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Elastic Waist Child's Pant Instructions & Pattern

How-to provided by www.jcarolinecreative.com

elastic waist child's pants
Pants on left are out of the Blossom Ice Cream Cones fabric. Pants on right are made from the Tuscany Cool Flowers from Anna Maria Horner's Chocolate Lollipop collection.

Top pattern and instructions are available here.
Materials Needed:
  • 1/2 yard fabric
  • 1/2" wide elastic (enough to go around child's waist + 1")
  • Pants pattern downloadable here. Prints on four 8 1/2" x 11" pages with guides to tape together. (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.)
Step 1:

Cut two of the pants pattern. If you fabric has a one-way design, make sure the design runs the correct direction.

Step 1
Step 2:

With right sides together, sew the leg seam together. Repeat with other leg. Press seam open with iron. (Warning: On children's pants, the leg seams and the crotch seams are almost the same length. Make sure you are sewing the leg seam!)

Step 2
Step 3:

Turn one leg right side out, leave other leg wrong side out. Slip right side out leg into wrong side out leg, aligning leg seams. Stitch crotch seam together.

Step 3
Step 4:

Where crotch seam starts to go under crotch, clip the seam allowance almost to the stitching. Trim the seam allowance between your clips to 1/4". Press the front and back seams open.

Step 4
Step 5:

Turn pants right side out. At the top of the pant, create a casing for the elastic. Fold the fabric down 3/4" at the top towards the inside of the pant to create a casing and press. Turn under a 1/4" seam allowance to hide the raw edges and press.

Step 5
Step 6:

Pin the casing in place. Starting about 1/2" from the back center seam, stitch the casing in place 5/8" from the top of the pant. Stop stitching about 1/2" from the center back seam (leaving a 1" opening to insert the elastic).

Step 6
Step 7:

Cut elastic to fit comfortably around child's waist plus 1" for overlap. Using a bodkin or safety pin, attach to the end of the elastic and feed through the casing. Pull through until it goes all the way through the casing. Lay the two ends on top of each other, overlapping 1" and stitch together with a zig zag stitch.

Step 7
Step 8:

Tuck elastic into casing. Ensure that raw edges of casing are folded under and stitch the back center casing closed 5/8" from top of pant.

Step 8
Step 9:

For the pant hem, press under 1" on pant bottom. Press under the raw edge 1/2". Repeat for other pant leg.

Step 9
Step 10:

Stitch the hem on the pants by hand or by machine.

Step 10
To add a ruffle to the bottom of the pants:
  • Skip steps 9 and 10 above.
  • Cut two strips of fabric 4" x 18".
  • With right sides together, sew the short side of the strip together. Press seam open.
  • Repeat for other strip.
  • Press the two strips in half lengthwise with wrong sides together.
  • Baste across raw edges of both strips and leave threads long to gather.
  • Gather strips until they will fit on bottom of pant legs.
  • Matching inner leg seam, pin ruffle to bottom of pant leg. Repeat for other leg.
  • Stitch ruffle to pant leg. Repeat for other leg.
  • Press with seam allowance towards the waistband.
  • Top stitch around bottom of pant leg, just above ruffle. Repeat for other leg.
Printable Version
copyright 2007 j. caroline designs, l.p.
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