These are comfy and practical and although I have written this tutorial in children’s sizes, it will easily translate for adults as well!
You will need:
- A pair of your child’s pants that fit well and are the right length
- 1m light cotton fabric
- 1m 20mm elastic (approx. only)
- 1m 12mm elastic (approx. only)
- Scissors
- Pins
- Sewing machine and thread
- Butchers paper
- Texta
- Ruler
What to do:
Lay out your butcher paper on the table. Place your child’s pants on the paper and trace from the inner crotch down inside leg, across the hem and up to the waistband, finishing halfway across waist.
Remove pants. Join waist line to inner crotch line. Measure pants leg width and add this measurement along outside edge. For example my daughter’s size 2 jeans were 22cm across the hem so I added 22cm to the side. Increase height of hem by 2 inch and increase length of leg by 1.5 inch to allow for elastic.
Cut this piece out, it will be your pattern piece.
Fold your fabric in half twice in the same direction. Lay your pattern piece on the folded fabric so that the line from the waist to the crotch is on the double fold in the fabric. Cut along all sides except the line from the waist to the crotch.
Pin the fabric pieces right side together. Sew side seams and inner legs.
Fold down 1 inch along waistband, pinning to the inside of the pants and sew in place leaving a small gap to thread through elastic.
Measure your child’s waist and cut elastic to size. Using a safety pin, thread elastic through the casing. Sew ends of elastic together and sew opening in waistband closed.
Fold down 6/8 inch along bottom of pant legs and pin to inside. Sew in place leaving a small gap for elastic. Cut elastic to the same length that you increased the width of the leg (for me this was 22cm). Thread elastic and finish in the same manner as the waistband.
Turn pants right side out and voila, harem pants!
I made these for my son too, with a skull fabric. He calls them his pirate pants!
Originally posted 2014-11-17 22:31:27.