I’ve got something new for you, though! If you are like me, you love a good twirly skirt! With some fabulous fabric, a single layer twirly skirt is awesome. However, nothing compares to the fullness and twirl of a double twirly skirt! My daughter loves them! I love them. She looks so adorable and girly in them. They make her look more graceful (though they don’t actually make her more graceful).

I can also make them longer, meaning they’ll fit longer and don’t look like some of the tiny clothing they make for 4-year-old girls these days. (Seriously, why is it so stinking hard to make clothing for little girls that makes them look like little girls? Why do they need to look like sassy teenagers (or worse)?)

Though this skirt looks complicated, it is simple. Super simple. Only sewing in straight lines simple. This is a great project for beginners, since your only pieces are rectangles. Easy! And the end result looks so… fancy and fabulous! (Couldn’t decide which word would best describe it!)

Supplies for Double Twirly Skirt Tutorial

Here is what you need for the project:

– scissors

– sewing machine

– something with which to mark on fabric

– ruler and/or yard stick (I use both.)

– thread

– fabric (I used 4 different fabrics in my version, but you can use just two if you’d prefer.)

-You’ll need a double length of the under layer fabric. (I made my under skirt 15″ long, so I needed 30″ of fabric.)

-You’ll need a double length of the over layer fabric. (I made my over skirt 11″ long, so I needed 22″ of fabric.)

-You’ll need 6″ of your waistband fabric.

– If you MAKE a tie, you’ll need 4″ of fabric for that. You can also use ribbon, rope, twine, shoestring, whatever. You can also use double or triple elastic if            you prefer. The double skirt is kind of heavy, so it needs something more than just some 1/4″ elastic holding it up.

Cutting Your Fabric

Decide how long you want to make your skirt. If you are making a skirt for an infant, you only want to use one width of the fabric, instead of two. (Having just one large rectangle, just one small rectangle, just one waistband piece, and just one length for the tie.) Anything over a 2T, keep reading.

Your under layer should be AT LEAST 2″ longer than the over layer. I typically keep it between 2″ and 5″ difference, depending on the fabrics. (And sometimes depending on how much of a fabric I have.) For my skirt, I made the under skirt 15″ long and the over skirt 11″ long. My model above wears a size 5 in little girl’s. So, the length you decide on will determine height of the rectangles you’ll cut.

From you under layer fabric: Cut 2 rectangles 20″ x the length of your skirt on the fold. (When you open the rectangle up, it will be 40″ x length.) (Mine were 40″ x 15″)

From you over layer fabric: Cut 2 rectangles 20″ c the length of your over skirt on the fold. (When you open it up, it will be 40″ x length.)(Mine were 40″ x 11″)

From your waistband fabric: Cut two strips 20″ x 3″ on the fold. (Opened they will be 40″ x 3″ each.)

From your tie fabric: Cut two strips 2″ across the length of your fabric.

Tip

You can decrease the width of the skirt, taking some of the “poof” out if you’d like. I don’t recommend any less that a total of 40″ circumference. You can add poof by using all the fabric all the way to the edge, but I prefer to cut a bit off to make sure my measurements are even. Some fabrics may say 44″ wide, when they are in fact a bit more or less.

Let’s Sew a Double Twirly Skirt

Working on the under skirt first, place the right sides of your two fabric rectangles together and sew the short sides. You’ll want to go ahead an finish your seams. I serge mine. You do whatever it is you do to yours. (Zig-zag, french seam, whatever.)

Once your side seams are all sewn up and finished, you’ll want to go ahead and do the hem. Hem in however it is you hem it. I serge mine, then turn the serging under and sew. You can do a double fold hem, or whatever hem it is that you like.

Put the under skirt aside.

Now, we’re going to do the same thing with our over skirt (the short layer). You’ll sew the short sides of the rectangles right sides together. Finish your seams. Hem the bottom. Now, you have both the top and the bottom layer done!

Sewing the Waistband

Now, turn your attention to the waistband. Sew the short sides of the two strips right sides together. I serge mine, but you really don’t have to finish the side seams of the waistband. The seams will be hidden inside the waistband of the skirt, so you can skip the finishing. I’m just weird. Instead of hemming the bottom, you’ll finish the top. I just serge mine, since it will be on the inside of the skirt. You can zig-zag over the edge if you prefer, or just do a single fold hem, since the unfinished edge will get enclosed in the waistband.

For the tie, I like to place a buttonhole on my waistband. It seems easiest. Some people like to leave a portion of their waistband seam open, but I always mess that up somehow. A buttonhole near the side seam, toward the bottom of the waistband works out perfectly for me. Place it low enough that it will be on the front of the skirt, but high enough it won’t get caught in the seam. You can do the button hole horizontal, instead or vertical, but the placement is a bit more tricky that way.

Putting the Double Twirly Skirt Together

Putting the under skirt and the overskirt together now. With the wrong side of the over skirt facing the right side of the under skirt, align the tops of the skirts, matching the side seams. Baste around the top of the two skirts. (Basting is sewing a straight line with the longest stitch setting.) You’ll want to baste the edges closer to the edge than your seams normally are. (If you sew with a 1/2″ seam, baste at a 1/4″.)

Now, you’re going to attach the waistband to the skirt. With the wrong side of the waistband facing the right side of the overskirt, sew around the bottom of the waistband/top of the skirt. Here is why it was important to baste closer to the edge than you normally sew. You’ll want your basted line hidden, and it will be now!

Press the waistband up. You’ll want your seam toward the top of the waistband. Believe me, this step will help the next go smoothly.

Fold the waistband over and sew down. I line up the top line with the sewn line on the skirt. Don’t fret if your line is not completely straight on the front of the skirt. No one will really see it.

Making The Drawstring

If you are making a tie, you’ll need to sew the short sides of one side of the tie strips together. Just one side. Otherwise, it will be quite difficult to use.

Press the seam open.

Fold the strip in half and press. (See the picture for the correct version of half.)

Fold one edge toward the center and press. This is simple, though it does take some time to press down all 80″ of tie. Watch your fingers! Get them too close and you’ll suffer burns!

Press the other side in toward the center seam. Now, you have what looks like double fold bias tape, which would be exactly what it is minus being cut on a bias.

Sew down the middle of the tie. You CAN just do a straight stitch. I prefer to do a zig-zag.

Or if you happen to have a machine with some fancy stitches that you never get to use, you can use one of those. Ties are a great chance to use those stitches, and if you mess up, no big deal, it is just a tie.

Adding The Elastic

Now, grab your piece of elastic. (You want the skirt to fit snug, but not too snug. The elastic really isn’t going to do much holding the skirt up, it is just for shape and keeping you from having to regather the thing every time you wash it.) Pin your tie to your elastic with the tie on the front. Also put a pin on the end of your elastic so it doesn’t just shoot straight through the skirt. The tie is long enough that you don’t have to worry about it.

