Newly Cuffed Pants
Take pants from high water to high fashion with a cool plaid cuff. Make it fun by using trendy fabrics, or keep it classic with denim-on-denim.
1. Cut off the bottom of each pant leg ½˝ above the hem stitching. A
2. Measure around the bottom of each leg opening. Cut 2 rectangles of flannel with the length equal to the leg opening plus 1˝. The width of the rectangles is twice the length you want to add to the pants, plus 1˝. B
3. Sew the ends of a rectangle together with right sides facing. Repeat for the other rectangle. C
4. Pin the edge of a flannel cuff to a pants hem piece, with right sides facing and side seams matched. Stitch together, keeping your needle as close to the hemline stitching as possible. D
5. With right sides facing up, pin and sew the other edge of the flannel cuff to the leg opening. Be sure to match up the side seams! E
6. Fold up the cuff halfway and machine stitch along the top to keep the cuff in place. F
7. Repeat Steps 4–6 for the other leg.
OTHER FIX-IT OPTIONS
■Pants to Cargo Shorts (page 33)
■Pants to Cut-Offs— Three Ways (page 41)
■Pants to Ruffled Skirt (page 38)
■Roll up long pants into capris (Restyling Ideas, page 129)
Pants to Cargo Shorts
Are his pants showing a little ankle these days? Or are they looking a little worn at the bottom? Refashion pants by turning them into a rugged pair of cargo shorts!
1. Cut off the pant legs 2˝ below the desired finished length. A
2. Fold the leg edges under twice (1˝ per fold) and hem. For a more professional look, sew 2 parallel lines of stitching, the first along the top fold and the other ½˝ below. B
3. Using the pant legs that you removed, cut 2 large squares for pockets, with the hem of the pants as the top edge. Serge or zigzag the sides and bottoms of the new pockets. Then fold over ½˝ to the wrong side and press. C
4. Center each pocket on the side of a leg. Pin and sew on, leaving the top open. D
OTHER FIX-IT OPTIONS
■Pants to Cut-Offs—Three Ways (page 41)
■Newly Cuffed Pants (page 30)
■Roll up long pants into capris (Restyling Ideas, page 129)
PJ Pants to Bubble Skirt
I remember when I bought my daughter these adorable leggings with gold polka dots. I also remember that the knees were completely worn out in about two days. If your daughter’s clothes have worn-out knees—or maybe she has pajama pants that are missing a top—this bubble skirt project is the perfect way to recycle them!
1. Cut off the pant legs just above the inseam. A
2. Measure from the waistband of the pants down to the desired finished length of the skirt and then back up to where you cut off the pants. Add 1½˝ for seam allowances. B
3. Cut a rectangle for the skirt piece. One side of the rectangle (the skirt length) should equal the measurement calculated in Step 2. The other side of the rectangle (the skirt width) equals twice your child’s waist measurement. For the skirt to hang nicely, the length should be on the vertical grainline of the fabric.
4. Sew the ends of the rectangle together, with right sides facing, to make the skirt piece. Gather the top using the ruffling technique (see Sewing a Ruffle, page 11). C
5. Turn the pants inside out. Pin the gathered edge of the skirt piece evenly to the waistband, right sides facing (the skirt piece will be upside down). The gathered stitching line should be just below the elastic waistband of the pants. Be sure to match the skirt seam with the center back seam of the shorts. D
6. Sew on with a zigzag stitch and then pull out the gathering stitches. E
7. Gather the bottom of the skirt and pin to the bottom of the pants with right sides facing up. Rather than matching the skirt’s seam with the pants’ seam, shift the bottom of the skirt over a few inches before pinning to give it a billowy look. F
8. Sew on with a zigzag stitch. G
OTHER FIX-IT OPTIONS
■Shorts to Lounge Pants (page 124)
■Shorts to Skort (page 127)
■T-Shirt Headband (page 130)
Pants to Ruffled Skirt
When those pants get too short, cut them off and make a great ruffled skirt! You can get your little one involved by letting her choose the fabric to add. Try all one fabric or a rainbow of colors.
1. Cut off the pant legs directly above the inseam. Measure the pants opening all around. A
2. To make the base for attaching the ruffles, cut a rectangle with the length equal to the pants opening plus 1˝. The width of the rectangle is 5˝–10˝, depending on the desired finished skirt length. B
3. Sew the short ends of the fabric piece together, right sides facing, to make a circle. Then sew a ½˝ single-fold hem on an edge. C
4. Sew the unhemmed edge of the skirt piece to the bottom of the pants piece with right sides facing. Match the skirt seam to the center back of the pants. D
5. Cut 4 strips of fabric, each with a length that is double the width of the skirt piece and a width of 4˝ wide. Gather the top edge using the ruffling technique (see Sewing a Ruffle, page 11). If your fabric frays easily, cut the strips 5˝ wide and stitch a ½˝ hem on the top and bottom of each strip before gathering. E
6. Draw lines with a fabric-marking pen to divide the skirt piece into thirds, and then pin and sew the rows of ruffles on the lines. The ruffles will be upside down with right sides facing as you sew. The fourth ruffle is attached to the bottom edge of the skirt piece. F
Pants to Cut-Offs— Three Ways
This is what I think of as the original clothing refashion: cut-off jeans. Here are three quick ways to turn too-short pants into shorts or capris.
1. Cut off the pant legs just below knee level (or whatever length suits your child). A1
2. Zigzag stitch about ¾˝ above the raw edge on each pant leg. B1
3. Snip the edges about ½˝ up, being sure not to cut the stitches. Machine wash and dry to get a nice frayed edge. C1
4. Use the freezer-paper stenciling technique (page 15) to add the whale graphic (For all printable patterns or digital content, click here.). D1
Option 2: Super-Easy Shorts
1. Cut off the pant legs about 2˝–4˝ (depending on the size of the shorts) below the desired finished hemline. A2
2. Fold under 1˝ to the wrong side of the pant legs and iron flat. B2
3. Fold under again to the desired finished length and sew 2 rows of straight stitches, about ½˝ apart. C2
1. Cut off the pant legs about 2˝–4˝ (depending on the size of the shorts) below the desired finished hemline. A3
2. Fold up 1˝ to the right side of the pant legs and iron flat. B3
3. Fold up again to the desired finished length. Use embroidery thread to stitch X’s around the top of the cuffs. C3
OTHER FIX-IT OPTIONS
■Pants to Cargo Shorts (page 33)
■Newly Cuffed Pants (page 30)
■Pants to Ruffled Skirt (page 38)
