How to Sew Jodhpurs

Find a pair of trousers to convert into jodhpurs. Avoid pants with double seams or flat-felled seams like you find in jeans. Look for a comfortable fit around the waist and fullness in the thigh.

Be sure the material in the trousers you plan to convert is heavy enough. If there isn't enough weight or fullness to the thigh area, you can't get the look of traditional jodhpurs.

Try on the trousers. If possible try them on wrong side out. It's easier to mark them that way.

Mark the bottom of your knees with tailor's chalk. They are easier to mark accurately if you have someone to help. Anything below that line needs to be snug around your calves. Remove the pants.

Lay the pants flat on a table. Using tailor's chalk, draw the shape you want them to take. Use the knee markings to know where to taper. Be sure to get both legs even. Remember to allow for seam allowances.

Set the sewing machine to its longest stitch. Sew with machine basting along the lines on the pants on the wrong side.

Try the jodhpurs on. Examine them in front of a mirror. Sit down in them. If they suit you, sew the seams in place. If not, make the necessary adjustments and then sew the seams.