Finishing The Double Twirly SkirtTotorial

Thread the tie and elastic through the waistband. Sew the ends of the elastic together. Pull on the tie and get it even on your skirt. The elastic will probably pop right into place while you’re messing with the tie.

Cut your ties to a manageable length. (That length depends on the waist of the wearer and how long you the tie to hang.) Tie the ends of the tie in little knots.

Tie the tie in a bow and you’re done! One of my favorite things about this skirt is that it lasts forever! (I’m updating this in 2023. The little girl in the pictures is now 16 and her 4-year-old sister is wearing this skirt now!) This thing will fit your little princess for a very long time! It will fit until it is too short, no outgrowing the waist on this thing! My daughter’s favorite thing about this skirt is that it is SUPER twirly. She loves the princess-like fit. Enjoy!

Like all my patterns, you can do what you wish with this. You can make skirts for you, neighbors, friends, kids… You can sell the skirts you make. Just don’t claim the pattern as yours, cause that is just wrong. And feel free to share this tutorial!

Other Notes From the Parsonage Posts You Might Enjoy

• Double Ruffle Pants Tutorial
• Tiered Pants Sewing Tutorial
• Petal Skirt Tutorial
• Crayon Wallet Tutorial
• Wide Leg Ruffle Pants Tutorial

The post Double Twirly Skirt Tutorial appeared first on Notes From the Parsonage.

This tutorial makes a crayon wallet with messy pleats perfect for fat little fingers. It may be confusing the first time through, but once you see what you are attempting to accomplish, you’ll find it much easier the next time. It seems long and complicated, but it really is fairly simple! (With all my tutorials, you can use them as you please- just don’t take credit for the design, because that is just wrong. But sell wallets you make, make them as gifts, whatever!)

First, you need to cut your pieces. You can easily make these from fat quarters! (In fact, you can make two wallets with 2 fat quarters.)

• Cut one 6″ x 6″ square of your contrast fabric.

• Cut one 14″ x 5″ rectangle of your contrast fabric.

• Cut two 10″ x 7″ rectangles of your main fabric.

• Cut two 10″ x 7″ rectangles of heavy weight fusible interfacing.

(You’ll also want to consider your closure type. You can sew a ponytail elastic in and sew a button on the front to close it. Or you can sew in two ribbons to tie it closed. You can use ribbon or a fabric tab and add snaps to close. For this particular one, I used snaps and a fabric closure.)

Apply the heavy weight interfacing according to the directions on the interfacing. If you are running low on interfacing, you can just interface one of the large, main rectangles (the 10″ x 7″ ones). But for best results, you’ll want to apply interfacing to both 10″ x 7″ rectangles. (And, of course, you are interfacing the wrong side of the fabric!)

If you are adding a snap, you’ll need to mark the front snap placement. The snap should be 3.5″ from the top (of the right 7″ side) and 1″ in. Mark your spot, use awl or pointed object to poke a hole in the fabric at that spot. Using a snap press or snap pliers, apply a snap to the marked spot with the cap of the snap on the interfaced side (will be the inside) and the snapping part on the right side of the fabric. This 10″ x 7″ rectangle will be the outside of your wallet.

Take the other 10″ x 7″ rectangle, and find the center. (Fold in half and press a crease.)

With the 6″ square and 14″ x 5″ rectangle of contrast fabric, make a half inch double fold hem on one edge. (A 14″ edge of the rectangle.) To make a double fold hem, press down 1″. Turn fabric edge under and press 1/2″ under. Seam is now 1/2″. Sew along the edge to finish.

(Picture showing how to turn the edge under.)

(Picture showing both finished edges. The square will be the top of your paper pocket. The large rectangle will be the open edge of your crayon pocket.)

These pockets are the trickiest part of this whole project. It may seem confusing the first time you do it, but it gets easier after that first one. Place your 6″ square pocket face down on your fabric as shown above. Make sure your finished edge is toward what will be the top of your wallet. (Note that in the above picture, it is all upside down since I am sewing the pocket on from the bottom to the top.) Align the pocket so it is about 1/4″ to 1/2″ over the center line. (That crease we pressed earlier.) Sew down the center line, joining the two fabrics. Only sew to the top (the finished edge) of the paper pocket, making sure you backstitch at the top. (If you are confused about placement, keep reading and I think you’ll figure out where this is going.)

I sew a straight stitch down the center. Then, I zig-zag over the raw edge of the pocket- further securing it and making it look neat and tidy.

As you can see in the picture above, the wrong side of the fabric is showing. We’re going to flip the pocket to the right and it will look fabulous! Keep reading.

Flip the pocket over so the right side is now showing. Line up the edge of the pocket with the edge of your main fabric. Sew the pocket down close to the edge. This seam will get covered later, so don’t worry with backstitching or enclosing the edges. Notice, the square pocket is not a perfect fit. Resist the urge to trim it to lay perfectly flat here. The gap is intentional!

Press all the excess toward the center seam. Now, sew (from bottom to top, parallel with the center line) a straight line forming a 1/2″ (you can estimate) mini pocket on the inside of the paper pocket. (This is going to be for a little pencil.) Make sure you backstitch at the top (finished edge) of the pocket.

The little excess now needs to be flipped or pleated away from the center seam, then basted down as close to the bottom edge as possible. (This seam will be hidden later, so don’t fuss with backstitching or edges.) This makes the little pencil pocket pleated, and gives it room so the pencil goes in and comes out easily, making it easy for fat little toddler fingers to both take it out and put it back. We’ll be using the same “technique” with the crayon pockets.

Place the crayon pocket (the 14″ x 5″ rectangle of contrast fabric that you finished a long edge of) and place it right side up along the left edge of your main fabric (opposite the paper/pencil pocket). Place the finished edge toward the center seam. Sew a straight line from the outer edge to the finished edge in the middle of the pocket to the middle of the main fabric. (see above picture) You don’t have to measure for exact centers, unless you’re obsessive like that. The messy pleating takes care of any small discrepancies in measurement. Make sure you backstitch at the finished edge. (I know this is probably a confusing process the first time through. Once you finish one and see what you are trying to accomplish, you’ll find it simple the next time around.)

(Picture of the finished center seam of the crayon pocket.)

Line up the edges of the crayon pocket. Note, the excess fabric is intentional. You’ll need it. Sew close to the edge, securing the edges of the pocket. Note that this seam will be hidden later, so there is no need to backstitch or finish the edges of this seam. Just stay as close to the edge as possible while sewing. Do the same with the other side.

Now your crayon pocket will look like this! See all that “extra” fabric just hanging around? Let’s keep going and make this thing look like something you might use.

