Toddler shorts tutorial

My first tutorial post.

With the nice weather I noticed a gap in C's wardrobe - shorts, so I thought I would make up a simple cotton pair for keeping cool in the summer heat.

These fit my slender 19 month old and her cloth nappy, and include 1/2" seam allowance unless otherwise stated.

• To make the pattern I started with the back piece. Three sides of a rectangle 8" for the leg seam side, 7.5" across the top, and 9" down the centre seam. The crotch seam was 2.25" at an angle inwards - the size of the angle alters the size of the leg holes which are a gentle curve from the crotch seam to the leg seam. The front piece was copied from the back seam and the centre seam shortened by 1" at the top, the leg seam and centre seam were joined by a line.

• The waistband was made to fit my 1" elastic, and is a 3.5" x 27" rectangle.
• The leg cuffs were 2" x 11" rectangles - the size of these depends on the size of your leg holes and whether you want any gather as there are in mine, they can also be thicker, or made using bias binding.

The cut out pieces for the shorts

• Stitch along the centre seams for the back and front pieces.
• Stitch along the leg seams to join front and back peices.
• Stitch the crotch seam, making sure to fold out the centre seams.

• If you want some gather with your leg cuffs, baste stitch along the edge and gather to the desired size.
  
  
   
• Stitch the short edges of the leg cuffs together, and pin and stitch right sides together round both leg holes (1/4" seam allowance).
  
   

• Turn the cuff over the leg hole, turning a further 1/4" over and top stitch around. 

• Repeat these steps for the waistband - leaving a 3" gap on the inside for threading elastic through.
  
  

• Cut elastic to the correct size for your childs waist allowing for overlap for linking ends. Thread elastic throught the waistband, join ends and then stitch the access hole closed.

• And there you are - a pair of toddler shorts.