Who Wears Short Shorts?: Kids Shorts Tutorial

Am I the only one who remembers that Nair commercial from the 80s and 90s?  

I have a hard time finding shorts for MM.  Not that many companies make them and if they do, they’re either sweatshirt-like material or booty shorts.  Plus, the homemade ones cost me all of like $2 and I can applique shirts to go with them for another $3.  A cute outfit for $5?  Sign me up!

I did use two pattern pieces for MM’s shorts whose instructions had vanished long ago.  It was a super (and I mean SUPER) cheap pattern from New Look #6880 that I bought at Walmart ages ago.  Even if you don’t have a pattern you can make your own using your child’s existing shorts/pants that fit her super easy.  You can find out more about it here.

Cut out your two pieces.  {This is an Amy Butler fabric.}

Now, here is the most important thing (especially if you’re making smaller clothes because the bottom looks like the top and the top looks like the bottom): LABEL!  I use a dissoluble (water-soluble) fabric marker.  W = waistband, by the way.

See the curve on each side of the pattern?  I call it “The L”.  Sew that.  Make sure to backstitch and use a zigzag stitch or serge your edges.

Then, the “hard part”.  I only say it’s hard because the first time I sewed this pattern it took me thirty minutes just sitting there going, ‘Huh?!’.  Look carefully at my picture (it’s really not hard at all) and put the seams you just sewed  on the top and bottom…see how this blob all of a sudden looks like a pair of shorts?

 

 Sew the “V”–the crotch/inseam.

 

Now it’s time to sew the waistband.  Turn it down 1/4″ and iron.

 

Turn it down another 1/2″ (sometimes I make it more like an 1″…haha) and iron.

 

Sew a 5/8″ seam allowance.   Leave a 1″ opening so you can pull the elastic through.

Cut your elastic–MM’s tiny waist needs about a 14″ piece of elastic.  Put a safety pin through the end.

Pull the elastic through the waist.

 

Sew the ends of the elastic over and over and over…you don’t want it to pop!

 

Turn the leg hem under 1/4″ and sew.  And then, taa-daa!, it’s finished.  Unfortunately, Miss MM was asleep when I finished these and so there are no pictures of her modeling her new shorts.  But here’s a cute shot of her on Sunday with another pair I made her.

 

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