Now, you’re going to take it from half to fourths. Eyeball about halfway between the center seam and the edge, pushing the fabric equally toward the center seam and edge seam. If you’re super obsessive, you can measure, but it won’t matter. And if you’re not quite sure, always err toward the center, since the edge will have more removed by seam allowances later. Sew from the outer edge to the finished edge, backstitching at the finished edge. Repeat on the other side!

Now your crayon pocket is looking like this. Fun, no? Reminds me of two seagulls holding hands or golden arches side by side or… okay, let’s just move one.

Now, we’re going to halve our fourths, creating eighths! Oh, fun with fractions! Stitch a seam halfway between each forth, pushing the excess fabric equally in opposite directions. Remember to backstitch at the finished edge. (This edge will take a lot of wear from little ones getting crayons in and out of the pocket, so make sure they are secure! Think of their sad little faces when they bust a seam trying to get their pudgy little fingers all the way down in that little pocket. Now, make sure that doesn’t happen!) Continue between each forth (erring toward the center seam, if necessary), making 8 little lumps.

Your creation should now look something like this. Now, we get to messy pleats!!!

Take your iron, and just press those little lumps in any direction they want to go. The only consideration you must take when making these messy pleats, is in making sure the edge pleats go toward the center and NOT toward the outer seams. (You don’t want to take away fabric when you finish your seams.)

(A close-up picture of the messy pleats. Note that you can see both the right and left seam edge! The pleats are NOT covering the outer seams.)

Sew (baste) the outer edge of the fabric, securing the pleats. Make sure you stitch as close to the edge as you can.

Pin closure in place on the interior. Pin it 3.5″ down the side. (That would be the halfway point.) For this wallet, I made a cloth tab. (It is long in the picture. I cut it down and finished the edge after sewing everything up.) You can place a ponytail elastic here and sew a button to the front when you are done to close your wallet. You can sew in a ribbon on each side to tie up your wallet. The details are up to you!

Place your two main fabrics, right sides together. Notice that the snap is to the left. If you’re using snaps, you’ll need to keep in mind which way these go, or you’ll end up with snaps in unusable places.

Sew around the edges, using a 1/4″ seam allowance. In the corners, leave your needle down, lift the foot, rotate your work, and continue sewing. Leave a small hole to turn. (I make sure mine is at the top, about the paper/pencil pocket. I don’t like leaving a hole where the pockets are joined.

(A picture of the hole I left.) Clip your corners, so they’ll end up being corners and not large bumps.

Turn your crayon wallet right side out. (I purposefully chose this photo, because people rarely take pictures of those ugly or scary moments in a project when you wonder if you are doing this “correctly.” Turning things right side out is always a scary moment for me because I wonder if the whole thing is going to rip to pieces or, worse, if I have done the whole thing wrong and will find out momentarily that I put something on upside down or something dumb.)

Push out your corners, straighten your work. Press your wallet. Admire it. Smile at realizing you are so very close to being done with this!

Topstitch as close to the edge as you can while maintaining control of your machine! I always start just before the hole to make sure it gets closed up nicely. Make sure the raw edges of the hole are tucked in nicely (and evenly) before you start topstitching. Topstitch around the entire wallet, overlapping about 1/2″ when you come back to where you began. (Leave your needle down when you reach a corner, lift the foot of your machine, turn, put the foot back down, and keep sewing.)

Finish any closure details you need to. In this case, I had to sew up the end of the fabric strip and add a snap closure. (The finishing looks terrible. I should have finished the inside of this edge differently, but whatever. It snaps dang it!)

Here it is all closed up! (I was not entirely pleased with the way this particular wallet turned out. In fact, I won’t be selling this one, since it is well below my personal standards. But you get the picture. What went wrong? I was too concerned with taking nice pictures to properly press and perfect the topstitching, for one. I was too concerned with pictures to make a proper cloth closing tab. But hey, at least I got plenty of pictures, right?!)

And another look at the finished interior. Fill the crayon pockets with 8 crayons.  Put a small pencil (I use Zebra brand mechanical pencils) in the pencil pocket. Place a 3.5″ x 5″ pad of paper in the paper pocket. (Just place the cardboard back in the pocket, leaving the paper available for coloring.) The messy pleats make it really easy for toddlers to get their crayons in and out of the wallet- giving them a good lesson in keeping their own things neat. (I was shocked when my 2 year old, who never puts anything away, sat and put every crayon back in its place before reaching for another.) You can feel free to use, change, or laugh at my design in any way you wish. Happy crafting!

OTHER NOTES FROM THE PARSONAGE POSTS YOU MIGHT ENJOY

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• Petal Skirt Tutorial
• Wide Leg Ruffle Pants Tutorial

The post Crayon Wallet Tutorial appeared first on Notes From the Parsonage.

Now, how do you make them?

Dimensions of DIY Burp Cloths

Standard Size- 10″ x 18″

Mini Size\- 10″ x 6″

The mini is a third of the size as the standard.

The Basics of DIY Burp Cloths

To make either size DIY burp cloth, simply cut two rectangles of fabric (we’ll discuss fabric selection in a minute) and sew them together with right sides together, leaving a hole to turn the item right side out.

(You can see the hole in the above photo on the upper edge.) Clip the corners so when you turn your item right side out, you’ll have corners rather than rounds.

Flip right side out, pushing the corners out. Sew around the edge again, all the way around. Sew close to the edge to close the hole. Overlap your stitches where you began.

(This entire process is very simply termed “turned and topstitched” or “T&T.” When you see this, you know the whole process is sew, flip, sew.)

Fabric Choice for DIY Burp Cloths

Now, let’s discuss the arduous task of choosing fabric! So, you can clearly use whatever you want, but I have tried several things and used them personally, so I really do know what works.

Woven Cotton with Terry Cloth

The best option based on absorbency is woven cotton on one side (quilting cotton) and terry cloth on the other side. You can buy the terry cloth by the yard, but the best absorbency is to buy cheap towels from the mega mart which shall remain unnamed. You go to MegaloMart and buy their cheapest towels. Cut the end strips off (unless you like that line across your DOY burp cloth) and cut them into appropriate sized rectangles. I have tried both terry by the yard and cheap towels and I can tell you that cheap towels make fluffier, more absorbent burp cloths. (And you’ll have a broader range of colors.) Burp Cloths made out of cotton and terry are cute and functional. They catch the biggest messes from the biggest spitters! They are awesome! The drawback is the bulk. They are pretty hefty and don’t fold up very small, which makes them boogers to stick a few in your diaper bag. There are also limited colors available. Yes, towels come in many colors, but you may have trouble finding exact matches.

Flannel Options

The next best option is flannel. You can use a woven cotton (quilting cotton) on one side and flannel on the other, or you can do both sides in flannel. Flannel is soft, thin, and absorbent. The flannel/flannel make awesome wipes in the mini size! (Flannel/bamboo velour make some super awesome wipes in the mini size- but that can be expensive!) Solid flannel comes in more colors that terry and even more than towels. Cotton/flannel burp cloths are perfect for stashing several in your diaper bag for emergency use. They also work well if you have a frequent spitter that doesn’t spit a lot each time. They fold down so easily. You can also use flannel on one side and terry on the other side, if you are so inclined. Flannel is much softer than the terry.  Flannel is also really cheap!

