Little Gathered Shorts Tutorial

It's a beautiful spring day today in Utah. Unlike a few days ago when I was sewing these little shorts together and it looked like this outside my sewing room window...

So please forgive my terribly dark pictures in my tutorial. Basically I used the same method as I used with my Pajama pants tutoral. For the Peter Pan collar on the little t-shirt I used THIS tutorial. My origional project was to just add the collar to the t-shirt and be done. But once I got started I wanted to complete the outfit with a pair of spring/summer shorts.

Instead of using a pair of pajama pants for my template I used a pair of shorts that fit my daughter well and cut a couple pockets from the left over collar fabric.

Sew your shorts together using the same method as THESE super simple pajama pants.

To make the pocket I just cut two pieces in the shape I wanted my pockets to be and sewed the two together, right side together.

I left a little hole to turn my pocket right side out. I then ironed it flat and pinned it to my pair of shorts.

As you can see I added a cute little pleat to the pocket. I then sewed it to my shorts, leaving the top open. Be sure and leave your turning hole on the bottom of the pocket so when you are sewing the pockets to your pants your stitches close up that hole.

After I added the pockets I thought they still needed a bit more detail, so I gathered up the side of each leg and simply stitched back and forth a couple times to secure those gathers.

Taking a bit of the left over bias tape from my peter pan collar, I tied a couple bows and hand stitched those on top of the gathers.

Today we got a break from the winter weather and I think it got pretty close to 60 degrees outside. Still a bit to cold out for my daughter to wear her new outfit outside but she enjoy running around the house in it. Tomorrow it's supposed to storm once again. Spring weather is such a tease.