J&O Sewing Tip of the Week: Making Pants

Making Pants?

Interested in making yourself or someone else a pair of pants? 

Stumped on where or how to begin? 

Quick guideline for fabric selection. 

Depending on the inseam and waist of the individual you are making the pants for, special attention needs to be paid to the width of the fabric you are purchasing. While most fabrics are manufactured with 45″ width, there are some sold at 54″, 60″, 72″ and even 108″ wide as well. If you are using a pattern to map out your project, check the fabric requirements on the side.  Most patterns base their fabric yardage requirements on 45″ wide material. More is always better if you can afford it though, so if a pattern calls for 2 1/2″ yards of a 45″ corduroy, go ahead and get 3. You never know what may happen in the crafting process. Again, the more, the better. 

Ask Netfah: Knit Shrinkage Prevention.

Dear Netfah,


The other day I bought a cotton/poly knit, kind of like the tee shirt material, that I really love. I am planning to make a dress for a friends birthday and wanted to know if I should prewash it to allow room for shrinkage before I start cutting.


-Suzie, San Francisco CA

Dear Suzie,

I would suggest washing almost any NON dry clean only material before I construct a garment in this case not only for shrinkage allowance, but for the same reason its good to wash new clothes before you wear them; you never know where they have been stored or what unwanted pests and chemicals may have found their way into the fibers.