Align the side of the back (piece 1) with the side (piece 3) making sure to put the good sides together. Since the side (piece 3) is symmetric, you can't go wrong.
Serge them together, taking into account that the seam allowance is 1cm. So aim the outside needle of your serger 1cm from the edge of your fabric.
> If metric is not your bag, 1 cm is 3/8 inch.
> Some sergers have a lever to choose between flat seams, or bundled up seams.
> If you plan to topstitch later (see Step 6), make sure to choose flat seams.
### Step 2: Join back to second side
Align the other side of the back (piece 1) with the second side (piece 3) making sure to put the good sides together. Since the side (piece 3) is symmetric, you can't go wrong.
Serge them together, as you did on the other side.
> The back and sides are now joined together.
> Put them aside for a moment as we turn our attention to the other pieces.
### Step 3: Join first inset and fronts
Joining the inset (piece 4) with the fronts (piece 2) requires you to serge them together across their curvy edges.
> Remember that you have two fronts.
> You have to put them on top of each other and treat it as one double-layered front.
Faced with a tricky seam like this, you might reach for your pins or basting thread, but don't.
Pinning or basting this will make it harder to sew.
Instead, start at the top of the curved seam, aligning the pieces as shown, and slowly serge them together a few cm.
As you move along, manipulate the fabric to make sure both edges stay on top of each other as you feed them through your serger.
As you manipulate the fabric to get it aligned properly, it's easy to stretch one part more than the other. The notch in the curved edge can help you make sure you're keeping things even.
Once you've passed the notch, things will get easier. This would also be a good time to compare the remaining length of the curved seams. If one is a bit longer than the other, simply stretch the shorter one until they match up.
<Note>
This step is optional. Topstitching adds a visual effect that emphasizes the individual pattern pieces.
It's nice to visually break up a solid fabric, but if you're using a print, or when you're colour-blocking, you might want to not topstitch.
</Note>
If you want to topstitch your serged seams for visual effect, you should do so now.
If you topstitch, simply do it for every seam, making sure to do so with a flexible stitch. You can use a zig-zag stitch or twin needle if you don't have a coverlock or specific flexible stitch setting.
<Tip>
When topstitching the seam that closed the fronts dart, start from the bottom,
and let the topstitching run all the way to the top, where the waistband will come.
The seam stops halfway through (where the dart ends) but your topstitching should continue.
Time to hem the legs. Hem them as you would do any other stretchy knit. Go for a flexible stitch. You can use a zig-zag stitch or twin needle if you don't have a coverlock or specific flexible stich setting.
<Note>
I feel that hemming is much easier when you pin things in place first.
So fold back your hem, and pin it in place.
Even better: pin both legs in place and only sew when you're happy with how it looks.
