Thursday, April 18, 2013

high waisted shorts

before you press that "order" button STOP.
High waisted jeans are back  in action & some of them are being 
sold for over 50 dollars
I made these shorts  from a pair of 
old "mom jeans" I found in a local thrift  shop for 4 dollars ! !
So let's have some sustainable  fun & create your own unique shorts by up-cycling  some good old "mom-jeans" from your local thrift shop.

let's get sustainable, america!
Materials:
-- scissors --
-- pair of "mom jeans" --
-- pencil or pen --
Optional Materials:
-- fabric scraps --
-- sewing machine --
-- seam ripper --


Up-cycle step 1 :

draw a line starting about 4 inches down  the in-seam of your pants across to the outter-seam

draw your line with a slight curve, so that the outside seams are shorter  than the inner seams

if you want to fold the edges of your shorts & not fringe them, give yourself a little extra seam allowance !
try starting your line 5 inches down instead of 4 inches

-- REMEMBER --
it's always better to give yourself extra  fabric if you are unsure of anything !
you can always cut off more until you reach your desired  length 

get out those scissors !
up-cycle step 2 :

start cutting along  your line or pen marks ONLY on the front fabric of your jeans !

You want the back of your shorts to be a little longer  than the front, 
so we will cut the back after

make sure to cut with long and even strokes to get a nice clean  cut

perfection
up-cycle step 3 :

in order to make the back of your shorts  longer, you have to draw another line

using the opening  you just cut on the front of your shorts,
draw a line about an inch away from the new  bottom edge of your shorts

piece of cake !
up-cycle step 4 :

carefully cut this new line,
you will find that you may need  to play with your sides a little bit in order to adjust  their style

recommend  trying your shorts on before you trim your sides  so that you can actually
see what they will look  like on you as you trim them 


up-cycle step 5 :

once you have your shorts exactly  the length you desire, carefully fold the pants in half

you will now start cutting the pant leg on the opposite  side
but WAIT:

be sure that you follow the original  short pattern you just created on the opposite side
to do this: fold the pants in half so that the back pocket  is facing you,
because this is the longer  side of the shorts, we will cut the pant leg following this edge

next: fold the shorts so that the front  pockets are facing you,
now carefully  cut the front of your shorts so that you are following this shorter
edge of your original  short leg.

FRINGE !!!
when you have your shorts  at your desired length and style
its time for some fringe  !

run your fingers  along the cut edge & pull the threads  all along the sides
you can also use a small  razor blade to help with the fringing
by simply  running the blade along  the fabric's edge

if you want a clean edge, just fold  the edges up, iron flat, fold once more
& stitch at about a half  inch

IT'S THAT SIMPLE!!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
if you want to take your awesome  new shorts to the next level
try this simple addition:
POCKETS

upcycle step 6 :

find a recycled fabric that you would like to add  as a back pocket to your new shorts

recycled fabric
up-cycle step 7 :

using a seam ripper, slowly & carefully  remove a back pocket from your shorts
try not to cut any of the material because this will be used  as your pattern piece

if you are using a thin fabric, like the one shown,  you will want to use 
a heavier fabric  behind it for support

I used an old denim back pocket for support
up-cycle step 8 :

take your fabric  piece & use your new pocket pattern as a guide to trace
out the new  pocket ! 


up-cycle step 9 :

cut out this new pattern piece
NOTE:
 if you are using one piece of fabric for your pocket
it should be the exact same size as the old pocket 

however ...

if you are using two  pieces,
make sure the lighter fabric that will be shown on the outside
is about a half inch longer  in all directions

you will notice  from the old pocket pattern that there are folded edges
that help secure the pocket once sewn  onto the shorts
you want to copy this exact  folding onto your new pocket cut-out
& pin down the sides after ironing  the folds into place

they should look like this
  up-cycle step 10 :

in order to be sure your pocket is secure
you want to stitch all along the edges to keep them in place
especially  if you are using two fabrics

up-cycle step 11 :

once you have sewn  around the edges of your new pocket
pin it in place directly on the old spot in which the last  pocket lay

 stitch into  place
you can stitch right onto the seams you just created
or use a zig-zag stitch  to give some stretch room
and add a different style to the pocket

for my pocket, i used  the zig-ag stitch
shown here:



 congrats!
you just successfully
& sustainably up-cycled ! !

you can now where  your high-waisted shorts
loud & proud
knowing you helped support your local thrift store, recycled  old clothing,
& got those creative  juices flowing !

remember  to always take a peek in any thrift  store you see,
you never know what may inspire you


Don't forget to like our Facebook page!

& follow us on instagram : @FHCP_blogspot



Keep on craftin' , sustainably of course.


namaste.