Cotton Knits

You can also use a cotton knit in place of woven cotton. I tend to use woven cotton because it comes in so many prints and patterns. I can find so many cute fabrics. Knit on one side and terry on the other do make some awesome wipes in the mini size, though they can be a little rough (especially on little noses), but can clean poo off little butts like nobody’s business. You can also use knit on both sides, but they are hard to sew and are not my favorite. But if you have some old tees and need wipes, go ahead and use them to make a bunch of the mini size! (If you have a serger, you can just serge two layers of knits together instead of T&T.)

Woven Cotton with Chenille

I think chenille on one side and woven cotton on the other is the most beautiful and functional version of the DIY burp cloth. However, chenille is way more expensive than I want it to be. But to make a baby gift just that little bit *extra special* I will splurge because they are spectacular.

Bad Fabric Choices for Burp Cloths

You can use whatever you like, but there are a few things that I thought might be nice, but really suck when made into something you need to actually function!

Minky Fabrics

Don’t use minky. It sounds like a nice idea- a diy burp cloth with cotton on one side in an adorable pattern and super soft minky on the other. Well, it is gross when a kid pukes on the minky and it isn’t absorbed at all! It just sits there and you touch it and it is cold, then the baby rubs his face in it and he has puke all over his cute little face because minky does not absorb! Yes, the diy burp cloth is cute as can be. Yes, before the baby is born you run your hand over it and feel the softness and you get all mommy-eyed thinking about your soft, sweet baby cuddling up on your shoulder with this divine burp cloth you made. Then you use it once, have puke smeared everywhere on you and adorable baby, and you never pick that burp cloth again. Until your mother-in-law visits. *laughing* (That was a joke. I am not at all responsible for mothers-in-law getting covered in icky baby puke from a non-absorbent burp cloth!)

Fleece

The next fabric not to use is fleece. It seems like it’d be a nice choice. Many baby things are fleece. Fleece is soft and fluffy. Fleece comes in bazillions of colors. But let me inform you, fleece repels water. That is not a good feature for a burp cloth. (If you need liners for cloth diapers to keep diaper rash cream, bacitracin, or petroleum jelly off your diapers, fleece makes a good liner. Other than that, keep away from the fleece!)

So, go sew! Go ahead! Make DIY burp cloths in all the sizes for yourself, your friends, your neighbors, that person across the country that you don’t know but paid you to do so!

Other Notes from the Parsonage Posts You Might Enjoy

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• Crayon Wallet Tutorial
• Superhero Cape Sewing Tutorial
• Cowboy Bib Sewing Tutorial
• Half Yard Baby Shower Gift

The post DIY Burp Cloths- Two Sizes appeared first on Notes From the Parsonage.

For the larger size pixie skirt, you’ll be making longer, fuller petals. The longer length and fewer petals make it perfect for older girls. You’ll want to pick two or three different cotton fabrics and have about 3/4 of a yard of each. (You can make the underside of the petals in a solid color if you like. Or you can make each petal different if you’re daring.)

Making a Petal Pattern

First, you’re going to make your petal pattern. So, grab your graph paper (or whatever paper you make your patterns on), your straight ruler, your curve ruler (if you have one- if you don’t, you can eyeball it), your pen, and your paper scissors (never to be confused with your fabric scissors!).

Mark a line on the top of your paper 7″ across. Put a little mark at the halfway (3.5″) point.

Draw a line down the center mark 10″ down. The bottom of the 10″ mark is the bottom of your petal.

Fold the paper in half along the center line. Also, note how I marked the bottom of the 10″ line. Once your paper is folded, it can be hard to see where the end of the line is.

Grab your curve ruler and draw a curved line from the end of your 7″ line to the end of your 10″ line. If you don’t have a curve ruler, you can just eyeball this part. You are only marking one side of your folded paper.

Keeping your paper folded, cut along the curved line.

Unfold your petal. This is your pattern piece. Write all the necessary stuff on you pattern piece. I usually include the dimensions of the pattern piece and the dimensions of the pieces that are to go with it. Also, not the two pattern pieces above. Your pattern is your own. It may be more pointy or round than mine. In fact, you can make triangles and make a Pennant Skirt if you like. (That would be super cute in the summer for baseball season.) If you don’t like the shape when you unfold it, try again. For my skirt, I used the left pattern. I liked the rounded look of it.

Cutting the Fabric for Your Pixie Skirt

Now, you are going to cut out all your skirt pieces. You will need to cut out 12 petals (front and back will make 6 completed petals). You’ll need 2 rectangles for the skirt body 20″ wide and 14″ long. You’ll also need 2 skinny rectangles for the waistband 19″ wide and 3″ long. (Note my pretty new scissors that The Pastor bought me for my birthday! He knows the way to my heart is not jewelry, but sewing accessories!)

First, we’re going to work on the petals. Take two of your petal cut outs and place them right sides together.

Sewing Petals

Sew around the edges, leaving the top open. Since these seams will be completely enclosed, there is no need to finish them. Clip the curves all the way around your petal so that when you flip it right side out, it lays nice and flat.

Repeat for the other 5 petals. Flip them right side out and iron them flat. If you want, you can topstitch once you’ve ironed them flat. I didn’t on this skirt, but have on others. It is really just for looks, so do whichever you prefer at the moment.

Sewing the Under Skirt

Set your cute little petals aside and let’s work on this underskirt. With the right sides together, sew the short sides of the two rectangles together, making a tube.

Go ahead and finish the side seams of your skirt. I serged mine. You can finish them however you like!

You are also going to go ahead and finish the bottom of the underskirt. You can do a double fold hem if you like. I serge mine, then flip that under and sew it down. I use a zig-zag stitch just because I like how it looks.

Putting Petals onto the Pixie Skirt

Pin your petals to the outside of the underskirt. I like mine to overlap a little bit. You arrange them how you want. There will probably be about 1/2″ more underskirt than there are petals. You are going to box pleat the center front and back underskirt. The size of the box pleat depends on how you want your petals arranged.

This is the best picture I have of the pleat. I like the pleat, because it adds just a bit of volume to the skirt. However, if you don’t like the pleat, take about an inch off the width of the underskirt. I usually don’t do the pleat for the Pixie Skirt, since it is smaller and shorter and naturally holds a little more volume.

Sew the petals to the underskirt. Make sure you sew close to the top edge.

Adding a Waistband

Sew the short sides of the waistband together (with right sides together). I go ahead and serge what will be the top of my waistband. You can do it now or later, it really doesn’t matter. With the right side of the waistband facing the right side of the skirt, sew the waistband to the skirt.

