when repurposing or refashioning an item, there is no such thing as leftovers in my house. after having so much fun making dresses from men's shirt's, (see previous post) i created these pants from the sleeves to utilize all the pieces of the shirt.


i decided to try my hand at making a tutorial for all of you as part of the "newbie sewing series". this is my first tute, so please be kind with me, i am still learning as well, and don't worry, the dress "in bloom" is coming next. i decided to use the pants as my trial run.


during the process of making this tutorial i decided to have a little fun with it. what you are getting is the actual step by step of the very first time i tried these pants. that is how things work when we really sew - some things fail, some things succeed, and sometimes we make errors. these pants started out in my mind as being capris, they aren't. they were also supposed to have more of a flat waistband, they don't - but i love em' anyways! this is what i find to be the most addicting part of making clothes from a whim, i just go with where the process takes me.


since i am a newbie sewer and have to admit, i don't know a lot of fancy terminology, i decided to add a new feature to your average tutorial. i tend to be a very visual learner, the more pictures the better, but sometimes that isn't enough for me, i need to see it being done, not just explained. in pondering this during my daily strolls with mackenzie, i decided hey, why not add in a video of me humiliating myself to go with my equally embarrassing attempt at a tutorial? so i did, i decided to give it a shot and see how you all like it. it's not a blockbuster hit, it's just me and my camera (no tripod, i couldn't find it), the tv in the background (some kid's show to keep mackenzie quiet), i have bronchitis - so i sound funny, and of course, i thought they were going to be capris - until i tried them on her..haha.

you will be able to:

1. download the tutorial in a PDF and print it out

PDF DOWNLOAD - there's no such thing as leftovers - the pants



2. watch a video of me talking about the process on you tube or view them in this post.

VIDEO ADDITION TO THE TUTORIAL



* **Copyright 2010 www.luvinthemommyhood.com
All rights reserved. For personal use only. Please do not sell items made from this tutorial unless permission has been given.


so have fun with it - experiment, create and let your imagination go wild, but most importantly, trust your instincts, you don't need to be an expert sewer to create a great garment.

please remember to take that much needed second look at items we already have in our homes and rethink their purpose. it truly is a creative journey that we can all share, learn from, and inspire each other with, as a newbie sewer or as an experienced sewer.

so share with me - your thoughts & your pictures, i can't wait to hear from you all! happy sewing!