Ruffle Bum Pants

Ok, so we all love a little frilly bottom, don’t we?  I was thinking about how babies are having all the fun, and since my baby isn’t necessarily a baby anymore, I ought to remedy the lack of frilly bum situation.

Start with some pants that fit your kid like a charm!  Use them as a pattern, first using the back (this will be the wider part to accommodate little diaper bottoms),

Then the front, and cut out your pieces about 1/2” from your original pant to allow for seam allowance (this picture is the back of the pants again, just to clarify).

I’d label your back pieces, which is something I didn’t do… or you might end up with a nice saggy front.  Not like I’ve ever done that… anyway, put a front and a back piece right sides together, and pin well.  I’m using knit here, because comfy is important! 

Sew the inseam, or the bottom of the pant to the crotch.  Don’t sew the whole side!  Finish your edges however you like.

Next, match front pieces right sides together and back pieces right sides together.  Pin and sew this U-shape.

With a little unfolding magic (it took me a second to figure out what was what! But it is there!), you will be at this point:

Now, ruffle up some fabric!  I chose 4 coordinating knits cut at 2”.  To gather, just sew a long stitch about 1/4” from the edge, and pull on one of the threads while moving the fabric along to gather it up. 

Make sure the front of the pants are out of the way.  Pin your first ruffle about 2”-3” from the crotch seam, making sure the ruffle extends just slightly from the edges of your pant.

Sew over your gathering stitch using a zig-zag stitch, so a tiny hiney can bend after all the ruffles are sewn. 

Continue to pin ruffles and sew them down.

After a few rounds, you will have a cute ruffle bum!

Now, turn the pants so right sides are together again.  Pin the pant legs, making sure you catch those ruffles.  Sew and finish your edge.

Make an elastic casing at the top, and insert your elastic.  I also chose to finish the pant legs with a small hem.

Put them on a little bottom squeal with delight as your little girl toddles around with a frilly bottom!!

Go ahead, make two pairs!

**for these pants, I did three 3” ruffles, which made it look more like a skirt.  I’m a bigger fan of the smaller ruffles, but the baby loved this pair just as much!  I used t-shirt scraps and other scrap knits (cheap stuff from Hobby Lobby) for both pairs of pants.

 

***Linking this fun project up to Today’s Creative Blog, Blue Cricket, and Sew Much Ado!

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway!  You’ll love a little Eva in your life!