SEWING WORKSHOPS

WOMEN’S SHORTS
 SEWING WORKSHOPS

Contents

Pages

1 1. Before Starting

1 2. Fuse

2-3 3. Construction of a Slant Side Pocket

3-4 4. Construction of a Jean Pocket

5 - 10 5. Construction of a Jetted Pocket

10 - 11 6. Construction of a Patch Pocket

12 -15 7. Inserting the Zip

16 - 18 8. Assembling the Shorts

18 - 20 9. Attaching the Waistband

21 10. Hemming the Shorts

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WOMEN’S SHORTS WORKSHOP

The workshop is to enable students to learn the required techniques for stitching a pair of womens
shorts, this includes 4 different types of pockets, a fly front and zip insertion.
You will use the following machines:
Lock stitch machine (for joining seams)
3 Thread overlocker (for finishing seams)
Fusing Press

1 Before starting ensure you have all the pieces below.

Waistband X1

W.B. Binding X1

Fly Extension

X1

Right Front Left Front Back

X1 Fly Facing X1 X2

X1

Facing Facing Jet X2

X1 X1
Facing X1 Patch Pocket
Pocket Bag
X2 Pocket Bag Fusing X3
X1 Pocket Bag Pocket Bag X1
X1 X2

2 Before you begin, fuse the two jets.

Standard Seam Allowance (S.A.) is 1cm.

KEY: S.A. Seam Allowance

R.S- Right Side Lock stitch Cut
W.S- Wrong Side 3 Thread Overlock Press
Fusing Lining Pin

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3 Construction of a Slant Side Pocket:

Use the Left hand side of Short Front

A B

Stitch the pocket bag to the pocket opening, Snip into the corner.
right side to right side. (Use snips or the tip of your scissors)

C D

Open pocket bag to the right side. Overlock the curved edge of the facing.
Press all seams towards pocket bag. Position the facing onto the pocket bag.
Edge stitch on the edge of the pocket bag. Stitch inside overlocking and stay-stitch side seam.

E F

To french seam the pocket bag,

place pocket pieces wrong side to wrong side. Trim 2mm away from seam allowance.
Stitch together at 5mm seam allowance.

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G H

Turn pocket bag inside out so raw edges are Fold Short Front out of the way.
inside the pocket and press the edges flat. Stitch around the pocket bag at 5mm S.A.

Fold pocket bag back into place and press pocket edge flat.
Stay-stitch the pocket at the waist and side seam.

4 Construction of a Jean Pocket:

Use the Right hand side of Short Front

A B

Stitch the pocket bag to the pocket opening, Snip along the curve to the stitch line.
right side to right side. (Use snips or the tip of your scissors)

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C D

Open pocket bag to the right side. Fold back the pocket bag.
Press all seams towards the pocket bag. Press pocket edge flat.
Stay-stitch on the edge of the pocket bag. Double topstitch the pocket opening.

E F

Overlock the curved edge of the facing. Place pocket bags right side to right side.
Stitch inside the overlocking to secure the facing Fold short front out of the way.
onto the pocket bag. Stitch and overlock pocket bag together.
Stay stitch the facing on side seam and waist.

Fold pocket bag back and stay-stitch at the waist and side seam.

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5 Construction of a jetted pocket:

Use the Left hand side of Short Back

A B

Mark pocket placement on the right side Position fusing on the wrong side of the fabric,
of fabric using the template supplied. centered over the pocket placement.
Fuse in place.

W.S.

Position and pin the pocket bag on the wrong side of the fabric, centered over the fusing.
Ensure pocket bag is in line with the waist line.

R.S.

Place edge of jets to the placement line, right sides to right side, and pin.

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E
VIEW FROM WRONG SIDE

Stitch 5mm from the raw edge of the jets, through all layers including the pocket bag.

Press the bottom edge of the lower jet up 5mm

1 cm IN FROM END

Cut through the pocket bag and shorts stopping 1cm before the end of the stitch line.
Cut a small triangle to the corners, as image above. Do not cut the jets.

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Turn jets through to wrong side.

I
TOP JET BOTTOM JET

Fold top jet back flat to reveal the seam and press open.
Repeat with bottom jet, moving top jet out of the way.

Fold the jets over the inner raw edge to create your 5mm jets on the right side of the fabric.
Press the jets, being careful not to leave any gaps.

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K JET

POCKET BAG
W.S

WAIST EDGE

R.S

On the wrong side, stabilize the jet by folding the garment out of the way to reveal the seam.
Stitch through the seam allowance and jet to hold it together. Repeat for the second jet.

JETS

POCKET BAG
W.S
R.S

Fold the triangle back toward the wrong side, sandwiching it between the jets and the pocket bag.
Push the garment out of the way to reveal the triangle and stitch it together with the jets
to finish the end of the jetted pocket. Repeat for the other end of the jetted pocket.

Top stitch the lower edge of the facing to the pocket bag.

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Overlock bottom edge of the facing. Position it on the other pocket bag, following the notches.
Top stitch the bottom of the facing to the pocket bag above the overlocking.
Then secure the facing in place at the side seams.

EXCESS OF SHORT

Place the pocket bags together, right side to right side.

Moving the short out of the way, stitch and overlock the pocket bag together.

P VIEW FROM WRONG SIDE

Lay the short and pocket bag flat.

