Ride 'Em Cowboy - Trousers - Part I

Thank you for the compliments on the shirt and boots! I really got lucky with the boots - I couldn't believe it when I saw the pictures on eBay. Hold on to your hats - we've still got trousers and a vest to go!

I've actually got the trousers mostly finished, with the exception of a little embroidery and hems. The hems will wait until closer to the first fashion show my son will be in and then I will hem. I don't want him to grow over the next few months and the trousers end up being too short.

Here is the pattern I am using for the trousers, a vintage Butterick:

I liked this pattern because of the style of the pockets, which is one of the typical styles of western wear from that time period. As usual, I've added some other touches, which I will show you along with the pockets, in future posts. The detail I will show you today is the lining.

As you've probably noticed from the above pattern pieces, this pattern does not include a lining. All of my art to wear garments are lined or the seams are finished with seam binding or french seams. The insides look much more professional if they are finished with a lining. Also take note that the fly facings are not "cut on", but are made and stitched on from a separate pattern piece.

Anyway, I had to line the trousers. To do so, I cut both the front and back pieces from the lining fabric as well as the fashion fabric. I made full front pieces by pinning together the pocket pieces and the front trouser piece. I stitched the crotch seam on the fashion fabric fronts only, leaving the lining front crotch seam unstitched so that the two pieces would be separate for the moment.

In the photo below, you can see the front from the inside, with the typical fly front pieces. For the left side of the zipper, I treated both fronts as one piece to install the zipper facing and left side of the zipper. The facing was included in the topstitching from the outside, completing that side.

For the right side of the zipper, I did not use both fabrics together as one, but stitched the zipper to the fashion fabric only. I made the fly shield with a lining, too - you can see that I flipped it out of the way in the photo above so you can see the zipper itself.

In the photo below, the fly shield is in the proper position and is stitched into place on the right side to the seam allowances. The right side lining is then pinned in place over the seam allowance and hand stitched in place.

The front crotch seam in the lining was then stitched and the rest of the major construction for the fashion fabric and lining was finished separately. That part was a bit awkward with both pairs of trousers attached at the zipper, but wasn't too difficult. The fashion fabric and lining are joined at the top and the waistband is then applied.

I can't remember ever fully lining a pair of fly front pants, but I think these turned out very well and really weren't that hard to do. The main thing is to be patient and take each step carefully. The other thing that helps is having practice making trousers with a fly front. After that, adding a lining isn't too hard.

Parting Shot: Piano. Back to school, back to piano lessons. The children had this summer off from piano lessons which was a treat for them as they usually they have piano lessons in the summer too. Because they are attending a new school, they have a new piano teacher, too. Their new school has a Music Academy offering lessons in piano, trumpet, violin, cello, flute and voice, so there might be a second instrument in the children's future.