23 August 2019

Jessa: Fastenings, cuffs and hem

Tilly and the Buttons - Jessa trousers jeans shorts sewing pattern

We've reached the final instalment in the Jessa sewalong! It's Nikki here, and today I'm going to talk you through the fastenings, sewing the cuffs (if you're making the shorts) and hemming the legs (if you're making the trousers).

Well done to everybody that's been following the sewalong for getting this far. Whether you've been sewing in tandem with these posts or reading on the sidelines, I hope you've found this series helpful and that you now feel like an unstoppable sewing superhero when it comes to sewing the Jessa trousers or shorts.

All of the previous Jessa sewalong posts are saved on our dedicated sewalong page - if you need to catch up you'll find everything you need there :)

Ready? OK, let's dive into...

Tilly and the Buttons - Jessa trousers jeans shorts sewing pattern
Tilly and the Buttons - Jessa trousers jeans shorts sewing pattern

Fastenings 

You can pick from two fastening options for your Jessa trousers or shorts: two invisible hook and eye bars sewn on the inside of the waistband, or one hook and eye and one button on the pointy bit of the waistband. I love that you have the choice between these two options here - if you can't decide which method you like best you'll have to sew two pairs so you have one of each ;)

If you are sewing a buttonhole, the buttonhole will go on the top layer of the waistband i.e. the part of the waistband that is on the outside of the trousers or shorts. Sew a buttonhole at the marking you made on the waistband. Tilly has written a couple of very informative post about sewing one-step buttonholes and four-step buttonholes, which will have you covered, whatever sewing machine you have.

Once you have sewn a buttonhole, open it with a seam ripper. It's a good idea to put a pin horizontally across the buttonhole at the top and bottom of the stitching to stop you from accidentally slicing through the fabric past the stitching. An unauthorised fabric rip is the last thing you'd want at this stage!

Tilly and the Buttons - Jessa trousers jeans shorts sewing pattern
Tilly and the Buttons - Jessa trousers jeans shorts sewing pattern

Once you've opened the buttonhole, close the zip and make sure the waistbands are lining up as they will be when they're closed. Poke a chalk pencil or washable pen through the buttonhole, 3mm (1/8in) from the end nearest the waistband point, and mark the button position on the waistband underneath.

Sew or attach a button onto the marking. As you'll most likely be working with thicker fabrics i.e. corduroy or denim, make sure you use a button that has a shank. A shank basically means a button which has a protruding so the button sits away from the fabric - this makes it easier to do the button up if you're using thick fabric. If you're sewing with denim, a jeans button looks really good here.

You'll also need to sew a hook and bar on the inside of the waistband (on the pointy end to the left as you wear it). I'll explain how you do this below...

Tilly and the Buttons - Jessa trousers jeans shorts sewing pattern

If you're using hook and bars, these will be hand sewn on the inside of the waistband so they're not seen from the outside. The hooks and bars need to be between the waistband layers as they overlap each other. So, the hooks need to be sewn on the waistband facing on the left side of the waistband (as you wear it)  but not the actual inside bit which sits against your skin.

Do the zip up and make sure the waistbands are lining up nicely.  Mark the position of the bars in chalk pencil or pen on the right-hand waistband directly under the hooks. Sew the bars on by hand.

As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words, so have a good look at the picture above to double-check you've got your hooks and bars the right way round and stitched in the correct place.

Tilly and the Buttons - Jessa trousers jeans shorts sewing pattern

Cuffs - shorts version only

You will have cut out 4 front cuffs and 4 back cuffs. Lay one front cuff over a back cuff - the back cuffs are slightly longer than the front cuffs - right sides together. Match the notches at the side seams to make sure you are putting the correct cuffs together. This bit can seem a bit tricky as there are quite a few pieces, but essentially you need to make two pairs of symmetrical cuffs. Have a close look at the photo above - there's a notch on the front cuff near the inside leg. Make sure 2 of your front cuffs have this notch on the right and 2 of your cuffs have this on the left.

I find it helps to lay them out like above, to make it easier to identify which cuff will be sewn to the other.  Once you have pinned all four cuffs at the short side seams, stitch. Trim the seam allowances and press them open.

Tilly and the Buttons - Jessa trousers jeans shorts sewing pattern
Tilly and the Buttons - Jessa trousers jeans shorts sewing pattern

We now need to sew the cuffs together, to create one cuff for the left leg and another one for the right leg. Turn one cuff right sides out and slip it inside another cuff, so they're right sides together, aligning diagonal inside seams. Pin them together along the top (longest) edge, matching seams and notches. The back cuffs have double notches and the front cuffs have single notches, which makes it easier to match them up :)

Stitch. Repeat this process for the other two cuffs.

Tilly and the Buttons - Jessa trousers jeans shorts sewing pattern

Lay the two cuffs out next to each other so the inside seams and notches on the unstitched edges are towards the centre. Press the inner cuff and seam allowances up. Understitch the seam allowances to the top cuff, close to the seam.

Tilly and the Buttons - Jessa trousers jeans shorts sewing pattern

Fold the cuffs along the long seam line, wrong sides together and press. Roll the seam slightly to the understitched side. When you're pressing, match the notches on the unstitched, long edge together. Staystitch the long, raw edges together 10mm (3/8in) from the edge.

With the shorts wrong sides out, slip the cuffs over the hems with the understitching side facing up and the raw edges together. Match the notches on the unstitched edges to make sure you are sewing the correct cuff to the right and left legs. Pin the cuffs to the bottom of the legs, matching at the notches and side seams. Stitch. Trim the seam allowances and finish the edges.

Tilly and the Buttons - Jessa trousers jeans shorts sewing pattern
Tilly and the Buttons - Jessa trousers jeans shorts sewing pattern

Press the cuffs away from the shorts and seam allowances. Understitch the seam allowances to the shorts close to the seam. Turn the shorts right sides out and fold the cuffs up to the outside. Press, rolling the seams slightly to the inside. To keep the cuffs in place, stitch in the ditch through the side seams and inside leg seams. You can also sew a few catch stitches around the rest of the cuffs to keep them extra secure and stop them from rolling down.

Tilly and the Buttons - Jessa trousers jeans shorts sewing pattern

Hem - trousers version only

If you are making the trousers, try them on and check that you are happy with the length. The trouser legs will be 20mm (3/4in) shorter once they are hemmed, so it's a good idea to pin them to this length and try them on and see if you want to adjust the length or leave them as they are.

Once you're happy with the length, finish the raw edges with an overlocker (serger) or zigzag stitch. Fold them under to the wrong side 20mm (3/4in), pressing with the iron and pinning as you go. Topstitch the hem in place with a 15mm (5/8in) hem allowance.

Tilly and the Buttons - Jessa trousers jeans shorts sewing pattern

It's time to feel incredibly proud of yourself as you have now finished your Jessa trousers or shorts! And now you know trouser making isn't anywhere near as scary or fiddly as it seems, you can make a million more pairs in all the beautiful fabrics.

Please do share shots of your finished Jessas on Instagram @TillyButtons with the hashtag #SewingJessa. We can't wait to see you swishing around in your Jessas!

*****

Photos: Jane Looker
Model: Alice Irvine
Pink denim: Gifted from Higgs and Higgs
Teal corduroy: Gifted from Like Sew Amazing