Thursday 2 August 2012

Culottes and Shorts Refashion...


A few years ago, my daughter and I both bought the same pants on sale. From memory, they were only $10. They are 100% cotton and loose fitting, so they are the perfect Summer cover up for my fair skin. They are not particularly flattering because they are so baggy, but this makes them cool and SO comfortable. (Cool as in not hot, as opposed to cool being trendy.)

When the kids were little, we won an all expenses paid holiday to beautiful Port Douglas. It was a fabulous holiday, visiting both the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest We always vowed we would visit again, and three years ago we did. A week in the sun meant protecting my skin and my pants bought on sale were worn a lot.

I still have my pants, but my daughter decided she no longer wanted hers. As you can see, there's a lot of fabric in those pants.

I knew I'd easily be able to make a pair of boy's shorts from the bottom of the legs.

I simply used the bottom of the legs as fabric. Once again, I've used the Mud Puddle Splashers pattern, from Fishsticks Designs. I love this pattern, which is so quick and easy to make.

That left me with the shirred waist and legs to about the knees. Considering the old pants were for an adult,  the shirred waist seemed quite small. Shirring stretches a long way, which is why it is often used on pants that are one size fits all. When I compared the shirred waist, to the waist on the new shorts, it looked like the old adult's pants would fit a child. 

Sure enough, they did fit. This was the easiest refashion. Cut the legs to the right length, use bias binding as a hem for the legs, add a bow and a pair of culottes was finished.

The brown fabric by itself is just right for boy's shorts, but I felt it needed something else for a girl. I found the pink polka dot, store bought bias in my stash. I'm quite surprised at how much this little addition has lifted the brown.

So far I'm keeping my pants, but maybe at some time in the future they'll become a pair of shorts and culottes the same as my daughter's pants have...

I'm adding these culottes and shorts to our ONGOING Pants, Shorts, Trousers for Children Link Party.

... Pam

23 comments:

  1. Lovely refashion. The polka dot bias does wonders to the culottes - any girl would love them! :-)

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  2. Lovely and thrifty too, a winning combination in my book!

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  3. Very cute and as usual...great use of fabric!

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  4. love the pink polka dot edges . perfect on a girl!

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  5. The polka dot is the perfect addition, great upcycle!!!

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  6. Very nice(!)
    I thing the polka dot is great

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  7. How cute! I enjoy redoing clothes. I really want to get the shirring thing down, but so far, I can't get it to work on my sewing machine. :(

    Found you via "Lines Across" :)

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  8. Awesome two for one! Great recycle. Thanks so much for sharing at Etcetorize this week!

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  9. Great refashion Pam! Love the pink and white polka dot trim too - it goes soo well with the brown!


    Thanks for linking to a Round Tuit!
    Hope you have a fabulous week!
    Jill @ Creating my way to Success
    http://www.jembellish.blogspot.com/

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  10. What a wonderful and creative way to recycle!! Thanks for sharing.
    Quilting at the River Linky Party Tuesday

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  11. These are PRECIOUS
    please stop by Itsy Bitsy and say hi.
    www.itsybitsybrianna.wordpress.com

    also feel free to stop by my etsy stop and have a lookie
    http://www.etsy.com/shop/FabArtAndDesign
    tootles
    bB

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  12. Very cute, I love the polka dots! Thanks for sharing at The Fun In Functional!

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  13. Very creative! I am visiting from the Country Momma Cooks Link up. Some great ideas here :)

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  14. These are lovely... the culottes look really comfortable :)

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  15. Great refashion! I hope you’ll link this up today (or anytime this weekend) at One Creative Weekend on OneCreativeMommy.com.

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  16. You are so resourceful Pam! The pink trim is so pretty with the brown andthe smocking is lovely.

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  17. These are soo adorable.. Love the refashion and the pink trim is sooo cute!
    Thanks so much for sharing with the Pink Hippo Party!
    xoxo
    Amie @ Pinkapotamus

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  18. Thanks for linking up to last week's Tuesday Confessional link party. You've been featured!
    http://www.craftyconfessions.com/2012/08/tuesday-confessional-features_12.html

    Congrats!
    ~Macy

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  19. love them! I hope to make some for my children. Thanks for sharing!
    ~ Nelda

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  20. So cute! I love what you do to refashion clothing!

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