Shorts Pattern

Sew Much More Shorts Directions

*Tip: If you place a straight pin in each piece of fabric on the top (casing edge), as you sew you will never get missed up between the casing and the hem.  Just remove pins once shorts are formed.

Forming the hem and casing:

Hem:

1.   

Using the “HEM” edge of the folding template, with wrong side facing out, fold the bottom edge up ¼” and press.

2.    Fold up again, 1” from the first folded edge. Press into place.

 

Casing:

3.   

Using the “CASING” edge of the folding template, with wrong side facing out, fold the top edge over ¼” and press.

4.    Fold over again, 1½” from the first folded edge. Press into place.

5.    Unfold the casing and hem. Nice, sharp creases should be visible.

	4				5
			4

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Stitching

1.    With the right sides facing, place the unfolded pieces together and align all of the edges.

2.    Pin the pieces together at the center crotch edges.

3.    Stitch the center crotch seams ¼” from edges. Use small, tight stitches.

4.    For extra durability, reinforce the crotch by double stitching over the first set of stitches. Stitch up about an inch from the bottom of the seam on both sides.

	1
					4

 

5.    Zig-zag finish the raw edges of the center crotch seams.

6.    Open out the pants so that the two sides are folded in half and the crotch seams are together.

7.    Match up the crotch seams and pin together. Starting at the bottom leg edge, align the inside leg edges and pin, making sure the creases are back-to-back.

8.    Stitch the legs together, ¼” from the inside edges.

	5				7		8
			6

 

9.    Start about an inch away from the center crotch seam, stitch over the first set of stitches to reinforce. Stitch over the crotch seam and about an inch beyond.

10.

10

Zig-zag finish the raw edges of the inside leg seams.

	9

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hemming the leg openings

1.    Turn the first fold ¼” up into place.

2.    Turn the second fold 1” up into place. If needed, press the cuffs to sharpen the crease.

3.    Stitch the hem into place ¼” from the top folded edge.

	1		2		3

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Casing

1.    Turn the first fold ¼” down into place.

2.    Turn the second fold 1½” down into place. If needed, press the casing once again.

3.     Starting about 1” from the center back seam, stitch ⅛ - ¼”* from the bottom folded edge, leaving a 2” opening at the center back (but not near the seam).  *It is very important to sew on the edge of seam, to have a full inch available to run the elastic through.

					3
	1		2

 

4.    Using the “Elastic Sizing Chart,” cut a length of 1” wide elastic the correct length. Attach safety pins to each end. Use one pin pull the elastic through the casing (the other pin will help it not ever become “lost” inside the casing).

5.    Overlap the elastic ends by about ½” and stitch securely.

	Elastic Sizing Chart Size Measurement around waist Elastic length 2 20” 16” 4 21” 17” 6 22” 18” 8 23 ½“ 19 ½“
					5
			4

 

6.    Tuck the elastic into the casing.

7.    Stitch across the opening. Stretch the waistband to evenly distribute the casing around the elastic.

8.   

8

To prevent the elastic from rolling, stitch through the casing and the elastic at the front and back center seams, working on the right side of the garment.

			7
	6