Percy: FreeSewing's Percy Puffy Pants
Designer Notes
I wanted a pair of shorts that had a fall front with a double row of buttons, a front pleat, and a flared bottom edge gathered down into a cuff. So I made one!
The front construction is a simplified, not-especially-accurate rendition of the fall front breeches common in the late 1700s and early 1800s. Most modern interpretations of this style have ornamental buttons and an elastic waistband or a hidden side zipper, but I wanted these ones to be real.
This pattern can be short or long, flared or unflared, and cuffed or uncuffed, so you can produce quite a wide variety of different pants. Only the fall front construction and the pockets are non-optional.
What You Need
To make Percy, you will need the following:
- Basic sewing supplies
- About 1 - 3 metres (1.1 - 3.3 yards) of a suitable main fabric (see Fabric options)
- Some interfacing for the waistband and cuffs
- 4 or 6 buttons for the waistband
- (optional) 2 or 4 buttons for the cuffs (purely ornamental)
Fabric Options
Main Fabric
There’s a wide variety of acceptable fabrics here. Anything bottom- or suiting-weight will do. Quilting cotton works in a pinch. Medium-weight cotton twill is a safe default choice. I wouldn’t go for anything thick or layered like fleece or a quilt, or anything too fine and translucent.
Interfacing
Medium-weight fusible interfacing.
Closures
Buttons are recommended, but you can use heavy-duty snaps if you have them. The cuffs don’t use a closure at all by default - if you add buttons to them, they’ll be purely ornamental.
Cutting Instructions
Main Fabric
- Cut 2 backs, mirrored
- Cut 2 fronts, mirrored
- Cut 2 waistband backs
- Cut 2 waistband fronts
- Cut 4 waistband sides
- Cut 2 cuffs
- Cut 2 pockets
- Cut 2 pocket facings
Interfacing
- Cut 1 waistband back
- Cut 2 waistband sides
- Cut 1 waistband front