TUTORIAL - pants with elastic waist

TUTORIAL

12 Steps to Toddler Pants

1. Gather Materials

-half yard of your material (I used blue curduroy)

-straight edge

-marking pen or sharpie

-pins

-elastic (I needed 18 inches to make a size 18month pants)

-scissors

-thread to match

-pair of pants that fit to use as a pattern

2. Fold material in half, place pant leg on the folded edge and trace. Add 2 INCHES along the top (to make room for your elastic casing) and leave 1/2 inch all around for seam allowance.

3. Pin material and cut along your drawn lines. (this makes the front of the pants).

Repeat to make the back of the pants.

4. Open up both pieces and lay right sides together. Pin together at the curved edges only. 5. Sew along the curved edges using a straight stitch. Unpin and then clip threads. 6. Open the fabric and lay sewn edges touching (one in front and one in back)...starting to look like pants now. Yay! Pin the length of the legs together as shown. 7. Sew along the pins using a straight stitch. Pivot as you go around the crotch area.

Unpin and trim threads. 8. Make notches in the crotch area so it will turn easier, have less bulk and lay more flat.

9. Lay the pants you are using as your pattern on top of the pants you are making to see how much you should fold down the waist. (I had 2 inches) Fold down the top 1 inch all the way around and iron. Then fold it down again another inch, iron and pin all the way around. (This is for your elastic casing)
10. Sew all the way around the casing but leave a 3 inch or so gap. Clip threads.

11. Use a safety pin to insert your elastic through the casing. Sew elastic ends together. Pin and sew the gap closed. Clip threads.

12. Hem the legs of the pants and you're done!

Curduroy Pants to Skirt, TUTORIAL and LINKY PARTY!

Wednesdays at Seamingly Smitten

Linky Party #4

Sew it off and Show it off!

Repurposed - My Old Curduroys into A Little Girl's Skirt

I've been reading so many blog posts about repurposing clothes, but I had never tackled a project like this until now. After cleaning out my closet I realized how much free fabric was in there! I thought a quick project would be turning my old curduroys into a skirt for my little girl and another for my niece.

Catherine said "Ta-Da!"

She loved showing off her new skirt and twirled around to prove it!

Mini Tutorial:

1. I basically laid out my curduroy pants and cut off the legs to the height I wanted the skirt and added 2 inches for the elastic casing...So I cut 12 inches up from the bottom of the pant legs.

2. The bottom was already hemmed (time-saver!) so I cut open each leg at one of the seams and had 2 pieces that laid flat.

3. Place pieces right sides together and cut into the shape I needed for the skirt (10 inches wide at the waist and A-line shape). Sew up the sides.

4. Then I made a 1 inch fold along the top then folded it again and sewed all around the waist - leaving room the the elastic to be inserted.

5. I inserted the elastic and sewed the hole closed.

And I thought it needed a pocket detail and a big button. Done!

And below is skirt #2 I made for my 4 year-old niece with the remaining fabric. I even cut around my old pocket, pinned it onto her new skirt and sewed all around. It makes a hand-made skirt look a little more professional, don't you think? :) Now it's your turn!

You've SEWED IT OFF, now SHOW IT OFF!

Linky Party #4

Rules:

1. Show off something you've made. Link to the specific post on your blog.

2. Become a follower or grab my Seamingly Smitten button and put it in your blog post or sidebar so others can join!

3. Look around some of the other links people have posted and leave some linky love comments.

Come back next Wednesday to see some of my favorites and linky up again!