Back to School Sewing
by Mary Wilkins
Description: How to sew pants with pockets for kids.
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Everyone is talking "back to school." So much to think about, paper
supplies, schedules and of course - their clothes.
Every mother wants her kids to look great. This year both boys and
girls have pants with pockets, lots of big pockets.
You can make these easy enough with a simple pattern for elastic waist
pants. My grandson wears these with the huge pockets centered
on the outer side seams. Any basic pattern with a straight leg will
work fine. Examine these pockets from a ready to wear garment and take
careful measurements. Be sure to include your seam allowances. You can add
flaps with button or velcro closure. Sew as much of the pocket and
added details before applying it to your pant. Practically everything can
be done this way, right down to the button holes or velcro. Another hint
is to sew on the flat. Center your pocket on the outer side seam about
half way between the hip and knee. Sew it on before you sew up the
inner leg seam, it's much easier this way.
The kids grow like bad weeds. Make sure you allow some extra length
when sewing for them. If you are applying ribbing, make it twice the width
they ask for and fold up for a neat appearance. You can also add
ribbing to the top edge of a pocket to give it a professional look.
Inserting a band of trim on a dress can extend the life of the garment.
Take out the hem, if there is a fade line cut the bottom off at the
line. Then add a couple of inches of trim, then sew the hem piece back on.
Finish it all off with a ribbon edging. Making old clothes look new is
not as hard as you may think. Another way to renew a dress is to add a
detachable collar. Just construct a collar and add ribbon ties at the
back. A nice square collar might look good under an existing Peter Pan.
You can also split a long sleeve down the middle and sew in a
co-ordinating fabric. Split about two inches below the shoulder line and stop
about 2" from the bottom hem. This will give your garment a completely
new look and feel.
If you would like to tell us about your back to school sewing, please
join us on the discussion boards in the Children's Clothing
Construction.
Written by Mary Wilkins, owner/editor of
http://www.sew-whats-new.com.
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