Tearaway basketball warmup pants can be made from scratch or from a previously existing pair of wind pants. They are generally made of lightweight polyester or nylon that drapes. To make a pair from a pair of windpants, you will need a pair of windpants that are a size or two too big for the user, a set of snap pliers, 24 (more or less) heavy-duty snap sets, and some 1 inch wide reinforcing tape or heavy interfacing. Use a pair of windpants that does not have elastic in the cuffs.
Start by cutting the outside seam of the wind pants from the top to the bottom. Do the same for the other side. Now, you will need to reinforce the cut edges so that you can safely apply snaps. The snaps on tearaway basketball warmup pants need to be attached firmly, since they will be pulled at vigorously. For this reason, you must reinforce the edges.
You can do this by turning under 1-1/2 inch of the raw edge and sewing woven reinforcing tape on the inside of each side of the pants. Do this for both the front and the back. Have the tape extend all the way up through the waistband and all the way to the hem. Sew the tape about 1/8 inch from both edges. If necessary, you can reinforce these edges with 1 inch strips of heavy interfacing applied inside the folded section along the outsides of the legs. Sew along both sides of the interfacing through all layers even if it's iron-on interfacing. These outside edges must be sturdy.
Now apply the snaps down both sides. Start with two snaps on the waistband and continue down the leg with a snap every 4 inches. Put the portion of the snap that has the knob on the back section of the pants (on the outside), and the portion that has the hole on the front (on the inside). If you follow this right, the front will fit over the back. Measure so that the front snaps will match up with the back snaps.
If you wish to start from scratch, you will need either a basic sweatpants or windpants pattern, or you can take apart an old pair of pants to make a pattern. Use fabric similar to that used for wind pants. It will probably take 1-1/2 or 2 yards for an adult size. Add an inch and a half along the outside edges to allow for folding over and reinforcing. Make sure you make the pants long enough to allow for a hem. If you are going to use sew-through elastic at the waist, you only need to allow 1/2 inch at the top of the pants. If you will be making a casing for the elastic, however, you will need to allow enough to make the casing, or about 2 inches for 1-1/4 inch elastic.
First, sew the inside leg seams, right sides together. Topstitch these seams for durability and a neat look. Now sew the crotch seam from front to back and topstitch it. Next, you will need to apply the elastic to the waist. Sew-through elastic is about 1-3/4 inches wide with 3 or 4 unelasticized strips running the length of the elastic. It will yield a professional looking result if done correctly. The idea is to attach the elastic at both ends and stretch it as you sew through it along the unelasticized lines. It helps to pin it at the halfway point to make sure you are stretching it the right amount. The halfway points in the case of warmup pants would be the front seam and the back seam.
Fold the raw edge at the top of the pants under 1/2 inch before applying the elastic. On the sides, fold it under 1/2 inch and then 1-1/4 inch. This will be the same as the fold that will house the reinforcement tape going down the outsides of the legs. Measure the waist and cut the elastic 1/2 the measurement. Mark the center of the elastic with a pin. Sew the elastic along each end on the front waist. Stretch it out and mark the center point by pinning the elastic to the pants at the centers. Now stretch while sewing through all layers along the unelasticized lines on the elastic. Repeat for each of the lines. Repeat the whole process for the elastic at the back waist.
A somewhat simpler waist can be made by making a casing for the elastic. First fold the outside front edges in as above, so that they are already folded over for the reinforcement. Fold the top 2 inches of the pants front to the inside and press. Fold 3/8 inch of this under and press. Stitch along the top, 1/8 inch from the edge. Stitch along the bottom of the casing about 1/8 inch from the fold line. Measure 1-1/4 inch wide elastic to half the waist size. Insert the elastic into the casing. When the end of the elastic disappears into the casing, stitch that end down firmly. When the other end appears, stitch it down firmly, too. Repeat the process for the back waist.
Now insert the reinforcement tape into the folds on the sides and stitch through all layers on each side. Hem the pants. Apply the snaps down the legs as described above.
