Today I want to provide you with a few tips for cutting out your Luna Pants. This post is Day 3 of the Luna Pantsalong. Hopefully you’ve already made a muslin and washed your fabric, so now it’s time to get to the fun part — cutting and sewing!

Here are the previous Pantsalong posts:

Let’s have a Luna Pantsalong!
Luna Pantsalong: Inspiration
Luna Pantsalong: Planning
Luna Pantsalong Day 1: Measure, Print, Tape, and Trace
Luna Pantsalong Day 2: Make a Muslin
(you can find the Luna Pants sewing pattern here if you need it)

The first thing you should do is fold the fabric in half on your cutting surface, lining up the selvage edges of the fabric as best you can. If you have any wrinkles, press those out with an iron first.

Lay out all pattern pieces before cutting
I recommend that you lay out all of your traced pattern pieces on the fabric to visualize where they will go before you do any cutting. It’s important to line up the grainline arrows on the pattern pieces so they are parallel to the fabric fold/selvages, otherwise the pants may end up draping funny once worn. There’s a suggested cutting layout on page 3 of the pattern to help you figure out where everything will go. Don’t forget that the waistband facings need to be cut at the fold!

Time to cut!
Once you have your pattern pieces arranged the way you want them, pin your pattern pieces to the fabric or use pattern weights to hold them in place. Then carefully cut out your pieces, through both layers of fabric. I like to use a rotary cutter and mat because it goes quickly, but fabric shears are fine too. When you’re finished, you should have:

– 2 back pants
– 2 front pants
– 1 front waistband facing
– 1 back waistband facing
– 4 pockets (2 pairs)

You’ll also need 1″ elastic for the waistband and cuffs, so if you want to cut those out now, go ahead and do that. The chart for the recommended elastic lengths is found on the first page of the pattern.

Make sure you have mirror image pairs
The front and back pant pieces and pockets should be mirror image pairs, as shown above, since you cut through two layers at once. If you choose to cut your pieces out one at a time without folding your fabric first, keep this in mind. I actually DO recommend cutting one piece at a time (rather than through two layers) if you’re working with rayon or a super-drapey fabric that is difficult to work with! It gives you much more control over the grain of each piece.

Contrast waistband
A nice way to save fabric or just add a fun touch is to use a different fabric for the waistband and/or the pockets. I did this with the waistband of my Yucca Luna pants, as well as the mini-pair I’m using for the Pantsalong photos (as you can see above) and it adds a fun surprise inside the pants.

When should you add interfacing to the waistband facings?
If you are working with a fabric that isn’t very stable (rayon, linen, loose-weave wovens, knit etc), I’d also recommend cutting and attaching lightweight fusible interfacing to your waistband pieces to help stabilize the waistband a bit. Avoid using a heavy or mid-weight interfacing; a stiff interfacing will make it hard for the waistband to gather, so look for the lightest interfacing you can find!

Just a quick note about time: the cutting usually takes me about a half hour (remember my planning post?), but if this is your first time making the pants, give yourself at least an hour and go slowly!

GO TO DAY 4

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Want to participate in the Luna Pantsalong? Are you already working on your own pair of Lunas? Join us! Post a photo of your pants, either in progress or finished, to your blog or social media platform of your choice, and either link back to my blog or use the tag #lunapantsalong!

Still need the Luna Pants sewing pattern? Find it here!

Luna Pantsalong Day 3: Cutting

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