Recently I got some skin trouble at the crotch from the elastic band of my shorts (I know, nobody wants this information).
Actually I had been sick of the feel of the elastic band of shorts.
And it's next to impossible to find the shorts which perfectly meet your preference, isn't it? Too shallow, too deep, the elastic band too tight, half your bum is regretfully showing outside, etc etc etc.
So I decided to make my own boxer shorts, and show you the process so that you can DIY yours.
And hey, this is an upcycle clothes idea. You can use old Kurta, saree, shirt, petticoat, or bedsheet. As long as it's cotton and thin, it'd work great! Oh, shorts from an old silk saree would be pure luxury, too...
Maybe you can't make whole pants from one Kurta or shirt. Then you'll have fun mixing and matching multiple items!
The process is very easy and simple.
But I divided it into two episodes:
EP 3-1: pattern making
EP 3-2: sewing
FYI, you can check out our previous upcycle clothes ideas blog EP1 and EP2 as well.
Let's Make Patterns Like A Boss!
Please prepare:
- big sheets of paper or newspaper
- ruler (preferably 20 inches)
- pen
And for stitching part:
- sewing machine or a needle and dress pins
- iron
Front Side
OK, let's start!
1. First, draw a vertical line of around 18 inches.
Leave a space on the left for around 1 inch.
2. Draw 5 horizontal lines of around 12 inches, perpendicular to the line of No.1, with respective distances as per below.
3. Now, calculate:
Your nude waist size / 4 + 2.6 inches
And draw a vertical perpendicular line from the 1st horizontal line to the 2nd one.
(Sorry, since I'm using photos, the lines don't look like being at right angles to one another... But please follow each instruction carefully. When instructed as 'perpendicular', please draw so even when it doesn't look so in the photo)
4. Now, calculate:
Your nude hip size / 4 + 0.8 inches
And mark on the 3rd horizontal line.
Strike a line from this point from the line in No.3.
5. Draw a light vertical line perpendicular to the horizontal ones from the 2nd line to the 4th one, passing the point marked in No.4.
6. From the point marked in No.4, using the line drawn in No.5, draw a curved line as per below.
7. From the bottom end of the curved line, draw a light vertical line perpendicular to the 5th horizontal line. Then mark a point 0.2 inches left. And draw a line to the bottom end of the curved line.
From the vertical line on the left, mark a point 0.2 inches right, and draw a line as per below.
8. Done! The front pattern is completed!
Easy, right?
(If it was not easy, that's because of my poor explanation only...)
Back Side
Now we draw the back pattern.
1. Get a new sheet of paper and put it on the front pattern.
Copy vertical lines and horizontal lines from the front pattern. Only the perpendicular lines. Extend each of them a bit.
If you're using newspaper, please draw them again following the instruction above.
Leave more than 2 inches on the left.
2. Draw a line as per below.
3. Draw a line which is:
- perpendicular to the line in No.2
- length: Your nude waist size / 4 + 2.2 inches
- the left end touches the 2nd horizontal line
4. Draw a rectangle above the line of No.3 with the height 0.8 inches.
5. Draw a line which is:
- perpendicular to the line in No.2
- length: Your nude hip size / 4 + 1.4 inches
- the left end touches the 3rd horizontal line
6. Draw a curved line as per below.
7. From the bottom end of the curved line, draw a light vertical line perpendicular to the 5th horizontal line. Then mark a point 0.4 inches left. And draw a line to the bottom end of the curved line.
8. From the bottom corner of the rectangle in No.4, draw a line to the left end of the line in No.5.
9. From the bottom end of the line in No.8, draw a light vertical line perpendicular to the 5th horizontal line. Then mark a point 0.4 inches right. And draw a line from the bottom end of the line in No.8.
This is it! Now you have the backside pattern as well!
Seam Allowance
These red lines are the lines you'll stitch.
So you need to add the seam allowance when you cut out each piece from the fabric.
For this item and the particular way I made it for this blog, the recommended width of the allowances are:
- 1.2 inches to the top and the bottom lines
- 0.6 inches to all the other lines (vertical / vertical-ish lines)
Some people cut the patterns on these red lines from the paper and add the seam allowance directly on the fabric.
I add the seam allowance on the patterns before cutting out from the paper, and cut the pieces from the fabric exactly the same as the paper patterns.
You can do whichever you feel is comfortable!
The extra spaces on the top, bottom, left, right on the paper in this episode are for adding the seam allowance.
Ready For Upcycling Your Clothes?
I think this pants is one of the easiest among upcycling clothes.
If you have any questions, please leave it in Comments below. I'm more than happy to answer.
In the next episode, I will show you how you stitch it.
I hope anyone of you will actually make one following this blog series. Will you??
Bonus Video
When I searched for videos, I found that most of the videos on upcycle clothes ideas make patterns by copying existing items.
That's totally fine, of course! You can find many of them on YouTube.
This one is not about making shorts, but look what I found - how to make a bra from boxer pants for men!
It's made by a Japanese girl (and the subtitles don't work for some reason), but you can follow it without subtitles. This is very unique as an upcycle clothes ideas video. It's bloody simple, and the outcome is pretty cute!