A Duet of Tips for the Duet Trousers

Pattern:  Love Notions Duet Trousers
Skill Level: Confident Beginner (knit) Intermediate (woven)
Fabric: woven polyester with spandex from Fabricland
Skills:  Stitching in the Ditch and Blind Hemming

Love Notions' Duet Trousers is a pattern made for either woven or knit.  As trousers, dressier than pants, they are meant to be a looser fitting garment - not tight fitting - and should hang straight down from the buttocks, not cup them.  I chose to make mine in a polyester/spandex woven which has plenty of drape - stiffer fabrics are not the best choice for this pattern.  If using a knit, you might need to size down.  The knit pattern has a yoga waistband while the woven version uses a contoured waistband with an invisible zipper and the option is there to put in a control panel.  You can choose from straight legs or tapered.  And pockets!

While the pattern is fairly simple, there are several procedures which might be new.  As always, Love Notions has videos to help you, such as installing an invisible zipper but I thought I'd walk through a couple of them.

Stitching in the Ditch

After the waistband is sewn in and faced, it needs to be stitched down.  This can be done by hand, but it can also be done by machine.  First, I finished off the raw edge of my waistband lining with the serger.  This can also be done with a sewing machine using an overlock stitch to secure the edge.  Then I pinned the waistband in place and took it to my sewing machine right side out.

Stitching in the ditch is just that - you carefully stitch in the seam between the waistband and the trousers.  Fortunately, my machine can go really slow - which is needed to stitch in that seamline accurately!

This fixes the waistband securely in place.  You do have the option to fold under and attach the lining by hand, but I'm always looking for the easy way.  I'm quite prepared to run my machine at a snail's pace to avoid some hand sewing!  You can also fold under the waistband lining so it's just past the seamline and catch it with your sewing machine, but I've seen ready-to-wear pants finished as above, so I elected to do it this way as it creates less bulk.

And when you're done, that stitching will be barely visible.

Blind Hemming

Next to sewing on buttons by hand is my dislike of hemming by hand!  Of course I'm going to try out blind hemming!

This was the first time I'd used the blind hemming foot that came with my machine.  The blind hemming stitch has several straight stitches to the right and then jogs in to the left to catch a fold.  And of course, I practiced first.

First, serge the raw edge (or overlock stitch on the sewing machine) pin up the hem and iron it.

Next, fold back the hem so that the overlocked edge is to the right and the fold to the left - about 1/4" showing.  I folded just to the edge of the serging with the red guide keeping the fold in place.  Using a thread that was a good match, I stitched my practice swatch, unfolded and ironed it.  I was amazing at how good it looked!

On to the real thing!  I followed the same procedure and in no time at all, the pants were hemmed.

A good pressing and you can barely see the stitching.

The Duet Trousers from Love Notions are dressy trousers that definitely have a place in your cupboard.  Paired with low-heeled boots or with heels, you're set for the office or a night on the town.  You can get the Duet Trousers through my affiliate link below.

Love Notions Duet Trousers.