Leena's Pattern Drafting Lesson:
Men's Pants
 Metric
conversion table
This lesson shows how the patterns for the men's basic pants
are drafted. The pattern drafting method used is the German Müller &
Sohn but it has been slightly modified.
MEASURING
Click
here
to move to the measuring page. Read carefully the measuring instructions.
To draft patterns for pants, you have to take the measurements listed
in the table below. To keep the pictures clear and readable the measurements
are given only in centimeters. You can change centimeters to inches using
formula 1 cm = 0.4 inches.
ADDING EASE
You would not be able to wear the pants if the patterns
were drafted exactly to your body measurements. Therefore you have to
add ease to some of the measurements. The basic pants usually are a tight
fitting garment and therefore only a small amount of ease is added.
ADD TO THE WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE: 4 cm
ADD TO THE HIP CIRCUMFERENCE: 4 cm
Do not add any ease to other measurements.
Write down the measurements in the table below.
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Body measurement
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Body measurement + ease
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WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE
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*
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+ 4 cm=
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HIP CIRCUMFERENCE
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*
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+ 4 cm=
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INSIDE SEAM LENGTH
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*
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|
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OUTSIDE SEAM LENGTH
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*
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KNEE CIRCUMFERENCE
The desired finished leg circumference at knee
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*
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|
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CUFF CIRCUMFERENCE
The desired finished leg circumference at cuff
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*
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DO THE FOLLOWING CALCULATIONS:
Round the measurements up to the nearest 0.5 cm.
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Body measurement
+ ease
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Divided by 4
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Divided by 20
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Waist circumference
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*
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|
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Hip circumference
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*
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*
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*
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Knee circumference
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*
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*
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|
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Cuff circumference
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*
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*
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DRAFTING THE PATTERNS
Draw a frame first . Follow the numbers in the picture.
1-2 = Start by drawing a vertical line that corresponds
to the outside length of the pants. Draw a horizontal line from point
1 to the right. This is the waist line . Draw a horizontal line from point
2 to the right. This is the cuff line .
2-3 = Measure up from point 2 on the cuff line a distance
equal to the inside lenght. Draw a horizontal line from point 3 to the
right. This is the crotch line.
4 = Find the point midway between the crotch line and the
cuff line (between points 2 and 3). Draw the horizontal knee line 6 cm
above this point.
5 = Measure up from point 3 a distance equal to 1/20 *
hip circumference + ease. Draw the horizontal hip line from point
5 to the right.
6 = Measure from point 5 to the right a distance equal
to 1/4 * hip circumference + ease + 1 cm.
7 = Measure from point 6 to the right a distance equal
to 1/20 * hip circumference + ease+ 1 cm.
8 = Find the point midway between points 5 and 7.
9, 10, 11, 12 = Draw vertical lines up and down from point
8. This is the center line of the pants' legs.
13, 14 = Draw vertical lines up and down from point 6.
15, 16 = Measure from point 11 to the right and to the
left a distance equal to 1/4 * knee circumference - 1 cm. Draw a utility
line from point 5 to point 16 . The line from point 15 to point 16 form
the knee line.
17, 18 = Measure from point 12 to the right and to the
left a distance equal to 1/4 * cuff circumference - 1 cm. The line
from point 17 to 18 form the cuff line.
20 = draw a line from point 7 to point 15, and you get
point 20.
21 = Measure from point 14 up a distance equal to 1/2 of
the distance between points 14 and 20
FRONT PIECE
Now you are ready to draw the front piece according to
the picture. When drawing the legs, curve a bit inwards between the crotch
and the knee.
22 = Measure 0.5 to 1 cm from point 13 to the left.
23 = Measure from point 22 to the left a distance equal
to 1/4 * waist circumference + ease
24 = Measure 1 cm up from point 23
BACK PIECE
Draw the back piece pattern in the same frame with the
front piece.
25 = Measure from point 8 to the right a distance equal
to 1/20 * hip circumference + ease + 1 cm and up a distance equal to 1/20
* hip circumference + ease - 1 cm
26 = Measure from point 25 to the left a distance equal
to 1/4 * hip circumference + ease and down a distance equal to 1/20 *
hip circumference + ease - 1 cm. Line from point 25 to point 26 form the
hip line of the back pant.
27 = Measure from point 8 to the right a distance equal
to that between points 8 and 26
15 -> 28 = 2 cm
17 -> 29 = 2 cm
16 -> 30 = 2 cm
18 -> 31 = 2 cm
32 = Measure from point 9 to the right 3 cm and up a distance
equal to 1/20 * hip circumference + ease -1.5 cm
33 = measure from point 32 a distance equal to 1/4 * waist
so that point 33 will be on the waist line (from point 1 horizontally
to the left)
34 = Draw a line from point 27 to 28 and you get point
34. Lower this point 1.5 cm. Back crotch curve will be 1.5 cm below the
front crotch curve and thus the back piece inseam length measured
from the crotch to the knee will be 1.5 cm shorter than that of the front
inseam . The reason for this is that it reduces the amount of fabric under
the buttocks in order to achieve a better fit of the back pant. You must
stretch the back inseam from the crotch to the knee when attaching it
to the front inseam.
Now you are ready to draw the back piece according to the
picture. When drawing the legs, curve a bit inwards between the crotch
and the knee.
 You
notice that the patterns are drafted without waist darts. This suits for
most men. If you want to add pleats to the front piece - they are commonly
used - add the desired width of the pleats to the front piece waist measurement
and draw the pleats to the pants front waist to the left from the center
line.
Sewing instructions are also included on this web site.
To view them
click here
.
C opyright 1998 Leena Lahteenmaki
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