Make Your Own Baby Clothing: DIY Trouser / Pants - Sewing Basics (Incl. pattern)

1. Introduction Baby Trouser: Hello, my name is Hilda. I'm a Dutch fashion designer with a passion for sustainable products and a few years ago I started my own brand called Piple. It means people, inspiring people and I love to inspire you and make your own timeless products by using your own creativity. I believe that every person is creative and it is so satisfying to make something yourself. It is my desire to take you step by step into the process of making something beautiful for your little one. A few months ago, I became a mom for the first time. I made a lot of clothes for my little boy. I treat this clothing differently than clothing i just bought because a product made with my own two hands has much more value. I also want to make a difference in the clothing industry. We all know that humans and the environment are exploited. There is so much clothing that is thrown away and also made in very bad condition. So let's make a difference. All the clothing and products I make, I made from recycled materials. I'd love to take you into the process in how I do this. In this video, I'll teach you step-by-step how to make this up cycled trouser for your newborn. It is a really good beginners project and I really hope you love this class. 2. Grap Your Tools And Materials: Tools and Materials. What you need is a piece of fabric, but this can also be a shirt you don't use anymore. It is also totally okay to use a shirt that is damaged, because then, you can recycle this shirt and make it into something new. Make sure the fabric is washed and ironed. If you use a shirt, I will prefer a big shirt because then you have enough fabric for one, or maybe more trousers. Besides that, you need a pattern. To make it easy for you, I uploaded the pattern in the link below. In this template, you find the exact dimensions of the trouser. In the video about the pattern, I showed you the right way how to print the pattern on scale. What you also need is an elastic strip of about 30 centimeters. This is about 12 inches. The best color for me to use is white, so you won't see the strip through the fabric. But of course this depends on what color fabric you use. The elastic strip I use is two centimeters wide, so this is 0.8 inches, and of course you need scissors. I always use two different scissors. One is for the paper and the other one is specifically made for fabric. You also need sewing threads in the right color. As you can see, I use GOTS certified sewing threads. GOTS is a textile certification and it limits the use of toxic bleaches, dyes, and other chemical inputs during the production process of textiles. Of course, this is way better for the environment and also for the people who make the threads. Last but not least, you need a sewing machine. Normally, I use my lock machine. If you have this one, of course you can use this. But this is a beginners class so I show you how to use your regular sewing machine without having to use complicated machines. This is everything you need for this project. 3. About The Pattern: The pattern. I uploaded a template for you, you can find it in the link below. Open this file. There are two pages, and it's very important that you print this file on 100 percent, so it's exactly on scale. Make sure your print page with the settings exact same size. I made two black boxes on page 2. The first box needs to be exactly one centimeter and a second box needs to be a one inch. Check if the dimensions are correct. On the second page, you see a thick line at the top. You can cut away the area above the thick line of page 2. Let page 2 overlap page 1, so it becomes a pattern. Both lines needs to be lined up. The size is suitable for newborns from zero till nine months old. Cut out the size you would like to make. I make size 74 because my baby is five months old. This is the next size he can wear. I think the trouser will be too big at first, but he will fit it soon enough. 4. About The Fabric: The fabric. Now we are going to prepare your fabric. Make sure the fabric is washed and ironed. Now cut the shirt only on the seams, and make sure you have as much useful fabric as possible. Now you are ready to go. 5. Laying Out The Pattern And Cutting Your Fabric: Cutting out the pieces. Now your pattern and fabric are ready for use. Put a pattern on the fabric. We use a pattern twice. By this I mean that the front and the back are the same, so at the end you have four pieces. Cut out the first piece and for the second piece you'll marry the pattern. Repeat this twice and make sure you're be precise by cutting out. Cut out around the edge. For me, this fabric is fairly easy to cut out straight because it has straight lines. But for you, it's important that you cut straight pieces, all four in the same way. For the back, I use the nice pocket that was already on the shirt. In this way, I create a detail on the trouser. 6. Sewing #1: Now we start with the most fun part, sewing. First, we sew the middle sides together. Put the right sides of the fronts on top of each other and attach them. I make sure that the pattern blends nicely together. Before I start, I set up my sewing machine. I use a straight stitch with a distance of 2.5 and now I start sewing. In this way, I create the front and the back side of the trouser. So you have two pieces left instead of four. 7. Sewing #2: Sewing Part 2. Now you have only two pieces left. In this video, we are going to sew the long sides together. Put the right sides, the front, on top of each other and it sets in.The setup of my sewing machines stays the same. Now you have only one piece left, and you are already seeing the shape of the trouser. 8. Sewing #3: Sewing part 3. Now we are decently going to finish the bottom of the legs of the trouser. I tried to explain this as clearly as possible, but in the video you can see exactly how it should be done. If you turn the fabric over, make sure that the fabric is folded open on both sides. I fold down the fabric two times, so twice a centimeter, this is 0.4 inches. I also sewed the seam twice, so it is decently finished. 9. Sewing #4: Sewing part 4, now we are decently going to close the legs of the trouser. Make sure that the fabric is folded open on both sides. I still use the same settings on my sewing machine. Now sew the entire legs all at once. 10. Sewing #5: Sewing part 5. In the next step we will place a strip. I seal the strip on the top of the trouser. On my sewing machine, I change my settings in a zig zag stitch with the distance of three. I don't attach the elastic on the trouser, but guide carefully by hand. This means that I have to apply the same force to the elastic strip everywhere. After I sealed the elastic at the top of the trouser, I fold it inwards and attach it. Now I decently sew the strip in the trouser. I seal the same twice neatly together with a distance of half a centimeter. This is 0.2 inches. 11. Your Class Project: Class project. You did it. You made a beautiful trouser for your little one. How cool is that? Of course, this is the class project. I can't wait to see your results and to receive photos of your little one in this maybe upcycled trouser. If you have questions or recommendations about this video, please let me know. I really hope you enjoyed this class and that you have learned new basic sewing skills. I hope to see you next time.