Making Pants with a Yoga Waistband but no Pockets

Here's how I sew pants with an attached waistband but no pockets (look for the green striped shorts in my Tutorials so see how I add side-seam pockets). The pictures are not all of the same garment, but show what each step looks like (not all steps have pictures).

MAIN PART OF PANTS

1. Place the left front and left back, right sides together, sew the long seam, then do the same for the right front and right back (you may have to zoom this picture to see the difference between the layers).

2. Unfold both assemblies. Place one of the assemblies right side up. Place the other assembly right side down, on top of the other assembly. Sew the short curved lines together. One of the curved lines is mostly straight with a curve at the bottom - that's the center front seam. The other curved line is a longer, gentler curve - that's the center backseam.

3. Grab the hem end of the upper assembly at the side seam with one hand. Reach under the lower assembly with the other hand and grab the hem end of that side seam. Spread your arms out and lay it back down so that the fabric forms an upside-down Vee. You want the longer center back seam to be underneath it all, so you might have to turn it over. Pin the center front seam to the center back seam at the middle. Starting at the hem ends, pin the legs together, matching them evenly 3/4 of the way up each leg. If the lower layer (backs) seems longer, you may need to stretch the upper layer (front) to finish pinning the legs. This is the inseam, sew it now.

WAISTBAND

4. This step is done the same way as making a neckband. Stitch the short ends of the waistband together, then fold it so that one long edge is wrong side facing the wrong side of the other long edge. Match the seam and pin it there. Pin together at the exact opposite spot. Fold so the pins match, and place a pin in the folds at each end. Match any adjacent pins and place a pin in the middle. You should now have 8 pins.

5. The pants should still be inside out. At the top of the pants, match two adjacent seams and place a pin in the middle. Do this all the way around the pants.

6. Place the waistband inside the pants at the top. Matching all cut edges, place the seam of the waistband directly over the center back seam and pin through all layers. Place the next adjacent pins on top of each other. Place one finger on each side of the pins, pressing down while you remove one pin, and then pin through all layers. Place the next adjacent pin on the side seam, pin together as above, and continue all the way around. Stitch that waistband seam all the way around

HEM

7. Turn the pants right side out and try them on. Mark the length and hem the pants. An exception to this is when I have traced the pants pattern to the correct length, I hem them after step one.