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Sailor Shorts What You Will Need:½ yd fabric, depending on the size of your childscrap alternate fabricScrap interfacingButtonsfabric markerRulerCoordinating ThreadPair of shorts that already fit well, for pattern sizes Let’s Get StartedUsing the tutorial found HERE for the Sailor Pants, we are going to be making shorts. When cutting out the pattern, please continue to add the 2” on top and ½” seam allowance on sides - but DO NOT add an additional 1” on bottom for seam allowance. Cut (4). See Photo:

For the bottom shorts band, cut (4) 3”L x shorts hem width of the alternating fabric. See Photo:

Taking the 2 front pattern pieces, lay them right side up. Measuring in half way from the middle of the top, and use a ruler to draw a straight line down, stopping at about 2 - 2.5” above where the front seam curve ends. See Photo:

Using that measurement (my line was 7” long) add 1”, cut (2) 8” x 2” rectangles of fabric, and (2) 8” x 2” pieces of interfacing. Also, using that same line measurement, add another 1”, cut (4) 9” x 3” rectangles of fabric. We will call these the ‘button flaps’. Let’s Get Interfacing, and one last mark:Taking your (2) 8” x 2” piece of fabric (whatever you measurement was), interface the wrong side of them. On the pieces that you just interfaced, mark a line down the center on the interfacing, equal to the line you marked on your pants. Leaving the bottom 1” unmarked. See Photo:

Let’s Get Sewing:We will be using ½” seam allowances, unless otherwise noted. Follow along in the Button Sailor Pants pattern found HERE to attach the button flaps / sailor front to the front pattern pieces of the shorts. Once we have finished those steps, we can continue here to make the shorts. You should now have this:

Now, take your alternating fabric bands and lay them right sides together with the shorts pattern, pinning the bottom raw edge. Repeat for all bands, shorts. Sew together, and Press seam down. See Photo:

You should now have this:

Now, we are going to take each pattern piece, and edge stitch the outer seam (not the inner crotch seam - but the OUTER seam - the long straight edge on the outside). Do this for all 4 pieces. Either serge this end, or zig zag stitch to prevent from fraying. We are doing this prior to sewing the front and back of the shorts together for a reason later on. See Photo:

Now, we can take the front pattern piece and back pattern piece and pin along the inner and outer leg seams (not the crotch seam), with right sides together. When pinning the outer leg seam (the seam that has the edge stitching), stop pinning 1” above the alternating fabric. See Photo:

Sew together side and inner leg seams, but do not sew below that pinned point. You should now have this:

Now, take the bottom edge of the shorts where we did not sew, and press the seam open - creating a V shape. pin down. See Photo:

We are going to sew around this open ‘V’, sewing the seams in place. *PS - be sure to be repeating this for both shorts pieces - I realize I have not been saying that as often in this tutorial. Turning one side of the shorts right side out, and keeping the other side wrong side out - slip one inside the other - so that right sides are facing. Pin along crotch seam. See Photo:

Sew together. You should now have this:

Now, we are going to take the bottom of our shorts and press the hem under ¼” towards the wrong side. Once you have done that, fold the bottom band in the middle, towards the wrong side, so that it covers the shorts seam where the shorts meet the alternating fabric, and Press. See Photo:

You can either whipstitch this closed, or sew a very straight edge. You will now have this:

Now, we are going to finish the top edge of the sailor shorts, as we did with the Sailor Pants, found HERE. For photos of these steps, please see pants tutorial. Starting with the front flap, fold down 1” towards wrong side and Press. Fold down again and sew along bottom, top and side edges. Now, I am going to add a piece of elastic to the back of the pants.

● Fold the waist down 1" towards wrong side and sew in place.● Measure your child's waist, and divide that number in half. (my daughter has a 21"

waist, cut in half is 10.5”). Minus 3.5” approx. inches for elastic, so that it stretches, cut that amount of elastic.

● Pin the middle of the elastic to the back pant waist seam and stitch in place with a wide stationary zigzag stitch. Stretch the elastic out on either side to meet the side seam, pin it then stitch it down with the stationary zigzag. Don't worry about it looking a little bunched, it will be pulled out when the band is sewn.

Fold down 1” more towards wrong side, enclosing the elastic and straight stitch along both sides. When sewing on your buttonholes and buttons, be sure to mark them evenly, so they line up

properly. Sew the buttonholes on the outside, and the buttons on the inside flap. And voila, you are done!