How to sew barrel pants: free pattern with a paperbag waist, XS to 3XL

Barrel pants are wide, curved-leg pants that balloon out at the knee and taper slightly at the hem. To sew them, cut two fronts and two backs, add in-seam pockets at the side seams, sew the outseams and inseams, join the legs along the crotch curve, then fold down a deep paperbag casing at the waist and thread wide elastic through it. Hem and press. The Sewzy Barrel Pants pattern is free, comes in XS to 3XL by hip measurement and takes about 2 hours.

Download the free Barrel Pants PDF: every size, letter and A0 files and the step-by-step guide.

TL;DR

• Size by hip: XS (36 in) to 3XL (56 in). The pants finish 6 inches bigger than the hip, which makes the barrel shape.
• Fabric: medium-weight woven with drape: linen, linen-cotton, washed twill, tencel or viscose crepe.
• Yardage: 2¾ yd of 45 in fabric for XS to L, more for the larger sizes (see the table).
• Waist: a paperbag casing with 1½ inch non-roll elastic, cut to your waist minus 2 inches.
• Level: intermediate, about 2 hours. The pattern is free.

Barrel pants size chart

Choose by your hip measurement; the elastic waist adjusts to your waist. If you fall between sizes, our guide to what size sewing pattern to choose helps. The ⅜ inch seam allowance and the 1¼ inch hem are included.

What fabric is best for barrel pants?

The barrel shape needs a fabric that holds a curve but still drapes: linen and linen-cotton are the classic choice, and washed twill, tencel and viscose crepe work well too. Avoid stiff denim for your first pair, and avoid stretch knits. Prewash linen twice, because it shrinks. For a winter pair, a soft washed twill or a light wool blend works.

What you need

• Fabric, as in the table.
• 1½ inch non-roll elastic, your waist measurement minus 2 inches.
• Matching thread and an 80/12 needle.
• A safety pin or bodkin to thread the elastic.

How to sew barrel pants, step by step

These are the seven steps of the pattern in short. If you have not printed a PDF pattern before, read how to print PDF sewing patterns first.

1. Cut. Print your size, tape the pages and cut 2 fronts and 2 backs as mirrored pairs and 4 pocket bags. Transfer the notches and the waist, lengthen-shorten and hem lines. Cut the elastic.
2. Pockets. Stitch a pocket bag to each front and back side seam between the notches, 4 to 10½ inches below the waist line, and press the bags away from the leg. Skip this for a pocketless pair.
3. Outseams. Pin front to back and stitch the side seams from waist to hem, sewing around the pocket bags in one go.
4. Inseams. Fold each leg and stitch the inseam from hem to crotch point, easing the front to the slightly shorter back.
5. Crotch seam. Slip one leg inside the other, right sides together, and stitch the whole crotch curve from the front waist to the back waist. Stitch it a second time for strength, clip and press.
6. Paperbag casing. Finish the top edge, fold it down 3¾ inches to the inside and press. Stitch 1½ inches from the fold for the ruffle, then a second line 1¾ inches below it, leaving a 2 inch gap at the back. Thread the elastic through, overlap the ends 1 inch and stitch, close the gap and spread the gathers.
7. Hem. Press the hem under ⅜ inch, fold on the hem line and topstitch. Press the whole pair so the barrel shape settles.

The casing works like any elastic waist; how to sew an elastic waistband explains it in detail, and the free elastic length calculator checks your elastic.

Tips for a great fit

• Between sizes? Make a quick test of the front and back from waist to knee in an old sheet.
• Fuller barrel: sew the outseam ¼ inch instead of ⅜ inch between the pocket and the knee.
• Plain waist: skip the ruffle and fold the casing 2¼ inches instead of 3¾.
• Length: use the lengthen-shorten line, and see how to hem pants for the finish.

Free pattern, every size

The Barrel Pants are free in the Sewzy app, with every size from XS to 3XL, printable pages and a photo for each step. For more easy projects to start with, see easy sewing projects for beginners, and for a matching top, the free Boxy Tee; how to sew a boxy tee walks through it.

Care

Wash cold and hang to dry. Iron linen while it is still a little damp.