Sew Free size Yoga pants (Pattern & tutorial)

With the arrogance of having started yoga for the past five days, I knew I needed new yoga pants. It is hot in my part of the world this time of the year; leggings stick to my legs, cotton pajama pants can’t take the stretch and either get ripped or come and settle on my thighs every time I try to lift my leg (as much as I can, definitely not as much as the yoga instructor wants). Here is how to sew loose cotton yoga pants that address all the issues I complained about earlier.

These are nice loose and comfortable pants with elastic waist and cuffs on the leg hems – no more riding up of the pants as you lift the legs. As it is loose, it is comfortable to wear and not fear that the seams will tear up under the strain of almost-impossible yoga stretches (which I want to do, but cannot for the time being – a person can be hopeful!)

These yoga pants can be made of a breathable fabric like cotton, linen, or cotton-poly blend. If you are making it in a stretchy fabric like cotton knit or cotton-lycra, I suppose you can reduce the width by about 4-5 inches. You can make adjustments to the pattern and make it according to your body dimensions.

Make the front leg pattern for yoga pants

You need to cut two front leg pattern pieces and two back leg pattern pieces. Cut them according to the pattern given below. Remember that they should be mirrored. Fold fabric and cut each pieces – this will give you the mirrored pieces.

A -B = 18.5″
A-H = 2.5″
B-H = 16″
E-J = 18.5″
A-L = 2″
G-D = 9″

B-D= 39″ = A-C

Back leg pattern of the yoga pants

A -B = 20″
A-C = B-D = 39″
A-H = 2.5″
B-H = 16″
E-J = 18.5″
A-L = 2″
G-D = 9″

Cut out the waistband, cuffs and pocket pieces

Waistband = 5 inch wide by 21 inch
2 cuff pieces = 3.5 inches by 18 inches
4 pocket pieces

Alter the Pocket pattern

Cut out 4 rectangle pieces of dimension 13 inches by 8 inches; Take out 2 of them from these pieces, to mark the pattern for the front pocket.

Cut sloped shape on two of them as per the pattern given above.

Sew the pocket on the front pant leg

Keep the cut pocket piece face down on the front leg( ensure that the correct popcket piece is chosen – I mean, the right side and left side are different)

Sew along the cut edge – it is like a facing for the pocket.

Turn the facing piece to the back. You can edge stitch along the pocket at this point.

Now keep the other rectangle pocket piece on the back of the pocket . Align the sides and the top edge. This new pocket piece will act as a base for your pocket.

Keep the other pocket piece under the front leg piece.

This is how it will look with the second pocket piece moved under the front leg.

Sew the top edges together ( to prevent it shifting afterwards) and the side edges to keep the pocket pieces all aligned and properly attached to the front leg piece.

Join the pocket bag along outer edge

Sew the pocket pieces together from the back of the leg pieces. You will be sewing it all seperate -I mean just the pocket pieces are sewn together, at the back.

Do this for the other front leg too.

Sew the legs together

Sew the two pieces of the front legs together at the crotch seam. Keep them together, rightsides to the inside and sew the crotch seam.

Do the same for the back legs too.

Sew the front legs and back legs together at the sides.

Sew the inseam also.

The pocket on the pants will look like this :

Add elastic

Cut out elastic for the waistband casing and leg cuffs.

Sew the waistband and the the leg cuffs casing.

Insert the elastic through the casings – at the waistband and leg cuffs. You can add a 1 inch wide elastic for the waistband casing and a 1/2 inch or 3/4 inch elastic through the legs. Cut elastic after measuring your waist. Do not add anything extra. Sew with a 1 inch seam allowance. This would be generally fitting on your waist. Life wise for the legs. Measure around your ankle. Cut at the exact measurement. When you sew with a 1/2 inch seam allowance it should fit snugly.

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