Mix n Match and Modify {a mini tute}

I have had a couple of readers ask me if I thought the Easy Fit Pants that I make so often look a little girly with the extra wide leg. Well, I do think they look a little feminine. That clearly hasn't stopped me from making a ton of these pants (as seen here, here, here, here, and here) for Vinny. I have to say that with his blond hair (uncut), blue eyes and dimples he gets mistaken for a girl more often when wearing any of the above listed pants. I don't really care about the mix up but Chef did ask me why I kept making the poor boy wear girl pants. 

Obviously a simple remedy is to taper the leg a bit but I got to thinking about different ways of changing up a wide leg pant. I'm not re-inventing the wheel here guys but I thought you might like to see a few ways to change up a wide leg pull on pant for girls and boys.

 {This is a cute capri length that screams Easter to me}

 {Contrast fabric is a fun way to change things up a bit}

 So let's get started...

These instructions are for the tab set in the side seam.

 I cut two sets of tabs by cutting a rectangle (about 2" X 3") first and then rounding the edges. I used a thread spool as my template for the rounded edges but you can just eyeball it.

 

With right sides together stitch two pieces together leaving one short end open for turning. Turn right side out and press. I stitched buttonholes on these tabs before inserting them into the side seam, but as you'll see later I realized that buttonholes are just a nasty extra step that is needless for this application. So by all means skip this step.

Place tab on side seam. I made my tabs too long so I have the tab hang over the raw edge by 3/4". I measured where the hemline would be and placed the tab about 1 1/2" up from where the finished hemline of the pant will be. This was totally eyeballed. Stitch side seam closed as usual. 

{I also edge stitched the side seam for a cleaner look}

After hemming the pants and finishing the waistband I stitched in 5 rows of elastic thread to gather the extra width of these wide pants in just a bit. If you haven't used elastic thread yet it's quite fun and easy. Just hand wind a bobbin with the elastic thread. There's really no trick to sewing with elastic thread. It puckers up quite nicely with the steam from your iron.

Here's the blue pant without buttonholes. Just as cute and easier. I totally ruined this pant by not only getting red ink on the front panel but I also made two left legs and didn't realize until the pant was finished. When stitching in your side seam tabs make sure to keep a left and right leg.

If making a pant like the tweed pictured at the top of this post...

I just made a tuck (again eyeballing it!), pinned it in place (centering tab) and topstitched the tab. I then stitched the button into place. No buttonholes... all fakey fakey.

For one of the pant legs I placed the tab about 1 1/2" up from the hemline. On the other leg I placed the tab along the bottom of the pant. I like them both and they are equally cute. I can't wait to try this out for a girl pant.

The waistband of this pant is just added length and a casing sewn where the regular waistband casing would be. This is actually my very first elastic casing for a waistband (I've done it before on gathered pockets). I usually sew elastic waistbands differently (another tutorial one day). I like the high waist detail on this pant and it looks very cute with a onesie. I'm thinking about making it with a little less added fabric for a boy pant and adding old fashioned suspenders. Not sure yet if it will work. Maybe in a corduroy or tweed.

So that's it for some more ideas on embellishing pants. Of course you can always add ruffles to the bottom or this fun pant that I'll have to try next.