Repurposed Sweatpants to Fancy Pocket Shorts Tutorial

We happily inherit a lot of hand me down clothes for BooBoo and Littlemiss. Unfortunately the seasons don't always match up. For example, Littlemiss inherited a few pairs of sweat pants. It's a bit hot to wear sweat pants during the summer, so I shortened a pair and added bright fabric to the pockets for an added pop of color. It literally took me an hour to make/update these shorts. Maybe you have a pair of sweat pants that need to be repurposed!?!

I went for a board short length, but these could easily be shortened for shorts or lengthened for capris.

Here's the tutorial:
Supplies:
-sweat pants or shorts with pockets
-sewing maching
-1/4 yard pop fabric (fashion fabric)
-coordinating thread
-disappearing ink marker or chalk
-one piece of computer paper

The sweat pants before.

I marked how short I wanted Littlemiss' shorts to be and cut off the pant legs an inch longer than I marked. I then folded the shorts up 1/2 inch and then 1/2 inch again. Then I sewed stitches through the the outer leg seam and inner leg seam on both pant legs. Just sew through the folded part of the leg pants.

I then created a template for the pocket material. I laid a piece of plain white computer paper over the shorts.

I then creased the inside and outside curves of the pocket.

I outlined all the edges of the pocket.

I then cut out around the pocket template, cutting 1/2 inch outside the edge of the marked template. I cut on the marked edge of the inside pocket, because I wanted this edge to have some of the original pocket showing.

Using your template, cut out the material for your pockets. Cut out one pocket material and then flip over your template to cut out the other pocket material. Making sure they mirror each other.

You can see in this picture I drew another line on my template for the inside curve. Now clip the curves of your pocket template. Clipping about every 1/4 inch.

Now fold in all the edges of your template to the marked line. It should look like this...

Check your template over your shorts pocket to make sure it is the correct size.

Place the template (with edges folded in) over material pocket. Trace all the edges using a disappearing marking pen.

This is what it should look like after. Sorry for the fuzzy picture, my camera skills are a work in progress.

Now clip the inside and outside curves, making sure to only clip the curves to the marked line. Then fold the straight egdes toward the wrong side of the material along the marked line. Fold and iron the inside and outside curves along the marked line.

It should now look like this with the right side of the fabric facing up.

Pin the material to your short pockets.

Sew 1/4 of an inch from the edge starting at the top or side straight edge and then around the outer edge. Before stitching the inside curve make sure you sew inside the pocket and don't sew the material through your shorts. You will sew the pockets shut if you sew through the shorts!

Once done sewing, rinse your marker lines away with water and TADA!!!

I know there is more than one way to attach fabric like this, and maybe an easier way. I may update this tutorial as I learn more. Enjoy!

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