Children

DIY clothing: how to create many beautiful leggings and pants for children

I believe that all mothers with a little manual skills, sooner or later came the desire to sew some clothing for their children. This is in fact tempting and gives a lot of satisfaction, not only because it is a creative way to save, but also because you can create many beautiful dresses with fabrics and in the models you like the most.

Most try their hand at quick and easy sewing projects (for example bibs) thinking that sewing a pair of trousers is too complicated. But if this is true for adult pants, it is not true for leggings and children’s pants that in most cases, not having pockets or zippers and having the simplest crotch and a simple elastic waistband, are a sewing project that all moms, even beginners of sewing, They can cope with.

How to make shorts

Generally before cutting the fabric, it would be good to have a pattern for shorts to follow. On the net you can find some very simple ones: just bring them back on paper to have a pattern to be exploited even more than once.

Once cut, the pattern should be placed on the fabric (double or single put depending on the model of the trousers) and stopped with pins. First, however, pay attention to the direction of the fabric and place the pattern following the straight thread. Only then we proceed to cut the fabric having the foresight to leave a couple of centimeters of margin for the seams.

To make you understand the process you can read this → tutorial for sewing shorts or you can watch this → video to make leggings very clear -even if it is in English- which explains how to cut and how to make the seams both with the sewing machine and with the tagliaecuci (very useful for sewing the knit).

Making shorts without the pattern

However, when you don’t have a pattern available (and it happens very often) and you aren’t able to draw one yourself, the best solution is to → use another pair of shorts from which to make the pattern or → place the trousers on the fabric and draw the outlines to be cut.

Once the fabric has been cut, the parts are joined by basting with a needle and thread (solution suggested by the seamstresses) or simply using pins (a solution appreciated by mothers ) and then passing the shorts 😉 under the sewing machine. To find out in detail how to proceed, you can follow the tutorials that I have indicated to you with the arrows.

Nice models

The most delicate part of the trousers is the crotch which normally must have the tip of the back longer than the front. However, for children’s trousers , especially those in jersey, this is not strictly necessary and you can also make the front part of the crotch the same as the back part, or you can make the back part a little higher if there is a need to some space for the diaper.

Wanting to sew slightly more original shorts , while remaining on easy and quick to make models, I suggest the  → Turkish shorts  which are nice and very comfortable, have the front crotch the same as the back and can be made of jersey by recycling old t-shirts .

While sewing a pair of leggings with classic crotch you can still get nice pants by sewing on them ruffles or curled flounces →girls’ shorts.

What to use to make leggings and pants for children

To make basic leggings or shorts – as I call them – that is, simple and quick trousers, with an elastic waistband and no frills, you can use soft cotton, fleece cotton, jersey or simply jersey fabrics. On the market you can find remnants of all types and patterns even at bargain prices.

Wanting to save money and indulge in recycling, you can also make leggings and pants for children using the most beautiful and imaginative you can find in the closets, as long as it is to be recycled. For example, you can do:

  1. pants sewing pieces of T-shirts that no longer fit
  2. shorts using old mom and dad t-shirts
  3. leggings with wool sweaters
  4. knit leggings or socks using old thick socks

By following these simple directions and the tutorials I’ve found, you won’t have any trouble sewing your first shorts or leggings for your baby.
Otherwise get help from a friend or do some tests: if you do something wrong the damage will be minimal, if instead everything goes as well as I think, the satisfaction will be maximum. 😉

Dr Kathryn Barlow

Kathryn Barlow is an OB/GYN doctor, which is the medical specialty that deals with the care of women's reproductive health, including pregnancy and childbirth.

Obstetricians provide care to women during pregnancy, labor, and delivery, while gynecologists focus on the health of the female reproductive system, including the ovaries, uterus, vagina, and breasts. OB/GYN doctors are trained to provide medical and surgical care for a wide range of conditions related to women's reproductive health.

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