Jedediah Sew-Along | Belt loops and waistband

This part of the sew-along is the last lengthy and involved segment to completing the Jedediah pants. For this part please have ready:

• Belt loops
• Waistband + waistband interfacing
• Bias binding (optional)
• Pants
• Button
• Seam ripper or buttonhole making tool

Iron the three belt loop pieces as follows: Fold each long edge in 3/8" (1 cm) towards the center of the strip of fabric. Press. Fold the strip in half to enclose raw edges and press again (just as you would to make binding). Topstitch along either edge to form a flat belt loop piece.

Cut each strip in half to create six belt loop pieces (you will only be needing five, so look through the pieces and choose the five with the nicest topstitching).

Line each belt loop up with the top edge of the pants with the right sides together (there is no proper right side for the belt loops – choose the side where the topstitching looks nicest). Place the belt loops as illustrated (two in the front, 3 in the back) in the instructions booklet or match the position of the loops on a favorite pair of trousers. Baste the top edge in place.

Apply fusible interfacing to the wrong side of the waistband piece. 

Press the waistband in half with the wrong sides together, then open flat.

• Press under one long edge to the wrong side at 3/8" (1 cm). 
• Finish one long edge with a serge or zig-zag stitch

Open up the waistband and pin one edge of the waistband to the pants with the right sides together. The waistband should extend 5/8" (1.6 cm) past both ends of the pants. Stitch the waistband and pants together, easing in the excess pants material.

Grade the pants seam and the belt loops and press the seam upward into the waistband.
Apply binding to the other long waistband edge.

Sandwich the pants between the right sides of the folded waistband so that the waistband is closed with the right sides together and the pant material is tucked out of the way inside of this sandwich. This way, the corner of the waistband can be sewn without catching the pants.

Starting at the folded waistband edge, sew at 5/8" (1.6 cm), pivot at the waistband corner, and sew across the waistband edge that has been sewn to the pants for 1-2 inches (3-4 cm). Trim corners and grade excess seam allowance up to the point where you finished stitching.

Turn the waistband corner right side out and press so the corner is crisp. Where the stitching ends at each corner, unfold the bound edge of the inner waistband and press flat.
Pin both layers of the waistband in place with the inner waistband lying unfolded from the stitched corner onwards (as shown). From the right side of the pants, topstitch along the lower edge of the waistband.

With belt loops still pointed down, stitch across the loop 3/8" (1 cm) below where it has been sewn into the waistband.
Flip the belt loop up and loosely curl the top edge under 1/4" (0.6 cm).

Stitch across the top of the belt loop several times to secure it to the waistband.

Add a buttonhole to the center of the left front waistband. Start the buttonhole 1/2" (1.3 cm) from the edge of the waistband.

Hand-sew a button to the right front waistband above the zipper teeth.