Fold the waistband over and sew it closed, leaving a small hole to feed the elastic through. It may be easier if you press the waistband fold before you sew. You do whatever works for you. I didn’t want to walk across the room to the iron, so I just flipped it and eyeballed it.

Here is the hole I left for the elastic.

My elastic is now ready to thread through the waistband! The length of elastic you cut will depend on two things. The first is the girl who will wear the skirt. Clearly, skinner means shorter elastic. Wider means longer elastic. The maximum waist on the skirt is about 37″. The second factor is what kind of elastic you are using. I use a gentler elastic that doesn’t dig in or squeeze as tight. I find it more comfortable to wear. Your elastic may squeeze tighter, therefore you’ll want it a bit wider than I make mine. Eyeball it.

Thread the elastic through the waistband. Sew the elastic closed. When sewing elastic closed, you want to sew along the length with a stretch stitch (or a zig-zag). I always sew about an inch, that way there is very little chance of an overly zealous dresser snapping it.

Sew the hole closed and YOU ARE DONE!

Finished Pixie Skirts

Pixie Skirt in green and blue paisley. I added a matching hem band on the bottom of this one by sewing a 3 inch strip of the contrasting fabric around the bottom of the main skirt panels. I tucked the edges under and sewed around the edges, like using bias tape.

Smaller Pixie Skirt Dimensions

To make the smaller pixie skirt for a toddler or small preschooler, follow the directions above and just change the dimensions. (Also, don’t pleat the underskirt.)

For the petals: Make a pattern with a 7 and 3/4″ top and 8″ long. You are going to cut 16 petals for the Pixie Skirt, since you are making 8 full petals. I also make my Pixie petals a bit more pointy. It just seems right to me.

For the underskirt: Cut two 26.5″ x 11″ rectangles.

For the waistband: Cut two 26.5″ x 3″ rectangles. (If you want a more narrow waistband, try making them 2″ wide instead of 3″.)

Follow the directions for the larger Pixie Skirt.

As always, this tutorial is free for you to use in any way you like. Make them to keep, sell, gift, whatever. Just don’t take credit for the pattern because that just isn’t cool. Share the free and link back here.

Other Notes From the Parsonage Posts You Might Enjoy

• Double Twirly Skirt Tutorial
• Crayon Wallet Tutorial
• Half Yard Baby Shower Gift Tutorial
• Child’s Half Gardening Apron Tutorial
• Wide Leg Ruffle Pants Tutorial

The post Pixie Skirt Sewing Tutorial appeared first on Notes From the Parsonage.

You know my daughter loves ruffles, right? You didn’t know that? Well, she does. When I said I was making her ruffled pants, she thought I was putting ruffles on her jeans to make them more wearable. She was only slightly disappointed to discover I was starting from scratch and making new ruffle pants. Her jeans can wait.

Getting Started

You need one yard of fabric. The pants I made are a size 6. I had a little leftover. If I were making an 8 or above, I’d opt for buying a bit more fabric. But for the little girls (Shh! Don’t tell them I called them “little”!) a yard is plenty for this double ruffle pants tutorial.

You can really use any fabric with this double ruffle pants tutorial. Quilting cotton offers ease of sewing for beginners and a wide array of colors, patterns, and designs. However, if you want to go for a different fabric– do it! Make them with jersey, flannel, corduroy, satin– the sky is the limit! I’d stick to thicker fabrics, since they are pants. Thinner fabrics tend to rip when made into bottoms.

The first step is to grab a pair of pants that currently fit your girl. No need to reinvent the wheel. Just trace the pants onto the double fold of your fabric, getting it as close to the top as you can. When tracing your pants, add a little room. You’ll want a little extra for seam allowances and woven cotton just doesn’t move like denim or cotton knit. Make sure you trace it a couple inches higher on top. I swear I somehow always make Imo low rise pants purely on accident.

Cut the Double Ruffle Pants Pieces

So, you cut two legs out (cutting on the double fold should have given you 2 legs for your pants). Now, cut 4 strips that are 4″ long and the entire width of the fabric. You can make these single ruffled if you’d like. Imo loves double (or triple) ruffles. You could add a bit of fancy to this and make the ruffles in contrasting fabric.

Sewing the Main Pants

Sew your pants together. I know, I know. That seems like I’m skipping a bunch of stuff. Go here if you need help on that.

Go ahead and finish the interior edges. (Double fold, french seam, serge, pink, whatever it is you do.)

Go ahead and serge or pink the bottom of each leg and the top of the pants.

Fold over the top of the pants and make a little channel to run the elastic and ribbon through. You’ll probably want the ribbon drawstring. The double ruffles make these a bit heavier than the usual cotton pants. Go ahead and finish the top with elastic and drawstring. You can save it for later if you want. It doesn’t matter much when you do it.

Making and Adding Ruffles

Moving on to the ruffles. You’ll do this with each ruffle. Match the short sides of a ruffle strip together. (right sides together) Sew the short sides together. (You’ll have one big loop for each ruffle.)

Finish the top and bottom of the ruffle. For the top (on the right side of the above photo) I just serged it. For the bottom, I serged, flipped, and sewed.

Repeat for each ruffle. This takes the most time on this project.

Now, pin the ruffle to the bottom of the pants right sides together. You want the ruffle to ruffle, so just messy pleat and pin all the way around.

Sew all the way around. Repeat on the other leg. You now have one ruffle on each leg. You can stop here if you want the single ruffle pants.

In this picture (above) you can see the line I sew above the ruffle. What I do after I attach the ruffle is flip the seam inside up and then sew it around the top of the ruffle. It keeps the ruffle from flipping up.

Now, to attach the next ruffles. I don’t have a picture of this step. You’re just going to pin the next ruffle the same way you did the first, but pin it slightly above the first ruffle. If you want it to look like two very distinct ruffles, you’ll need to pin it about 2″ – 3″ above the first ruffle. I like mine stacked so the look super ruffly, but not necessarily like rows of ruffles. Pin the ruffle right sides together, sew it. Flip the ruffle down (covering the seam) and sew around the top edge of the ruffle so it stays down and doesn’t flip up on you.

Double Ruffle Pants Are Done

That’s it! You’ve got your girl some double ruffle pants!

Other Notes From the Parsonage Posts You Might Enjoy

• Double Twirly Skirt Tutorial
• Child’s Ruffled Half Apron Sewing Tutorial
• Crayon Wallet Tutorial

The post Double Ruffle Pants Tutorial appeared first on Notes From the Parsonage.

My niece is turning one! I couldn’t let the occasion go by without using the opportunity to make her some clothes to begin her toddling phase in. (Let’s just face it, if I’m your Aunt, you’re going to get homemade clothes. It is just life.) So, for outfit number one, I chose to make a reversible Smocket (find the free printable pattern here) and a pair of girly, tiered pants.  

