What you will learn
What is involved
What you need to know
What you can do next

Pants that Fit

Course Overview

Learn how to create pants that fit your body comfortably and confidently in this practical sewing course for adults. Designed for students with basic sewing skills, this hands-on workshop teaches participants how to adjust commercial sewing patterns to achieve a more personalised and flattering fit.

Using the Palmer/Pletsch fitting method and the Butterick B6845 fitting pattern, students will learn how to identify common fitting problems, make pattern adjustments and improve the fit of handmade pants through tissue fitting and fabric fitting techniques.

Throughout the course, participants will develop practical garment fitting and sewing skills while gaining confidence working with commercial sewing patterns. Guided by an experienced tutor, students will learn how to measure accurately, alter patterns for individual body shapes and construct pants that fit more comfortably and suit personal style preferences.

Whether you are frustrated by ready-to-wear clothing, looking to improve your sewing skills or interested in creating custom-fit garments, this course provides a supportive and practical learning environment for adult learners.

Macquarie Community College operates from a range of venues across Northern and Western Sydney. We have campuses in Blacktown, Carlingford, Chatswood, Epping, Mt Druitt, Richmond, and Ryde. Enrol now!

Learn more about this course

What you will learn

Course outline

Students will learn how to make a commercial pants pattern fit their own unique shape using the Palmer/Pletsch fit method.

  • Introduction to pant fit
  • Measuring and how to ascertain correct size
  • Pattern preparation for fitting
  • Tissue fitting
  • Pattern adjustments for a good fit
  • Layout and cutting for pants
  • Fabric fitting
  • Pants construction

Course Outcome

By the end of this course, participants will be able to adjust commercial pants patterns to achieve a more comfortable and personalised fit. Students will develop confidence using tissue fitting techniques, making common pattern alterations and sewing custom-fit pants suited to their individual body shape and style preferences.

What you need to know

Entry Requirements

Students will need to have basic sewing skills.

What you need to provide

Comfortable, easy to change out of clothes. You may like to wear/ bring a camisole and leggings or tights to wear during fitting.

  • A box of fine large head pins in a magnetic pincushion
  • Tape measure
  • Soft lead pencil
  • Red and green fine felt tip pens
  • Two rolls of 12mm Scotch brand magic transparent tape
  • Weighted table tape dispenser
  • Paper scissors
  • Gridded plastic ruler (eg quilters), plastic ruler or dressmakerssquare
  • 6mm elastic to tie around your waist
  • Note pad and pen
  • 1.2m of calico, cheap fabric or an old sheet for a half toile
  • Fabric to make up pants (see reverse of pattern for amount)
  • 18cm nylon zipper (not invisible)
  • Thread (Gutterman, Metrosene or Rasant) to match
  • Basic sewing kit (scissors, needles, quick unpick, chalk etc)
  • Interfacing (for waistband, 10cm of fusible will be sufficient)
  • Palmer/Pletsch gridded pattern tissue (from Lincraft, Spotlightor online from stores such as annsimpson.com) or white giftwrap tissue. Greaseproof paper is too stiff
  • Sewing machine and manual
  • Butterick pants pattern B6845 is the recommended fittingpattern
  • Previously versions such as McCall’s pants fittingpatterns M6901, M5239 (sizes 6 to 22),M5537(sizes 18W to 32W for larger, more mature women’sfigures) and M9233 are also suitable.

Optional book “Pants for Real People” by Pati Palmer and Marta Alto. This is a useful reference book and is available from www.mccalls.com.au , www.palmerpletsch.com and www.booktopia.com.au You may also find it at Spotlight and Lincraft.

Determining Pattern Size

Compare your hip measurements to those below. Purchase the pants pattern according to your fullest hip measurement above the crotch (generally 18 to 23 cm below the waist).

Size: 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 2618W 20W 22W 24W 26W 28W 30W 32W

Waist: 56 58 61 64 67 71 76 81 87 94 99 10484 89 94 99 105 112 118 124

Hip: 80 83 85 88 92 97 102 107 112 117 122 127107 112 117 122 127 132 137 142

Patterns can be purchased at Spotlight, Lincraft or online at:

  • www.simplicity.com
  • www.sewdirect.com.au
  • www.sewingpatternsonline.com.au
  • www.allpreciousthings.com.au
  • Patterns can also sometimes be found on Ebay

Where to Buy Fabric Suggestions

  • Spotlight, Lincraft, My Hung (Parramatta)
  • The Fabric Store (Newtown), Drapers Fabrics (Newtown)
  • Tessuti Fabrics (Surry Hills)
  • The Remnant Warehouse (Alexandria)
  • Fabric Muse (Chippendale)
  • Super Cheap Fabrics www.supercheapfabrics.com.au

Prior to attending the first lesson students should:

1. Preshrink all washable fabric and linings by washing with detergent at the same water temperature you plan to use when laundering.

2. Fabrics marked “dry clean only” can be steam pressed using a steam iron. Iron the fabric from side to side (not diagonally) and steam evenly. Allow the steamed fabric to dry thoroughly before moving.

If you are unsure of your pattern size, or have difficulty purchasing the pattern, please contact Wendy Luxford on 0403824731.

Coming soon

Classes for this term have finished. New classes are coming soon.

Please call 1300 845 888 and our team will help you with enrolment.

Contact us

Delivery Mode

To meet the needs of our students Macquarie Community College balances delivery and engagement across permanent, regular and temporary delivery sites and offer face-to-face, remote zoom classes and self-paced learning options.

Ways to Study

  • On campus

Our college campus locations are:

    • Blacktown
    • Chatswood
    • Carlingford
    • Epping
    • Ryde
    • Mt Druitt
  • Virtual classroom
  • Complete workplace training
  • Combine ways to study

FAQ

How you got questions? Please see our comprehensive FAQ page for everything you need to know about Macquarie Community College, our policies, student support, application and enrolment procedures.

How to Enrol

Step 1 - Choose Your Course

  • Select the non-accredited short course you are interested in.
  • Find a day and time that suits your schedule.

Note: Enrolment is open to anyone 18 years or older.

Step 2 - Enrol and Verify

  • Click ‘Enrol Now’ after selecting your course and schedule.
  • Enter your details on the enrolment page.
  • Verify your email through a secure link sent to your email address.
  • Complete the secure checkout and payment process.

Ensure you read the Terms and Conditions available at: Macquarie Community College Terms and Conditions. For assistance, call customer service at 1300 845 888.

Step 3 - Receive Your Enrolment Details

  • You will receive an immediate enrolment confirmation email upon successful enrolment. Check and read the attached Terms and Conditions.
  • The payer of the enrolment will receive a tax invoice immediately after processing.
  • You will receive a course reminder email a day before your class begins.
  • For Online Zoom classes, a Zoom link and password will be emailed the day before class. Use the same link and password for subsequent sessions if applicable.