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petalique

WANT: Pants like these — for gardening

last month
last modified: last month



(But longer leg)

I need to replenish my supply of gardening pants. I get dirty. I have to tuck socks into pantlegs because we have deer ticks, black legged ticks, Ixodes scapularis.

I have sewing machines and fabric and I may be able to find a simple pattern. But I tend to be a tad 3-D impaired.

I want gardening pants along this line, but w knee and butt reinforcement. Need back and side pockets. Not stiff fabric but not too light. Durable.

Elastic waist in part. Not stretch fabric, but they have to be flexible, roomy.

I think of these as quasi Japanese farm pants. Sort of like ”joggers.”

I would also make some lightweight ones (not heavy on pockets, not reinforced butt and knees) for jammies.

I suppose, I could take apart some threadbare joggers, but I am not patient (pain-brained) and my sewing skills are only so so. I do not have strong spatial facility.

Alternatively, I could tear apart some wrangler jeans — replace the waist back-sides with elastic (that would take me days, if I had the patience to finish). Then I’d have to change the ankle area.

I could buy some — designer? $$$

Any ideas? I have sewing machines, shears, fabric, thread and maybe elastic.

Comments (23)

  • last month

    I bought pants just like that at costco. They are missing cargo pockets but the fabric is awesome. You could pick up a pair of joggers like that and add your own pockets maybe? I would LOVE a custom pocket for my phone. I clip it to the waistband mostly.


    This brand is called ORVIS. I clip the phone into the front pocket on this pair.



    petalique thanked JoanM
  • last month

    The Duluth Trading Co. has some nice gardening overalls.

    petalique thanked lucillle
  • last month

    Thanks. There is a Costco 35 plus miles away. Did you buy those recently?


    I usually dislike shopping — so much traipsing around, plowing through stuff I’m not interested in. Bumping into humans — not always a negative thing.


    I’ll check out places. I wish my MIL were around —for many reasons, but she had so much skill with needle arts. She’d be able to make me a few pair. She was one of those talented people who cold make a silk purse from ——, but was not good at explaining.

    my DH and I often discuss things like how people can have such different styles of brain.


    I suppose I could just reconstruct various trousers I have already. They are only for dirt work (she says, as she ends up wearing them everywhere).

  • last month

    I picked those up last year. Under $10 as they were changing up stock. My favorite old gardening pants are really old jjill cargo pants. I keep patching them because they are Florida weight fabric. That is hard for me to find.

    petalique thanked JoanM
  • last month
    last modified: last month

    Yes. the sort of sewing I do is Patching, mending. Or practical low-couture like dog jackets.

    I need the garden pants to be cool and lose.It gets do humid here and clothing stick and binds. That drives me bonkers — I go to kneel and the fabric sticks to my thigh (scrawny).

    Coveralls are too cumbersome and hot.

  • last month

    This thread has me wishing for a generic portable phone pocket for gardening. If I give it some thought my MIL can probably make it.


    So far I have come up with possible waist band design, mounted horizontal with a velcro closure. But I don’t want a strap touching my back, so maybe not. You would think inventing things would be easier. LOL

    petalique thanked JoanM
  • last month
    last modified: last month

    Joan M - DDIL wears a small belt when she runs. It's lightweight and can easily hold her phone and keys.

    This is the one she has - but there are many others available online.

    https://www.amazon.com/SPIbelt-Running-Belt-Adventurers-Anthracite/dp/B0040NLT9O?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1

    petalique thanked maire_cate
  • last month

    I have several pair of Duluth pants and a pair of their overalls i wear with a sleeveless breathable tshirt when it’s hot. I wear the pants when i volunteer at the garden and at home when i need to wear long pants. I also have their shorts. The overalls don’t fit tightly and are no hotter than a pair of pants. i live in the hot humid South so I know heat. They wear well, the fabric has some stretch, and have tons of pockets. I think you are way over-thinking this in trying to construct something.

    I also endorse the spi-belts. I still use mine although i no longer run. They are useful when walking or for those times i happen to be wearing shorts with not enough pockets. i also have a tool belt that serves that purpose if needed.

    petalique thanked OutsidePlaying
  • PRO
    last month

    I sew my own, but it's pretty basic. I use patterns. Got a chef uniform one the pants are comfy roomy, McCall's 2233. And a few hospital scrub ones that are a bit more trim, Simplicy and Butterick. Leftover from making work clothes of yesteryears, but real easy to use an make up a pair or two if needed. I was feeling fire this spring when I got moms old machine repaired and made myself a pair of flaming chef pants for the garden :)

    I use cotton. Often medium to lightweight quilters hand since it's easy to find. A couple heavier pairs of denim or duck. I got a mile of good heavy lining cotton when JoAnns went out- it's white, heh. Some of it will become gardenwear too. I've preferred to use silk in the past but man, finding suitable silk in person is a road trip for me now.

    petalique thanked beesneeds
  • last month

    Here's a search tip: I like to use Google Image search for things like that. Obviously there are lots of hinky links, but also more trustworthy ones. I do recall seeing some with pockets in the knees for pad inserts, which would be my ideal. However that was long ago, and I don't remember where I saw them.

    Have you looked @ L.L. Bean yet?

    petalique thanked carolb_w_fl_coastal_9/10
  • last month

    Good idea, Carolb.


    Beesneeds, thanks. I need something with more structure than OR scrubs for gardening.

