(i have to start putting what the post is ACTUALLY about in my title…cause with the move to wordpress i’ve been trying to find some things..and i can’t. cause i choose humor over practicality. and everything is labeled HORRIBLY.)
it’s summer. no. it’s spring. but with the start of 50 degree weather my kids start dreaming of popsicles and request the sprinkler under the trampoline.
i saw a picture once that showed 50 degrees in utah..and it was all flip flops and tank tops..and then 50 degrees in california and it’s all winter coats and earmuffs.
tis true. it gets about 5o and we are outside enjoy the non freezing weather.
so when over easter/spring break it was over 60, we knew we were ready to unwinterize our closets and see what we need for summer.
ie shorts.
ie we didn’t have any.
ie i don’t know ie stands for
ie we did have lots of high water pants. and holy jeans…
so whats a cheap mom to do?
that’s right.. a little snip snip..cut off the bottom of those pants and make them shorts!
it’ so easy….but for how cheap i am…i don’t want them to look cheap..so here’s a couple tricks that will help make them look store bought:
1. the 1-2 stitch…(like the one two step–but less music and dancing and more sewing)
look down at the pants you are wearing…most hems have not one stitch. but 2. 2 makes it look pro….so add that double stitch! (i’ve been having my daughter help with sewing…so don’t look too closely at the stitches..they are a little wavy!)
2.the split hem…(my personal favorite)
you cut it off a little longer than you want…and unpick the out side seam–you can do this 2 inches..you can do this 4 inches….
then you sew it up and down and then hem (using the 1-2 stitch)
3. bias tape hem..(man..i really should snip my strings) (and they are really the same length. her legs must be uneven)
made some bias tape (you can follow THESE instructions)
then without rolling up or anything i just pin it all around the bottom…
the ragged look is in. but when you wash..they keep fraying and fraying and fraying. so i just run a little stitch above where you cut if off. keeps the fraying to a minimum.
5. the cuffed hem.
this one is my daughters favorite. she likes rolling them up once. so to keep them from not rolling down–i just add 4 little stitches
one on each side and one in the middle..
then after you done sewing your pants into shorts you can add any little embellishments you want.
i found this peace sign in my stash..so i ironed it on..
and this little purple patch is just fabric sewed on…
and then there was that time i glitterfied her butt pockets…
and you could add some lace
(what can we say..we don’t like boring old shorts!)
this post is participating in
so follow along and get yourself all prepared for flip flop weather!
Crystal says
Any options for boys jeans 2 shorts???
Meg says
Brilliant!!! I am totally trying this out! Xo
Sarah! says
I tried to make some cuffed shorts the other day from jeans, but discovered that my jeans were too fitted in the thigh- the rolled-up part was narrower than what it rolled up over, and was awkward and tight and not a good look. Ended up just chopping it off with pinking shears. Close enough.
Also,
ie stands for “id est”, which is literally “that is” or “it is”, generally used as “in other words”.
Yay for having a second major in Classics in college; Latin is fun! 🙂
Cristy says
Kim, is that an old cutting board you are using while ironing?
Kimbo says
it’s an old cutting board…but i wasn’t ironing with it. it was just on my ironing board from the freezer paper stencil shirt i was doing before that!
McKenzie @ Girl Loves Glam says
I love this post! Thanks for participating in the Summer Fun series!
Kassi @ Truly Lovely says
All cute ideas!! And I’m all for them not looking so cheap… but being cheap. 🙂
kate says
ooh I love a trousers to shorts project. I had a very cathartic afternoon recently turning all the boys’ ratty school troos into slightly less ratty school shorts. All the legs get saved to make patches when they go through their knees next winter!
Kimbo says
saving it for patches is GENIUS! great idea!
rachel says
ok, i actually OOOHH-ed out loud at the bias tape shorts with the matching heart – i’m going to paw through my daughter’s closet right now and find some jeans with thinning knees to play with!
i also have a 9 year old son and have had several Epic Fails at making him denim shorts… here’s my question… when you hem the shorts, doesn’t the inside edge continue to fray like crazy? the first time i tried, it continued to unravel right through the hem line, then just popped open. i’m afraid he’s going to come home in his underwear some day, holding a huge handful of denim strings that he unraveled during the day! i also tried a double fold, which looked horribly funky (and cost me, ahem, two broken denim needles – boo!). i tried another pair with frey-check only to hear that it was “too scratchy” and they were never worn! this summer i’m considering cutting them really long (like Tom Sawyer shorts!), then trimming them with each wash and tossing them when they become “inappropriately short”!! do you have any better ideas?!?
i love your blog. thank you so much for sharing your awesome work with everyone!!