I loved making these pants. Cute. Girly. Comfy cozy. I cannot wait to give them to her!

What do you need to make these tiered pants?

Half a yard each of 2 fabrics. (Or 1 yard of a single fabric. You could also use some of your larger fabric scraps if you’ve got any of those lying around! Those would be fun!)

Elastic. (This is my go-to kid elastic.)

Your sewing stuff. (Sewing machine, thread, scissors, pins, ironing board, iron)

Cutting Your Fabric

First, I made my pattern. (I just drew it right on the back of my fabric. I’m fancy like that.) This is a size 18 months. If you need a larger size, add the inches as needed. (Don’t forget to add to the width and the length!)

Okay, got it? Hehe. I’m just joking. This is my little sketch book drawing of what I made.

Piece 1: Cut 2 on fold: Fabric A: 6″ waist, 9″ crotch, 11″ outseam, 9″ leg width. (I used my Variform Curve ruler for the crotch. You can always eyeball it or grab another pair of pants and copy that pair.)

Piece 1A:Cut 2 on fold: Fabric B: 3″ tall by 9″ wide. (This is NOT a ruffle. It is just straight. You can omit this piece to make the pants shorter. Or you can add 1.5″ onto the length of pieces 2 and 3. Or you     can add a third “crazy” fabric into the mix with this piece. It is up to you. You’re the designer. For my pants, I have it.)

Piece 2: Cut 2 on fold: Fabric A: 5″ tall by 12″ wide.

Piece 3: Cut 2 on fold: Fabric B: 5″ tall by 12″ wide.

Sewing the Tiers

This is what you should have right now. (My pieces are still together. There are two of each piece, I swear!) (And they are still folded!)

With right sides together, sew piece 1A onto piece 1.

Now, on piece 2, you’re going to want to do a basting stitch (straight stitch, close-ish to the edge, as long as your stitch length will go) and gather the top of the piece. (The basting stitch should run down the LONG side of the fabric on whichever side you deem to be “top”.)

Once you’re all gathered up, pin piece 2 onto piece 1A with right sides together. You want the corners to match. Gather as much as needed to get the piece the same width. I gathered mine more in the middle and less on the ends. Why? The ends will be the inner leg. I wanted the ruffles to be more on the outside, with the inside of the legs being less ruffles. It’s a comfort thing.

After pinning, sew right sides together! (Sew with the gathered piece on top. Otherwise your straight piece will end up getting wonky.)

Do the same for piece 3. Baste. Gather. Pin with right sides together to piece 2. Sew.

Repeat for the other leg.

Finish the seams if you’re going to finish them. I serged mine because I have a nice serger and have to use it! If you don’t have a serger, don’t be jealous. Just finish your edges as you wish. (Clip them with pinking shears. Trim and zigzag. Do nothing. Whatever you want to do.)

Putting the Pants Together

Now, each pant leg should look like this. Fancy, huh? Take each pant leg and sew the inseam. (Put right sides together, matching up the outer edges.) Finish the inseam. (Serge. Pink. Zigzag.)

Now, you should have two pant legs. Do they look like pant legs? (You should answer yes. If you answered no, I think it is time to evaluate what went wrong before pressing on. Fear not. It happens to the best of us.)

Flip one leg right side out and put it inside the other leg. Match the inseams. Pin around the crotch area. Sew. Finish the seam. (Serge. Pink. Zigzag.)

Adding Elastic to the Waist

We’re moving on! Press about an inch of the waistband down. (Wrong side to wrong side.) If you didn’t serge the edge, you’ll want to flip about 1/4th of an inch under before you sew. Hide that unfinished edge! Sew around the waistband! Make sure you leave a little hole to feed the elastic through.

I put a brooch pin on the end of the elastic I am NOT feeding through. It keeps the end from accidentally following the leader and ending up inside the casing. I use a safety pin to feed the elastic through the casing.

Put the elastic into the casing. Feed it through. Don’t let the end follow! It needs to stay out.

Now you have both elastic ends out. Yay!

Cross the edges over each other and sew. Use a zigzag or elastic stitch on your machine. A straight stitch will break when the elastic is pulled. (An elastic stitch looks like a wonky zigzag. See above.)

Trim the edges of the elastic.

Pull on the waist and pop the elastic inside the casing.

Sew up the hole!

Hem the Tiered Pants

Hem the bottom edge of the pants. (I serge mine, then flip them inside and zigzag them. I like the look of a zigzagged hem. It makes it different from things you can buy at the store. You see the zigzag and you know, those are special!)

Tiered Pants Tutorial Done

And you are done! Adorable little pants to toddler about in!

As always, this tutorial is yours to use as you wish. Make them to give, keep, or sell. Just do not sell the pattern. And when someone asks where you got the pattern, share the free!

** This post contains affiliate links. These links do not cost you more to use, but as an affiliate, I get a small commission from sales using these links. **

Other Notes From the Parsonage Posts You Might Enjoy

• Double Ruffle Pants Tutorial
• Double Twirly Skirt Tutorial
• Pixie Skirt Sewing Tutorial
• Child’s Ruffled Half Apron Sewing Tutorial

The post Elizabeth Tiered Pants Tutorial appeared first on Notes From the Parsonage.

My little princess is always wanting to play “hostess.” Even when it is just our little family around. So, I designed this quick little ruffled hostess half apron for her. She NEEDED it! (My poor boys rarely get Mommy made stuff. But they don’t NEED this kind of cuteness.)

Cutting the Fabric for our Ruffled Half Apron

You’ll only need two fat quarters (and you’ll have some scraps leftover) to make a child’s size half apron with a long ruffle.

With your “main” fabric, you’ll just want to cut your fat quarter in half (making it 18″ wide by 11″ long). The other half of that fat quarter is scrap.

Take your contrast fabric, and cut it as follows. You’ll cut three 3″ strips (3″ x 18″). (If you would like a wider waistband, you can cut 4″ strips if you wish- you’ll have enough fabric for it.) Then you’ll cut two 5″ strips (5″ x 18″)- those will make your frilly little top!

Sewing the Ruffled Half Apron

Sew the 3″ strips together end to end (you can sew them on a diagonal if you are concerned with bulk- I just sew mine straight). You now have one long 3″ strip that will be your waistband and ties.

Sew the two 5″ strips together. This seam will not be hidden, so you’ll need to finish it. I did a french seam. It just “seamed” like the right thing to do. (ba- dum- ching!) Now you have a 5″ strip that is twice the width of your apron front. Finish the side and bottom edges of this strip. (Either do a double fold hem or serge and sew them to a nice finish.)

Finish the sides and bottom of your main skirt body. Do it in that order- sides then bottom. You can do a nice double fold hem. I serge my edges (because I have to use my serger for something) then fold the under and sew close to the edge.

