One of the features I love the most on our new Falconer Pants pattern is the side panels. Not only do these panels offer a place to put awesome side pockets, but they also provide an opportunity for fun colourblocking or patchwork details. Today I have a pair of Falconer Pants I made with patchwork side panels to show you!
Grab Falconer on sale this week for 20% off using the code FALCONERLAUNCH (code automatically applied at checkout). Sale ends March 19, 2025.
How to add patchwork to garments
Note: patchwork is also called “piecing”. You piece together fabric to make patchwork.
When it comes to adding patchwork details to garments, there are three main ways you can approach it:
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You can piece some patchwork and then sew it into the garment, treating it the same as the rest of the fabric.
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You can piece/quilt a design and applique it onto a garment.
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You can cut up a completed quilt and sew it into a garment.
Because this design has the perfect panel already built into the garment, I went with option #1 and pieced my panel before sewing it in.
Seam Finishes
The biggest challenge with adding patchwork to garments by sewing it into the design is seam finishing. When piecing, quilters do not finish their seam allowances because they will be sandwiched in the quilt and secured by the stitching on top. Since we don’t have a quilt sandwich in this case, we need to do something about those seam allowances. We have a few options:
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Finish all the seams in the patchwork with a serger/overlocker or machine stitch (like a zig-zag or overcast stitch).
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- This works best with simple patchwork.
- This may not be a good option if you find that serged seams irritate your skin.
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Underline the patchwork and (optionally) secure the two layers together with some quilting.
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- Quilting the layers is a good idea if it is a larger piece of patchwork.
- Choose a lightweight underlining.
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Make a quilt sandwich! Add the batting and backing and quilt the patchwork before sewing it in.
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- Keep in mind that this will make the patchwork much thicker than the rest of your fabric, so this option works best for heavyweight fabrics and projects like jackets.
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I chose option #1 for my Falconer Pants. I chose this method because I was worried that adding an underlining layer would make the side panels too thick and heavy. I didn’t want the shape of the barrel leg to collapse from the weight. It was annoying to serge every seam on these flying geese but I think it was worth it.
Here is a picture of the finished inside seams on the patchwork.
The Flying Geese Design
OK now I can finally get into the actual design on these pants. I want you to be able to replicate it if you are interested. I used a lightweight fabric for these so that I could do the piecing out of the same fabric as the pants. This is a 7oz softened organic cotton from Blackbird Fabrics. That said, you could use a heavier weight fabric for the pants (like denim or canvas) and then make the patchwork from quilting cotton and underline it. The two layers of quilting cotton would be a good weight match with the heavier fabric.
Make flying geese sized to fit inside the side pants panel. I made my flying geese 5” wide by 2.5” tall (12.7 cm x 6.4 cm). I didn’t want them to be too wide and get cut off, but you can make them the width you think will look best! You can see a tutorial on making flying geese here. If you are serging/overlocking your seams, you will do that as you go along.
Sew the flying geese together until you have the desired amount for your side pants panel. I did 12 on each side, 24 flying geese total (one of the flying geese is hidden in the hem of my pants). I only wanted my flying geese to go up to the side pocket, but you can put patchwork all the way up to the waistband if you like, just keep in mind that some of it will be covered by the pocket.
Sew some fabric on the sides of the flying geese strips. Enough to make the patchwork wide enough to cut the pattern piece out of.
Sew some fabric on the top of the flying geese patchwork. Enough to make the patchwork tall enough to cut the pattern piece out of.
Cut out the side pants using the pattern piece. Make sure to cut two mirror images.
Proceed to add the side pocket and construct the pants as instructed. Note that when you sew the side pants to the front/back of the barrel leg pants, there will be extra intersecting seams at the hem due to the tapered shape and the additional flying geese patchwork.
That’s all there is to it! This does take some extra time and effort, plus a little measuring to get everything the right size before cutting. It is so worth it, though! The result is so cool! They are a truly unique garment and I’m really happy with how they turned out. I’d love to make another pair with patchwork side panels using the wide leg view. The side pants panel on the Falconer pattern offers a neat opportunity to explore colourblocking and patchwork.
Grab Falconer on sale this week for 20% off using the code FALCONERLAUNCH (code automatically applied at checkout). Sale ends March 19, 2025.
