Customizing your Pinyon Pants

With all of the pocket options, the Pinyon Pants are a great place to customize to your heart’s content! 

Topstitching

Topstitching is the obvious place to start. If you want to take it to the next level, use a topstitching thread and a topstitching needle. A topstitch needle is strong and has a larger groove for the thread, so the thicker topstitching thread can sit in the groove of the needle as it goes through the fabric.

Before you commit to the separate thread, though, think about your order of operations – will you set up a separate machine to topstitch, or will you switch your thread back and forth? If you’re switching back and forth, you might end up choosing to group steps together a little differently than written in the instructions, to prioritize thread switching over the linear manner of the instructions. 

It gives that decorative design a bit more visual punch without necessitating a topstitch thread in every color. Your fabric choice might impact what kind of topstitch you decide on – a plain canvas just sings with topstitching galore, but a more textured fabric might not show the details that well. Making a little sample with different thread colors and numbers of rows of stitching is a super helpful tool. 

And while we talk about topstitching, you really can let your imagination run wild! Use a contrasting thread for boldness, change up the number of lines of topstitching, or make a decorative design on your pockets! I (Judith) did a mountain design on my back pockets – and while it looks like topstitching thread there, it’s actually a triple stitch instead.

Rivets

Rivets are another decorative option you can add on! Once again, a sample is helpful because hardware can take some practice to get the hang of installing. Rivets can be placed wherever you see a bartack in the instructions, and really add to the utility vibe of the pants. 

Mix and Match

Switching up the pockets is a great way to get creative! Snag the Loop from View B and add it to View A, or take the pleat out of View A for a flatter front pocket like View B. (Adding the pleat to View B, however, comes with the same “wear safety goggles and be careful” warning that heavier fabrics do!)

Add more belt loops, or skip them all together! Maybe you want the pencil pocket from View B, but it doesn’t match the shape of the angular VIew A pockets? Trace off the pocket and reshape the bottom to have an angled edge instead of a curve, and skip the lining. 

You could even really run with the pocket theme and create your own shape. Patch pockets are so easy to customize, especially if you have a specific need in mind. Meredith needs to have a perfect pocket for doggie treats and I love the flat Loop of View B for my gardening knife. The lower pocket of the right leg fits a little earbud case perfectly! What’s your pocket essential? (Maybe make a muslin if you’re really running with it, just to make sure that the pocket hems turn, your pocket essential fits, and the pockets fit where they ought!) 

We hope you’ll have fun making the Pinyon pants into the utility pants of your dreams… ready to hold whatever gardening tool or doggie treats you need!