Fold back waist area of the short up to the edge of the top jet to reveal the top of the pocket bag.
Stitch on the pocket bag around the sides and top of the jet, folding sides of short away as you go.

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Q VIEW FROM RIGHT SIDE

Stay stitch pocket bag on to the short at the waist edge.

6 Construction of a Patch Pocket:

Using the Right hand side of Short Back.

Overlock the top edge of the patch pocket.

Fold down the top area from the notches, right side to right side.
Stitch the two sides of the folded area 1cm from the edge and turn right side out.

Fold all the other edges 1cm back towards the wrong side and press flat.
Top stitch across the facing above the overlocking.

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Mark pocket placement using the template.

Place the top edge of the pocket on the marks.

Double top stitch around the pocket, leaving the mouth open.

KEY: S.A. Seam Allowance

R.S- Right Side Lock stitch Cut
W.S- Wrong Side 3 Thread Overlock Press
Fusing Lining Pin

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7 Inserting the Zip:

Womens fly front closes right hand side over left hand side.

Overlock the edges of fronts and fly facing as shown.

B C

Stitch the zip facing onto the crotch seam of Turn back the fly facing to the right side.
the Right front at 1cm seam allowance, Edge stitch on the edge of the fly facing.
from the waist to the notch.

Turn the zip facing to the wrong side and

press flat the edge of facing only.

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B FOLD LINE

STITCH END TURN AND PRESS OVERLOCK

To prepare the fly extension, fold in half, right sides to right sides.
Stitch around the curved edge to bag it out.
Turn right side out, press flat, and overlock edges together.

C D

Secure the zip RSU onto the right hand side Prepare left hand side front of short by
of the fly extension, only to the end of the zip. pressing back seam allowance of fly 5mm
from waist to notch.

3 cm

Place the two fronts right sides together, opening all the edges flat.
Partly stitch at the crotch from the notch towards the leg seam and stop 3cm
from the raw edge.

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5 mm STEP

Return all the pressed edges to the folded back positions.

You will notice a step in the seam allowance between the zip facing and the extension.

Place edge of fly extension under Left hand side of short, sandwiching zip tape between the two.
Use a one sided zip foot to top stitch along the folded edge of the short,
through the zip tape and Fly extension.

J 5 mm

Flip the Right hand side of short back to right side out.
The center front should line up with the center front notch of the Left hand side of the short.
Pin through all the layers close to the fly edge.

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Flip it all over to the wrong side. Then fold the Right side of the short and fold the
fly extension out of the way to expose the wrong side of the zip tape and the fly facing.
Top stitch ONLY the zip tape to the facing.

Change back to a regular sewing foot.

With the zip open, push the Left hand side of short out of the way.
Top stitch the fly style line on the Right hand side of the short, capture the zip facing underneath.

Fold back the Right side of the short out of the way.
Bar tack only the edge of the fly facing to the fly extension, at the bottom.

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8 Assembling the Shorts:

Overlock the side seam of the Left hand front.

Overlock the side seam, crotch seam and inside leg seam of the Left hand back.
Overlock the crotch seam and inside leg seam of the Right hand back.

Place the Backs and Fronts right sides together, lining up the side seams of each leg.
Stitch the side seams together.
Then match the inside leg seams and stitch the Back and Front together of each leg.
Press open the Left hand side’s side seam and both inside leg seams.

Overlock the Right hand side’s side seam together and press seam towards the back.

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SIDE SEAM
D

Place the crotch seams together, right side to right side, by turning one leg inside out and
pushing it inside the other leg.
Stitch the crotch together from the partially completed seam at the front to the back waist.

Open Back crotch seam and press flat.

Fold both edges of belt loops in and press.

Then fold again in half and edge stitch both edges as shown.
Cut into 6 pieces, each measuring 8cm in length.

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FRONT BACK

Turn garment right side out.

Stay stitch the belt loops at the waist with a 5mm seam allowance,
2 on the Front and 4 on the Back.

9 Attaching the Waistband:

FOLD LINE

Fold waistband in half and pre-press.

Place binding on right side of fabric and stitch at 5mm seam allowance.

5 mm

Fold binding down and press seam flat.

Then fold the binding around the edge of the waistband to the wrong side and press flat.
Secure the binding by sink stitching along the seam edge.

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1 cm EXTRA
C

Position waistband at waist of shorts, right side to right side,

allowing 1cm extra of waistband on both ends.
Stitch waistband to shorts.

VIEW FROM THE WRONG SIDE

Fold waistband to right side and press all seams up towards the waistband.

Stitch down all the belt loops 1cm below the waistband.

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Bag out both ends of the waistband by folding it horizontally in half, right side to right side,
and stitching the ends closed.
There should be 1 cm of waistband hanging below the waist seam.

Turn the waistband right side out and press ends flat.
Sink stitch through the waist seam, including over the belt loops.
Ensure the raw edge of the binding is tucked up and sandwiched inside the waistband.

Fold back 1cm of belt loop.

Top stitch each belt loop in place at the top edge of the waistband.

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10 Hemming the Shorts:

Two different examples of hemming methods are used.

For the Left leg, overlock around the hem.

W.S. R.S.

Turn the hem up towards the wrong side.

Press and stitch around the leg.
For a tailored finish, you can hand fell or machine fell the hem instead of stitching.

W.S. R.S.

For the jeans style Right leg, double turn up around the hem and stitch on the edge of hem.

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