May 16, 2008 | Mama Smith

pants tutorial

I am not a perfection sewer. I am a get-it-done sewer, who forfeits beautifully matched seams and smooth lines for a speedy project I can feel good about completing 20 minutes after starting. This is why my quilting project is taking such an annoyingly long time to complete. Quilting requires perfection, one aspect I’ve never enjoyed about sewing.

These t-shirt pants are my ideal quick fix for when I catch the sewing bug. You can use any old tshirt or cute fabric you like. I do both. Here’s a tutorial for using a tshirt though:

1. Find a pair of pants that are a good fit on your kids. I like capris on my boys, so I always add a few inches to the pair of shorts I use as a model. Fold the pants/shorts in half where the seam is and lay out on an inside-out tshirt. With the outside edge of the pants/shorts laid next to the outside seam of the tshirt, as pictured.

2. Sketch around the pants/shorts. I sketch right up next to the pants and then when I cut it out, I add a quarter inch for the sewing seam and about 2 inches at the top to make the waist. Cut out the sketch and lay on the other side of the shirt, cutting out another pant leg. You should have two that look like this when you’re done cutting (Note: I didn’t want legs quite as big as those shorts, so I modified as I cut, yours will look different if you sketch your pants exactly)

3. When you have your two pant legs cut out, open them up, laying the right sides together. Pin the fabric together.

4. You’re then going to sew the two pieces of fabric together from the top down to the crotch. Do NOT sew past the crotch. You’re basically sewing from the waist to the crotch. The inner seam of the pant leg will be sewn later.

5. When you’re done, pull the two seams you just sewed out and you should now be able to “see” your pants, with two legs and all. Keep the pants inside out and match the two pant legs together, pinning them together for sewing. Make sure the bottoms are exactly matched.

6. Sew the pant legs together with one continuous seam. Just make sure to slow down as you get to the crotch area so you can curve the fabric around to continue down the other inside pant seam.

6. Once you sew the pant legs, fold the top down twice to make a waist. Pin and sew around the waist, making sure to leave plenty of room to thread the elastic through and a hole for it to enter.

7. I use this really fancy contraption to thread my elastic :) Ha. I’m sure they sell something for this purpose, but a contorted paper clip works just fine.

8. Thread the elastic through the waist of the pants.

9. Pulling slowly as you go, keeping plenty of elastic available.

10. Pull one thread of elastic through so you have one piece coming out each side.

11. I used to tie the elastic in a knot, but that created an annoying bump that would annoy Brighton. So now I just match the elastic together and sew it.

12. Bunch all the fabric from the waist down so you don’t have to stretch the elastic as you sew. Then put the elastic in the hole and sew the hole shut. If you sew a bit of elastic while you’re doing this, it’ll keep it from twisting up.

13. Put them on your kiddo and enjoy having a pair of play pants that can be guiltless destroyed, unlike those $30 babyGap shorts.