Ruffling the Ruffle

Put a basting stitch into the top edge your ruffle (that 5″ strip that now has finished sides and bottom) so you can gather it.

If you’re new to sewing and don’t know what I’m talking about- a basting stitch is just a temporary stitch. Set your straight stitch on your sewing machine to the longest length you’ve got. You want to put it about a quarter of an inch from the top edge of the ruffle. Leave a long “tail” of thread at each end of the stitch. Pulling on just one string, slowly pull the thread to gather the fabric.

Add the Ruffle to the Body of the Half Apron

Pin your ruffle to the top on the apron body and sew together. You want your ruffle the same width as your apron body. This top unfinished edge will be encased inside the waistband- so don’t worry about finishing the edge.

Sewing the Waist and Ties

Take your 3″ strip and press it in half (long ways). Tuck the unfinished edges into the center and press again. (Think- double fold bias tape.) In the picture above, I am opening the creases so you can see.

Line the apron body up in the center of the waistband/tie. (You can use your seams as guides. The middle section should be about the right size for the apron body.) Pin the top of the apron body to the waistband. You’ll slip the upper unfinished edge of the apron body into the middle of the waistband, sandwiching it inside. Sew close to the lower edge (the one toward the apron body) of the waistband. Sew past the apron body to the end of the tie. Flip your apron over and finish the tie on the other side.

Tie a knot in the end of the tie.

Your Ruffled Half Apron is Done!

As usual, you can do what you like with your finished product of my design. Sell it. Swap it. Gift it. Keep it. I don’t mind. Just don’t take credit for the design itself. And for the love of free- share the design!

Other Notes from the Parsonage Posts You Might Enjoy

• Double Twirly Skirt Tutorial
• Crayon Wallet Tutorial
• Half Yard Baby Shower Gift Tutorial
• Child’s Half Gardening Apron Tutorial
• Wide Leg Ruffle Pants Tutorial

The post Child’s Ruffled Half Apron Sewing Tutorial appeared first on Notes From the Parsonage.

For the little lady’s birthday, she had a gardening party. I grabbed fabric to make her an outfit and then after her outfit was made, I realized I had lots of extra fabric. The boys were asking me if they got aprons, so I decided to make all the kids a half apron as a party favor. (They also got a little pot of lavender seeds they each planted.) Really, I’m not usually so crazy when it comes to parties. I blame pregnancy for making me do these things. The aprons are super easy to make. I made 12 with 1 yard of the blue dots, 1 yard of red dots, and 1/2 yard of each green solid and yellow solid. (And I did still have fabric leftover.)

Here is what you’ll need:

fabric

ribbon (I used random scraps I had.)

clips (I had a bunch of pacifier clips that I bought on Etsy.)

Cut your rectangle for the apron front 12-15″ wide (depending on what scraps you have) and 8-10″ tall. Cut the waistband 2″ x the width of the fabric. Cut a small length of ribbon to make a loop for the clip. (It can be anywhere from 4″-8″.)

First, finish the sides and the bottom of the apron panel.

Next, attach the looped ribbon with the clip attached to the top left of the apron panel. Just sew it close to the edge so the waistband will cover it.

Now, take your 2″ strip of fabric and iron in half. Tuck the cut ends toward the center and iron. (You now have double fold tape.) Line up the center of the strip with the apron panel. Sandwich the apron panel into the waistband strip. Sew along the open edge all the way to the end. (I start at the apron panel, sew to the end, then flip and sew from where I started to the other end.) Tie a knot in the end of the strip.

Done.

Clip a paper towel or rag to the clip when gardening for hand wiping.

Make these to give away, to use, to sell- just make sure you share the free tutorial!

The post Child’s Half Gardening Apron Tutorial appeared first on Notes From the Parsonage.

My boys often like to point out that I do not sew enough for them. So, for Easter, I decided to sew a little more for them than their usual tie. (Although tutorial for the tie is coming soon, too.) I made them these drawstring spring pants. You could make these for girls, too. They are not boy exclusive. 

You’ll need:

– elastic

– one length of main fabric

– half a yard of contrast fabric

First, you’ll want to measure your boy. (Or your three boys.) You’ll need a waist measurement, a crotch measurement (from the front waist band between the legs to the back waistband), an inseam measurement, and an out seam measurement.

Once you have all your measurements, you’re ready to start! I like to draw everything out and write in my measurements. (All my seam allowances are 1/2″ unless I say otherwise.)

Waist- Divide the boy’s waist measurement by 4, then add an inch for seam allowance. These are loose fitting pants, so no need for perfection. (For Emery, his waist was 19.25″. I rounded that up to 20″ divided by 4 would be 5″ add an inch for a 6″ pattern line.

Crotch- Divide the crotch measurement in half. Emery’s was 14″. Half of that would be 7. Add an inch for seam allowances. Now mine is 8″.

Length- On the main fabric, you’re going to make the length 2″ shorter than what you actually want. So, Emery needed 19″ outseam. Take 2″ away and the main fabric is 17″. (You’ll be adding a 4″ strip of contrast fabric that will make up for those 2″ plus seam allowances.) I use my inseam measurement as a double check to make sure they are going to be well fitting.

If you don’t want to go through all this math, you can just grab a pair of pants that fit your boy right now and trace them, leaving enough room for seam allowances. I prefer to write out my own pattern.

Draw out your pattern onto the wrong side of your fabric. Fold fabric in half, then fold in half again so that the outer edge is double folds. You’ll be cutting both legs at once. Measure your leg width so you’ll know how wide to make your contrast cuff. (Mine was 9″.)

I use my Varyform Curve ruler to make the crotch line. The crotch of these pants is an 8″ curve. If you don’t have a ruler like this, you can freehand this curve or you can use a flexible ruler for the curve.

From your contrast fabric:

Cut 2 rectangles for the pant cuffs. 4″ long and the width of your pant leg. (Mine was 9″ on the fold- so each cuff is 4″ x 18″)

Cut 1 strip the width of the fabric and 2″ tall- this will be your drawstring.

Now you should have 2 legs, 2 cuffs, and 1 drawstring piece. 

First, sew the contrast bottom cuff (though it isn’t really a cuff, it is just a band of contrast fabric) onto the bottom of each pant leg. 

Go ahead and finish this seam. 

Now, sew the inseam of each pant leg. Sew both legs. Finish both seams. 

Tuck one leg inside the other, matching up the crotch with right sides together. (You’ll flip one leg right side out, then stuff it inside the other leg.)

Sew this seam. Finish this seam. 

Fold the top of the waistband over about 1/2″. (You can see here that I serge the top of my pants. If you’re going to be folding the raw edge under, you’ll want a little more than 1/2″ in order to fit 1/4″ elastic in there.) Press it with the iron. 

