PHOTO CREDIT: Above photo by John Rickman Photography, San Jose, California.

• 2 1/2 yards (229 centimeters) of 45-inch (115-centimeter) wide fabric
• Drawstring or elasic long enough to go around hips. (If elastic is used, the non-roll kind such as that shown in this photo is strongly recommended.)
• Thread

<==Yards & inches

Metric==>

Measure and cut 2 pieces of fabric, each as shown in the top diagram to the left.

Click on either diagram to see it in more detail.

Sew the two pieces of fabric together at the crotch seam, 16 inches (41 centimeters), as shown in this diagram.

Click on the diagram to see it in more detail.

Sew the inner leg seam as a continuous seam, up one leg and down the other, leaving 9 inches (23 centimeters) at the bottom open for the ankle.

Fold over 1/4 inch (6 mm) at the top edge, then fold again an additional one inch to make a casing and stitch. Leave a 1 inch (2.5 centimeter) opening unsewn for inserting the elastic or drawstring.

Click on the diagram to see it in more detail.

• If using elastic, cut it to 2 inches (5 centimeters) shorter than the hip measurement at point where top edge of pants will be worn.
• Or, if using drawstring, cut it to the hip measurement plus 18 inches (46 centimeters).

Attach either a bodkin or a safety pin to one end of the elastic or drawstring and thread it through the casing. (See photo to the right to see what a bodkin looks like.)

If using elastic, sew ends of the elastic together, then sew shut the opening of the casing. If using drawstring, leave the opening open.

Hem bottom edges.

Decorate if desired.

• Belly Dance Costume Patterns. For the dancer who would prefer to purchase a ready-made pattern instead of drafting her own.
• Pants In The Sixteenth Century. Information about the use of pants in historical clothing ensembles.
• Narrow Salwar: Pants that Need Only 1 1/3 Yards or Meters of Fabric. By Arabella.
• Easy-to-Make Baggy Pants. By Arabella.
• Ask the Costume Goddess: How to Make Harem Pants. By Dina Lydia.

• How To Make A Narrow Hem. If you choose to put side slits in your harem pants, these instructions offer an easy-to-make hem for finishing the edges.
• How To Make A Hip Elastic Casing With Wide Bias Tape. A suggestion for an easy way to finish the top edge of the pants.

Arabella began her dance studies with Russian Ballet classes. Frustrated by ballet's impossible ideals, and curious about more ethnic dance disciplines, she moved on to study various other dance forms. Moving further east each time, these included Spanish flamenco, Escuela Bolera, Middle Eastern, and East Indian Odissi.

Arabella, based in Toronto, Canada, is also a certified Mastercraftsman in crewel embroidery, with a special passion for metal thread and ethnic embroidery. Currently she particularly focuses on Palestinian and East Indian embroidery.