So I have been collecting Doug’s old shirts and mine – that have fun patterns or good pockets. You ask why? Well, I have been saving them to make pants for the kids. Soulemama has a technique she wrote about in her book The Creative Family. I thought – what a great idea! I love to re purpose something and give it new life.
So I busted into my collection and began my project. Amazingly it is super quick. I think in total it may have taken 15 to 20 minutes – not too bad and in the end you get a cool new pair of pants.
Here’s how it goes….. take your shirt, lay out a pair of pants that is the kids current size, trace around it (I actually just cut with the pant laying on the shirt – another way to save a step). Add a little around the pant to allow for seam allowance, cut a piece of elastic to size, sew it up and you got yourself a new pair of pants. You can read in detail in her book.
I place the pants so that the pocket of the shirt becomes the back pocket of the pants. I recently made Ryder a pair out of an old Ben Davis shirt of Doug’s (they are adorable) and also a pair of linen pants out of an old linen shirt (perfect for spring/summer).
My shirts don’t work so well b/c of pleating (something to watch for). I have some jersey shirts I will be using for shorts and leggings. I did make a skirt out of an old shirt of mine for Saige – it’s now one of my favorite skirts for her.
(and her shirt is a new one I made yesterday – my little Peace baby!)
I love to see the little ones in their handmade garb – and they seem to like it too! Nothing better than when your 4 1/2 year old says “mama, will you make me another pair of pants”. I just LOVE it!!!!