  • PRO
    last month

    What are you looking for in more structure? I use the basic patterns to start, but can add in extra or different pockets, reinforced stitching, extra patches or panels if I want. I tend to just regular pockets on each side and exterior pockets on the butt. I don't tend to add in butt or knee panels, but those are fairly easy to add if you want them. I reinforce the stitching in the crotch and butt seams. Adding in a drawstring or elastic cuffs are just details. Jogger pants, or the pants in the OP aren't really different than a chef or scrub pant pattern.

    petalique thanked beesneeds
  • last month

    Check out Duluth Trading.

    petalique thanked porkchop_mxk3 z5b_MI
  • last month

    Thanks, beesneeds. You have greater skill that I ;)


    I have never sewn pants or pants w pockets. I might have pattern for PJ bottoms. But, again those are more akin to medical scrubs. I don’t want too loose PJ like pants.


    Even w back pain, I get on hamds and knees, shovel soil, lug dug up 15 Lb clumps of daylilies w roots … Jammies are too thin; bluejeans are too stiff and binding. Also, for some reason related to my back injury, jeans or constricting paint around my waist or 2-3 inches below waist, put pressure on the injured area — spinal stenosis, facet joint arthritis post severe soft tissue trauma.


    years ago there was a worker at our place. it was all I could do to not rob him of his trousers! Instead, I asked where he bought them snd got myself some. Unfortunately, that wrangle style no longer works.


    Another time I drove 40 miles to get Craigslist advertized used carpenter snd painters pants. Men’s. I have the couple lots of perennials, I was so elated. Wore those out & waist has expanded.


  • petalique thanked murraysmom Zone 6a OH
  • last month

    Thanks so much, Carol and Murraysmom


    In the meantime, I found my patched other jogger thing (((but new hole in butt where patch came unglued*

    I also found a pair of jeans (TJM) that I had to pay more to get the holes in them, but they were on sale ($12) and they’re kind of Expando so I can wear them except that it’s hot today.


    I will look at those links you gave me later. Right now I came in from outside, trying to work, but it’s too hot and muggy and I have too much to do. DH is doing some work and that’s good except I don’t know if he knows a blueberry plant from a strawberry or from goldenrod,, but he will figure that out.

    I am useless when it’s humid and muggy. I just stick to myself. I’m really meant to live in San Francisco, or someplace coastal maybe England but it can’t be too hot if it’s going to be humid.

    The house is really messy. The DH isn’t good at picking up any stuff or putting it away and it would be OK with him if something were on the floor for a couple hundred years. I don’t think it was always this way. Maybe I’ve overwhelmed him could be

    He made a bunch of zucchini bread really good. We lowered the sugar a bit and we use the skin on the outside of the zucchini after we scrub it really well organic zucchini and then we don’t use as much as the wet inner so it gives a lot of vitamin A and whatever else is in green things And then he put spices in it and raisins and walnuts. It’s really good.

    I was thinking that this time of year I used to bake blueberry muffins outdoors with a roasting pan, no window just a probe with the thermometer stuck in there somewhere away from the bottom so it doesn’t get too hot and the blueberry muffins came out perfectly and I didn’t need to heat the house up if anybody wants the recipe in my technique I’ll be happy to share it although it’s pretty much what I just said.

    I have to see if DH would put one of the air conditioners in one of the windows. It’s already close by so we don’t have to do too much work. It’s just getting the time to do it with so many other things going on.

    I don’t even really like air conditioning, but it’s better than swamp heat and humidity which New England Summers inland seem offer in abundance. I hate England. New England. Hate it hate it hate it the only time it’s good isn’t spring and fall. This was not going to be my permanent landing, but Mr. doesn’t wanna move doesn’t wanna move. I think he would be happy moving if somebody could figure it out and just get one of those helicopters with a hook and deposit him someplace.

    As soon as I get a pattern for my gardening pants and then sell millions of them, I’ll be able to afford that.

    I hope all of you have a good weekend and stay away from fascist parades.


    * I went to sew over the iron-on patches, but the sewing machine needle krpt getting gummed up w glue. Not good for Sea machine, so I will try to locate a Teflon coated SM needle. Or sew by hand.


    It rained most ot the slring early summer. weeds are high .

  • 29 days ago

    Just a thought: To eliminate the need for elastic at the ankle, you could tuck your pants into your socks. That's what I do. I buy white (for tick spotting) cotton or linen pants at a thrift store and tuck them into white crew socks. Then my socks go into rubber boots. My family calls it my hazmat suit. lol It's been effective so far.

    petalique thanked Alisande
  • 29 days ago

    Thanks. We have been tucking our pantlegs into socks, and you're right, it really helps. We also spray Sawyer’s or permethrin on shoes, sock, and pant legs.


    Those deer ticks are the nastiest things. They carry other diseases besides Lyme.


    Linen would be too delicate a fabric. Thanks. I have something for now, and may decide to reconstruct some old trousers.


  • 28 days ago

    I found a lot of ladies cargo ankle pants at this link while looking for Duluth Trading brand. Ladies cargo ankle pants

    petalique thanked PKponder TX Z7B
  • 28 days ago

    It would probably be easy enough to put elastic at the ankle of a pair of pants if you'd find some cargo pants that do not have elastic already in them.

    petalique thanked arkansas girl
  • 28 days ago

    Thanks. And, PKponder, I went to Duluth Trading, but somehow missed the cargo pants w gathered ankles. They seem to have a lot of these, so I suspect I’m all set.

    All of you have been so helpful.