Thread: Making Harem Pants

Hi Everyone:

I would like your expertise opinion regarding making harem pants.

I LOVE the really full legged harem pants, but when I made them, they were relatively narrow. How do I make the really full legged ones without the bulk at the waistline?

Should I cut them wider at the bottom and keep the part near the waistline more narrow? How about adding a yolk at the waist/hipline? Or is is fine to cut the waistline as wide as the bottom of the leg and not be too bulky? Plus, how much yardage of material should I get?

Thanks so much,

Azeeza

I like to use 4 yards of fabric, 2 at each leg - that gets you the big, full pantaloons worn in Orientalist paintings and by tribal dancers. Naturally, there is bulk with that much fluff, but I collect the fabric in 2-or-so in pleats (pleats point to the back) into a waistband, so the fabric falls more in folds, instead of being bunched up, as it would if one were to simply fold over the fabric at and make casing that way. Now, for performance, I use silk essence, and for wearing around the house, I love soft cotton, and especially soft sateen (which is not easy to come by where I live, at least not for cheap).

ETA - in my avatar, I wear purchased pants, which are made with less fabric - I just loved the material (it's a pretty block print), but it's not pleated and thus bunches more.

A yoke or a wide waist band will help with bulk. I use the folk wear pattern for Turkish pants and add a yoke to them.

Also instead of using elastic in the cuffs I use a wide (3-4 inches) band that I can get my foot into without needing stretch but is small enough it does not slip off my foot. This minimizes the tendency to catch your foot in the bottom of the pants and trip.

folkwear patterns also has a tribal dancer pattern with harem pants with a yoke as well as the Turkish pants.

http://www.folkwear.com/144.html

http://www.folkwear.com/119.html

Marya

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!

Both suggestions are getting the wheels in my head turning!

I appreciate it VERY MUCH!!!

Hugs,

Azeeza

you are welcome, good luck!

Marya

Originally Posted by Wallowa

you are welcome, good luck!

Marya

I like your idea, with the band.

Is it made of ribbed stretch knit (like the bands on T-shirt necklines)?

Another great idea! A stretch band!

Thanks!

Azeeza

Originally Posted by gothique

I like your idea, with the band.

Is it made of ribbed stretch knit (like the bands on T-shirt necklines)?

I'm not Marya, but I've made them with cuffs like at the wrist of a sweatshirt or hoodie. In fact, I got a black velvet hoodie on sale at Wal Mart (for maybe $4), cut off the wrist cuffs leaving an inch or so of the black velvet in place, and then gathered the bottoms of the pants to the black velvet, if that makes sense.

If you have an old sweatshirt or something where the cuffs are in pretty good shape, that would probably do the trick.

And I made a yoke out of black velvet (non-stretch), and the yoke is cut about 6 " wide, to leave room for seams and for folding over the top to put an elastic and a tie through. (I use an extra-long black shoelace for a tie.)

It's good to have a non-slip material for the yoke, because then any belt you wear over it is less likely to slide around or slip off.

Originally Posted by gothique

I like your idea, with the band.

Is it made of ribbed stretch knit (like the bands on T-shirt necklines)?

I make it with the same fabric as the pants. I make it just big enough to get my foot through it, but no so big it falls past my ankle. You could also make it like a shirt sleeve cuff with a slit and a fastener like a snap.

A ribbed stretch knit might work well also.

Marya

As an ATS dancer I make a lot of pantaloons; we like 'em pretty full so I usually make a yoke just big enough for me to get into, then pleat the fullness into the yoke.

Additionally, to minimize poof on the sides of my hips when making really full pantaloons I focus all the pleating into the front and back of the pants and leave the sides flat.