I know I said the next Sew-Along was going to be for a sleep/play sack, but this project snuck up on me first!
I got some of Riley Blake’s new cotton Chevron prints and I wanted to make some fun and crazy little pants for my boys. They couldn’t choose just one favorite color so…the pants are really fun and zany.
Pajama pants are one of the easiest beginner projects, so if you’re new to sewing, this is a great Sew-Along to start with! And kids are forgiving/oblivious, so they’ll love whatever you make.
Here’s what you need to make these pants with me:
- McCalls M5695 (I chose this pattern because you can make regular pajama pants OR pants with a ribbed cuff at the bottom – so cute!)
- fabric (cotton, flannel; see pattern for amount)
- 1 1/4″ sport elastic
- basic sewing supplies
INSTRUCTIONS
***use a 5/8″ seam unless otherwise instructed
1. Pin pattern to fabric, making sure that the grain line on the fabric is parallel to the selvage edge.
***If you’re going to use two different fabrics for the legs, make sure you have the wrong sides of the fabric together when you cut out or you’ll have two left legs and that’s bad!
2. Cut out, remember notches! Nothing else on the pattern needs to be marked.
3. Starting at the crotch sew the legs right sides together (5/8″ seam).
4. Finish the leg seams with a serger or zigzag stitch.
5. Turn one leg inside out.
6. Slip the right side out leg into the wrong side out leg so that the right sides of the fabric are together.
7. Line up the top of the leg seam and pin the crotch.
8. Sew a 5/8″ seam around the crotch curve, then sew another line 1/4″ inside of that, so at the 3/8″ mark.
9. Trim the seam allowance close to the reinforced seam line to eliminate bulk.
10. Finish crotch seam allowance (serge or zigzag).
11. Measure out some 1 1/4″ sport elastic by wrapping it around your child’s waist – pull it snug so it fits tightly. Join the ends so you have a continuous tube.
12. Baste around the waist at 1/4″ and press under along the basted line.
13. Press under another 1″ so the raw edge is tucked underneath.
14. Find the 4 center points of both the elastic and the waist – the center front and back seams give you two of the marks on the pants.
15. Place the elastic about 1/8″ lower than the top edge of the waist.
Match up the marks on the elastic to the marks on the pants.
Match the seam in the elastic to the center back seam of the pants. (You can tell the front from the back – the spot where the pant leg seams intersect the crotch seam is closer to the front of the pants.)
16. Don’t pin any more – stretch the elastic all the way out between the pins as you sew the elastic to the waist.
You will sew four lines, one on each of those little channels in the elastic. Be sure to stretch as you sew!
17. The very last step is to hem the pants – whether you had to add length or not, have your child try the pants on and fold the raw edge under until the bottom of the pants just touch the floor. I left a few extra inches on and just folded them into the hem so I can let the pants out as my kids get taller.
Stitch about 1/4″ from the top edge of the hem (sewing inside out).
You probably didn’t need all these pictures and instructions…sewing pants are the easiest! So easy, maybe we should all make another pair, there are plenty of great Chevron colors left!
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