We’ve got a new and exciting hack for you! This post will walk you through how to adjust the Falconer Pants pattern to have an elastic back waistband. We will be keeping the front of the pants as-is and we will still include the zipper fly. The elastic back adds comfort and ensures the pants fit through body size fluctuations.
Note that this hack does not make the pants loose enough to pull on over the hips. We will still be sewing the zipper fly and you will need to unzip the pants to get in and out. The elastic back just adds a bit of wiggle room for comfort. We have a blog post about how to make the Falconer Pants have a full elastic waist here.
Can you use this tutorial for other jeans patterns?
Yes, this tutorial works for other jeans and pants patterns. Falconer has a side panel, so if you are working with a classic front/back/yoke pattern you will want to add width to the front side seam and include the yoke in your back leg adjustments.
How to make elastic back Falconer Pants
The main things we are going to do to achieve this is to take out some of the waist shaping in the side and back of the pants. We then add width to the waistband piece, distributing it evenly. We need the back leg, the side leg and the waistband pieces.
With some extra paper taped in behind the top of the side leg pattern piece, we are going to add about 3/8” (1 cm) to either side at the top and blend it back down into the hip (around where the double notches are). You want the side seams to be the same length as they were originally. You can eyeball this or you can measure.
Do the same on the back leg pattern piece, blending down into the hip and back crotch curve.
You also need to adjust the side pockets to fit the new shape of the side legs. Lay the pocket on top of the pants, matching pocket notches and add paper to get it to match. It might not be a big change, but that’s normal. You also need to move the top pocket notches on the side leg and the pocket pieces out to the new seam lines.
Now, mark your 5/8” (1.6 cm) seam allowance along the top and sides of the front leg pattern piece. We need this length measurement for the next step.
On the waistband pattern piece, mark the seam allowance 5/8” (1.6 cm) in from the bottom and side edges. Measure the length of the front leg piece (the measurement from the step above) in from either side of the waistband. On the side with the center front notches, measure in from the notches, not the end. Make a vertical mark, as perpendicular to the curved waistband as you can. These areas on either end will need to be interfaced. We don’t need to interface the whole waistband since we are adding elastic to the back.
The next step will feel a little strange but just trust the process! Add three more lines in addition to the two you marked in the step above. Distribute them evenly, with one right at the center back. Starting with the rightmost line, cut it open and add in 3/8” (1 cm) of paper, being careful to keep the added sections even and straight so the waistband doesn’t get wonky. Continue to the next line and add 3/4” (1.9 cm) this time. Add 3/4” (1.9 cm) to the three middle cuts and 3/8” (1 cm) to the two outer cuts. We are adding the same amount to the waistband that we added to the top of the pants earlier. Some of the gaps are 3/4” (1.9 cm) because we added 3/8” (1 cm) to either side of the seam. 3/8” x2 is 3/4”.
Once you are done you should have added 3" (7.6 cm) total to your waistband! This is going to give us a nice amount of elasticated back wiggle room! We have maintained the shape of the waistband by slashing and spreading to distribute the width evenly.
Cut two waistbands as normal. Apply interfacing to both ends of one of your waistbands. The interfacing should go up to that first cut line from earlier, but you do not need to be super exact with this step.
Sew the pants as directed. When you apply your belt loops, Sew your front loops centered on the front side leg seams. We are going to hide the elastic anchoring stitches under the loops. If your fabric is really thick, you can place the loops just in front of the seam to avoid bulk.
Sew the waistband to the pants. Partially topstitch the bottom of the waistband closed, starting and stopping under the front belt loops. Do not topstitch the top of the waistband just yet.
Decide on the length of your elastic. This depends on personal preference. If in doubt, cut it longer and you can pin it in place to try on the pants.
Insert the elastic into the back waistband. Secure one side by sewing vertically on the waistband and elastic, right under the front belt loop. Make sure you leave at least 3/8” (1 cm) of elastic extending past the stitches so it doesn’t fray and rip free.
Pull the elastic through to the other side. Pin in place using a safety pin to try it on and decide on final elastic width. Once decided, sew the other side in place under the belt loop. Trim any excess elastic.
Finish topstitching your waistband. Stretch the back flat as you sew.
Option to try to catch the elastic in the stitching. Optional to sew more vertical lines of stitching under each belt loop to secure the elastic and prevent folding or twisting. Option to add more rows of topstitching to the elastic for even more of an “elastic waistband" look.
That’s all there is to it! I hope you give this hack a try!
