Faux Wrap Shorts Tutorial

I love sewing shorts. So quick and fun and they get worn a lot! Today I'm sharing a fun tutorial for making Faux Wrap Shorts for girls (or women if you love them that much). A fun DIY for any level of experience. This shorts tutorial has a cute ruffle wrap front that I know your little girl will love. 

Cute right? With a little fabric, a pair of shorts that fit well, some ¾" elastic and a couple hours you can make these too!

First trace your existing shorts to make your pattern. 

Tracing Tips:

1. Turn your shorts inside out.
2. Iron them or stretch them flat.
3. Make sure your seams are on the edges and tuck the other parts inside so it is easy to trace.
4. Trace the bottom part and from the crotch curve up and then make a straight line up. Elastic in shorts pulls in the top but you'll need to cut your fabric as if there is no elastic in them yet. (see photo below)

Add seam and hem allowances. For this pattern I use a 1" hem allowance and ⅝" seam allowances. Take away about ¾" at the top because you'll be doing a separate waistband.

Note: I took an inch off the front pattern pieces and added an inch to the back because I made a flat front waistband. If you want to do this add/take away from the outside (flat) side of the pattern piece.

Make your faux wrap pattern piece:

1. Make a rectangle the width of your shorts front (measure the front pattern piece, subtract the inside seam allowance and double).
2. For the length subract 1.75" from the bottom and 1.5" from the side to make room for the ruffle. 
3. Make a curved line as shown in the photo.

Cut 2 front, 2 back, 1 faux wrap piece, 1 ruffle piece, 1 front waistband piece and 1 back waistband piece. Waistband pieces will be the length of the finished back and front panels by 3.25". Ruffle piece is 3.25 x 40".

Right sides together, sew front to front and back to back at the curved crotch.

Hem the back left leg and front right leg. Iron up ¼" then ¾" and topstitch.

Make ruffle: Fold ruffle fabric in half, wrong sides together. Use a basting (long) stitch across the unfinished edges and gently pull the bobbin thread to make a gather. Gather until your ruffle is the length of the bottom edge of the faux wrap piece.

Sew it on then finish hem with pinking sheers or serger. Iron hem UP then topstitch.

Baste the faux wrap piece to the front of the shorts at the top. The ruffle should match up evenly at the bottom with the hem on the shorts.

Sew the waistbands to the top of the front and back pieces, right sides together. Then fold the waistband over and iron in half. Iron seam toward the top and fold top of waistband under ¼" and iron. Do not sew closed yet.

Stack front of shorts and back right sides together (faux wrap is in between). Cut ¾" elastic the length of your child's waist MINUS the width of the front panel. Attach the elastic to the waistband side seams with a zigzag stitch. Sew up the side seams of the shorts and waistband.

Fold waistband over, trapping elastic inside the backside casing. Pin and topstitch making sure not to sew over elastic.

Sew up inseam.

Finish the hem on the unfinished leg. Then sew the seam of hte right leg down. See photo below.

You're done!