the thread tracing. Stitch the folded along the edge and again 1/8th inch away. Do not remove the thread tracing yet.
Zipper Fly Step 9
Stitch the crotch seam for a few inches with a 1/2 inch seam allowance. The pink thread tracing is still there from the previous step.
Zipper Fly Step 10
Edgestitch and topstitch. Start at the crotch seam along the edge, up to the previous topstitching, take 2-3 stitches, then back down to the crotch seam. Use the thread traced seamline as a guide. Stitch bar tacks to hold the fly shield in place and at CF at the bottom of the fly opening.
Zipper Fly completed
The inside of the zipper fly. Everything neat and tucked in. The extra fabric at the waist will be trimmed off when the waistband is attached.
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