Now that you see where the top of your waistband will be, add a couple buttonholes. If you don’t like buttonholes, you could always add some grommets. I don’t think it is completely necessary to have 2 buttonholes. If you wanted, you could sew one larger buttonhole for both strings to come out of. I think 2 looks a little nicer and holds up better. 

Sew the waistband closed. No need to leave an opening, you’ll be feeding the drawstring and elastic through your buttonholes. 

Go ahead and hem the bottom of your pants. I find it easier to hem kids’ clothing before elastic goes in, so it lays as flat as possible while hemming. 

Make your drawstring! Fold the 2″ strip in half and press. 

Tuck the raw edges on each side in toward the fold and press. You can do this one side at a time if that makes it easier for you. 

Sew down the middle of the drawstring. I use a zigzag stitch. It is just my personal preference. 

Now that you’ve got a drawstring made, it is time to put it into your pants! Grab some 1/4″ elastic. (I used about 18″ for these pants.) Pin the elastic and the drawstring together, with the drawstring on the top. (See my picture.) Make sure you put a pin in the bottom of the elastic and the bottom of the drawstring so you don’t accidentally pull them all the way through!

Insert the elastic and drawstring in through on of the buttonholes with the drawstring on top. (See photo.) Feed it around the waist casing. 

When you get to the second buttonhole, go ahead and pull the elastic and drawstring out. With the drawstring out on both ends, put the elastic back in and feed it out the same buttonhole it went in. (See photo.) You want the elastic to be completely hidden inside the waist casing and the drawstring needs to be out each hole. 

Sew your elastic together. 

Tie a knot in each end of your drawstring. Feed the drawstring through so it is even. Make sure the elastic went into the casing. 

And that is it! You’re done. 

As usual, make these pants for your boy (or girl). Give them away to a friend. Sell them if you wish. After all, you made them. Just remember to give credit back this way for the free tutorial should anyone ask. Share the free! 

The post Drawstring Spring Pants Tutorial appeared first on Notes From the Parsonage.

So, first you want to figure out what size pants you want. If you’ve got someone to measure, measure them! If you don’t have someone to measure, look up the size chart for your favorite kid’s clothing line and use their measurements to figure out the size.

Grab your fabric. You’ll need 1 yard of a single fabric OR 3/4 yard and 1/4 yard. (If you’re making bigger girls pants, you’ll need to adjust your fabric yardage. I make larger ruffles for bigger girls, so I need more than 1/4 yard of contract for the size 6 pants.) You’ll also need some elastic. (I use 1/4″ natural colored flat elastic in kid clothes.)

Here are my lovely notes on making these pants. (These are my 18 month size notes.)

I draw my pattern directly onto the fabric. (This fabric is folded in half, then half again. So the side with the fold is two layers of fold to cut both the front and back at the same size. I measure across 6 inches for the waist. Added an 8″ curve for the crotch (with my vary form curve ruler). Measure 9″ wide for the legs. Measure the length (outseam, so the folded edge side) to 16″. Connect all your measurements.

For size 6: 8″ waist, 11″ curved crotch, 10″ leg width, 22″ outseam. (Plus a 5″ x 36″ ruffle for each leg.)

If you don’t want to make the pattern, you can fold and trace a pair of pants. Just make sure you extend the height a little at the top for folding over the elastic and add some width to make them wide leg. Plus, don’t forget your ruffles!

Speaking of ruffles, cut some. For the 18 month pants, my ruffles were 4″ x 24″. If you want them more ruffled, add width. If you get too ruffle crazy, it can be difficult to get them to lay down.

Now you have all these pieces. 2 pant legs. 2 ruffles. (The green behind my fabric is fleece. I got tired of hauling my ironing board up and down 2 flights of stair every time I needed to sew. And The Pastor didn’t want to buy another one because who needs 2 ironing boards?! So, I put a few layers of green fleece on the dresser in my sewing room and I iron there. Not as convenient as a sewing board, but it works.)

Sew the inseams of you pant legs with the right sides of the fabric together. Finish them, too. (Serge. Pink. Zigzag. French seams. Whatever it is you do.)

Take each ruffle and with right sides together, sew the short ends together. (Not pictured.) Go ahead and hem the bottom of each ruffle. (It is so much easier to do the hem now when you have one long loop rather than trying to properly hem it when it is all gathered and flaring.)

If you were wondering, this is what the inside of my hems look like. I serge, then I fold them over and sew. I like to zigzag my hem. It makes it look more special than just a pair of pants you’d find in the store. It screams “custom” to me. (Plus, on kid clothes, it adds a little bit of whimsy.)

Turn one leg right side out and stuff it inside the other leg. Pin together around the crotch, matching the inseams. (The first time I made a pair of pants, it took me FOREVER to visualize this in my head. I spent almost an hour trying to figure out how to sew it to get the seam the way it should be.)

Sew the crotch. Finish it, too! Flip the pants right side out.

Sew a basting stitch around the top of your ruffle. (A basting stitch is just setting your straight stitch as long as the stitch length will go and sewing close to the edge.) Pull the basting stitch to gather the ruffle. Distribute the ruffles evenly around.

Pin the ruffle right side to the right side of the pants.

Sew. Make sure you’re sewing further in than the basting stitch. (The basting stitch should be closer to the edge, so it won’t show.) Always sew with the gathering on top of the flat piece of fabric. Otherwise, your flat piece will inevitably end up not so flat. Remove the pins as you sew. Don’t sew over pins. You’ll snap a sewing machine needle into your eye.

Now you should have a ruffle on your pant leg. Repeat for the other leg.

Now that both ruffles are on. (And both are hemmed, since you did that earlier.) Press the waist of the pants down to form the elastic casing. (I serge mine first, then press it down so it is finished when I sew the elastic casing down. If you DO NOT have a serger, you’ll want to press it down, then tuck the bottom up toward the fold and press again. Make sure the finished casing will hold your elastic!)

Sew the waist down, leaving a small opening to feed the elastic in. (I do not like to sew the waist of pants with a zigzag. It tend to break on a waistband being pulled on. I use a straight stitch for the waist.)

Feed your elastic into the casing.

Make sure you SAVE your elastic end. Put a big pin on it so it doesn’t accidentally slip though.

Once you get the elastic all the way through, you’ll need to sew it closed. You’ll see above what the elastic stitch on my machine looks like. It is that weird lightening bolt zigzag. If you don’t have this stitch, you can just use your zigzag stitch.

Elastic is sewn closed! Pop it into the casing, then sew the hole in the casing closed.

And you’re done!

As always, do what you want with the pants you made! Keep them, give them, sell them- you made them. However, please share the free. If someone asks how you made them, be kind and point them back here. Don’t try to sell the pattern or keep it some big industry secret. It just isn’t nice.

The post Wide Leg Ruffle Pants Tutorial appeared first on Notes From the Parsonage.