Knit Pants from Shirt

Here is another good one that I lost in the reckage.  Simple enough though and I am constantly making pants for some reason or another so I just took some pictures this time.

This is great for using up your old shirts that you love but maybe you just don't wear anymore, or there is a stain or a hole somewhere.  You have those right???  Make some pants!!  So here is what you need:

A shirt your going to recycle/refashion

a pair of existing kid pants

elastic

thread

safety pin

turn your shirt inside out and place the folded pants straight side on one side of the shirt (where the side seam is)  Make sure you pull everything nice and flat and that the bottom of the shirt lines up.  Pull the crotch of the pants out as far as you can at that little curve.

cut around the pants leaving 1/4 inch Seam Allowance and a couple extra inches at the top for making the elastic casing.

Take that peice you just cut and turn is and place it on the other side seam of the shirt and cut it exactly.

You will now have 2 folded peices that should mirror each other.

Now, unfold the peices and place them right sides together.  Pin from the top to the curve of the crotch and sew.  Stop at that curve/point.

Repeat for both sides.

Now if you want to add some knee pads, grab some felt and cut your desired shape x2.

Turn the pants right side out making that seam you just sewed the center of the pant. 

Place the knee pads and pin.

sew around the felt and make some stripes if you want. 

Now turn your pints inside out again and we are going to finish the pant.  Keeping that first seam in the center, you will now pin the inside up one leg and down the other.

Sew where you pinned.  it should look like this.

Fold over to fit up to 1 inch elastic and pin.

sew your casing leaving a 2 inch opening to insert the elastic later on.

designate front from back and sew on a tag or a ribbon of some sort.

Now insert your elastic.

over lap it 1 inch and zig zag it several times to reinforce the strength of the stitch. Then sew you casing closed.

You now have some good looking pants that are soft and pretty much free.  I love refashioning.  Especially for my new babe.  My husband give me shirts all the time that I can now make into pants, or just miniature tshirts.  Hope you found this helpful.  This is great for doing pajamas for Christmas!!!  Thats what I do!!!

Enjoy!