I’m back!  Sorry for the delay – Matt and I decided to slow the schedule down and got ourselves wrapped up in Christmas decorating, Christmas gift making and a rum and egg nog or two over the last few days.  I hope you don’t mind!  I’m stretching the remaining details of the sew along a few more days so that the posts aren’t so overwhelmingly long.

Today I have the photographed fly tutorial for you!  I’ve sewn the fly using an alternative order of construction.  In the instruction booklet for the Jutland Pants (and the Jedediah Pants) the pants are sewn using my preferred method: The side seams and inseams are sewn first before the fly is tackled.  I like this method because it allows me to warm up to sewing the fly!

Some people prefer to sew the fly at the very start of the pants sewing process so that they can work with flatter pieces and less bulk.  This is totally doable with any pair of fly front pants regardless of what the instructions suggest.  Keep in mind though, that if you are adding cargo pockets to the Jutland Pants, you must still make sure to sew the side seams before sewing the inseams so that you are able to top stitch the cargo pockets to the flat, spread open legs over the completed side seam.

At the end of this post, I’ve photographed the gusset sewing process.  I have not tried adding a gusset using the order of construction that I suggest in our instruction booklet.  I think you would still be able to add one but it seems to me that sewing the pant front and pant back as separate panels first and then adding the gusset when attaching the panels together along the inseam is the simplest approach.

How to Sew A Fly

Let’s get started!

Begin by sewing the crotch seam.  With the pants front right sides together, sew from the inseam up to the zipper placement notch on the fly extension.

Sew the crotch seam on the pants back as well.  Sew these using a flat fell seam if desired.  You can also sew this seam with right sides together and then push the seam to one side and top stitch and edge stitch in place (this is a faux flat fell seam).

This pair of pants is going to be lined so, since we’re sewing the fly first, the process of adding a lining also includes a different order.  Sew the crotch seam in the lining just as you did for the exterior of the pants.  Bind, serge or otherwise finish the lining and self fly extension edges.

With the exterior and lining wrong sides together, attach the lining to the pants only along the fly extensions – baste it in place within the seam allowance down to the curve of the fly extension.

There are two notches at the top of either fly extension.  Press along the entire fly extension using these notches as a guide.  The right front of the pants (if you were wearing the pants…so the left side in these photos) is the underside of the fly and needs to extend 1/4″ past the crotch seam.  Use the closest notch to center front as a guide.  The left front of the pants is the upper part of the fly. Press the left front fly extension using the second notch as a guide (furthest from center front) so the folded edge is even with the crotch seam.

Now it’s time to prepare the zipper shield!  Fold the zipper shield in half and bind the raw edge.  Stitch the left side of the zipper to the zipper shield along the middle of the zipper tape.

Note:  In the Jutland instructions I’ve suggested to bind or serge the raw edge of the zipper shield to reduce bulk if you are creating work pants using thick fabrics.  If you are using thinner fabric, you could fold the shield with wrong sides together and flip so right sides are out.  If you do this, you could stitch the zipper to either edge of the shield.

Pin the zipper to the right side of the pant fly (if you were wearing the pants…so the left side in the photo above!).  Before stitching, make sure that the lining fabric is fully folded along the fly extension…it tends to unfold itself even after ironing!

Stitch the zipper in place using a zipper foot.  The photo above is how your pants will appear from the underside at this point.

Now it’s time to attach the zipper to the other side of the pants front.  Fold the zipper shield out of the way.

Pinch the loose fly extension and the zipper.  Move the rest of the pants out of the way (ignore the stitching in this photo!  I decided to take it after already stitching the zipper in place :P).

From the wrong side of the zipper, stitch along the zipper tape.  Catch only the zipper extension (again place the lining in the correct position.  Make sure it doesn’t slip out of place!).

The last step when sewing the fly is to top stitch!  Pin the fly closed at center front at the top of the fly.  Draw a chalk line to create your desired fly shape.  End the top stitching guideline just below the metal zipper stop.  Before top stitching, move the zipper shield out of the way (fold it to the left).  Now follow your chalk markings and top stitch.  Back stitch thoroughly at center front.

Move the zipper shield back in place.

Create a bar tack or simply stitch forward and backwards often below the zipper stop to reinforce the base of fly – there is a lot of strain in this area.

How to Sew A Gusset

Now that the fly is finished, lets add the gusset!  Pin the gusset to the pants back with right sides together.  Stitch.

Create triangular notches in the gusset seam allowance and clip into the pants seam allowance to allow the curve to sit smoothly.  Grade the seam allowances.

Press the seam allowance towards the gusset.  Top the seam allowance in place to strengthen the seam.

With right sides together, pin the entire inseam in place (make sure that, across the gusset, the crotch seam along the front and back line up!  You’ll see that I didn’t do a perfect job of this in a little bit…woops!).  Note that, if you are sewing the cargo pockets, you will want to sew the side seams before sewing the inseam.

Once the inseam has been sewn, clip into the gusset seam allowances so that the curve sits flat.

Create a faux flat fell seam by pressing the inseams towards the back.  Top stitch and edge stitch along the entire seam.

Sew the gusset in the lining in the same manner.  Sew the side seams and inseams separately from the exterior pant shell.

Ta daa!  A completed fly and gusset!

Over the next few days we will be working on the waistband, adding buttons to the welts on the second pair of Jutlands that I’ve been sewing for Matt.  Then I will be adding Otter Wax to Matt’s Jutland pants, and adding rivets and extra reinforcement stitches to my Uncle’s Jutland Pants.