A little pair of jeans - a tutorial

September 29, 2011

I just whipped up this little pair of jeans for Juliette out of some left over denim I had. I was inspired by this really cute pair I found on flickr and found the perfect green and white striped jersey here to match.

Here is how to make them!

You will need:

Your child's length from waist to ankle (plus hems) in denim
15 cm ribbing or stretch jersey
Matching thread ( I just used regular thread although the top stitching would look more effective had a gone out and purchased top stitching thread - I was just lazy and wanted to use what I had).

Step 1: Find a pair of pants that fit your child and turn them inside out. Place one leg inside the other and position on top of folded denim (back shown first). Trace around shape with chalk - making sure you pull pants down to fabric around crotch area so as to get the correct shape. Allow for 1-1.5 seam allowance and hems. Don't trace right up to top of waistline as this will be added when you attach the stripe. I added a bit of lenght to these pants too as they are getting a bit small for Juliette.

Your traced outline should look something like this...

Step 2: Flip pants over and repeat process for front of pants (ensure tracing and cutting on folded layers of denim so you end up with two of front and two of back).

Step 3: When put on top of each other, difference in back and front legs should look something like this (back is underneath)...

Press leg pieces and set aside

Step 4: Cut two pocket shapes - I chose rectangles with a rounded bottom. My rectangles were 13 cm in width by 15 cm in length before seams. Overlock or zig zag around edges and press side and bottom edge under 1cm.

Step 5: Turn pocket top down approx 2 cm and sew two rows of top stitching approximately 6mm apart.

Step 6: Also top stitch around sides and bottom of pocket 1cm away from edge and pin both pockets into a position roughly like this.

Step 7: Top stitch pockets to pants approx 1-2 mm from pocket edge.

Step 8: Pin front and back of pants right sides together along side seam. Sew.

Step 9: Overlock or zig zag this seam, then open pants up and overlock or zig zag bottom edge.

Step 10: Pin and sew along inside leg seams and turn one pant leg right side out.

Step 11: Place right side out pant leg inside other pant leg and pin around crotch edge. Sew and neaten this seam. Press.

Step 12: Cut jersey/ribbing piece. Decide on desired band width, then double and allow 2-3 cm for seams. Measure your child's waist and subtract approx 5cm from this length to work out your length of fabric. (Juliette was 50cm waist so I cut a piece 45 cm long and approx 20cm wide).

Step 13: Double over width wise right sides together and stitch along edge seam. Turn right side out and fold halfway down so wrong sides are facing.

Step 14: Place a pin at each quarter of ribbing piece then match these pins up with front, side and back seams (ensure seam in ribbing matches up with back seam). Pin to pants - it will look wobbly but ribbing will stretch as you sew. Sew along waistline and neaten ( I also top stitched along denim 1mm from ribbing).