Shorts for the Shortest

Summer is coming. I have a growing toddler, but I also have an aversion to both fast fashion and expensive play clothes...

I've done a much better job of controlling my children's wardrobes over the past few years -- they have less excess clothing, and they actually wear their clothes out over the course of a season or two. This means less clothing to store, less waste, and lower costs. But it also means fewer hand-me-downs for my younger boys! With the charity shops still closed, it was time to upcycle.

Scout was in need of some summer shorts, so I found two suitable patterns and set to work. I cut out the grey knit shorts and a pair of leggings for Rosa from a second-hand women's skirt. They went together in a jiffy -- probably less than 2 hours for both garments. I cut the denim shorts out of a pair of women's stretchy jeans, and entire construction time (including printing/assembling the pattern) was probably an hour. 

The knit shorts are from Craft Passion's free 3T pattern. I typically shy away from boy's clothing, because it's hard to recreate all of the typical pockets, top-stitching, belt loops, etc., without significant effort. But play shorts seemed accessible, and I decided to keep the pockets to give them a more finished look. They were quite simple, really!

For the denim shorts I used the Misusu Olli shorts pattern. I noticed on the pattern page that there's a free code in the Facebook group, so this lovely pattern ended up being free! I love the design details, and the construction technique opens up all kinds of upcycling possibilities (I wouldn't usually be able to cut 2-3T shorts out of a pair of women's jeans without creative piecing). They went together so easily, and I was surprised how quickly I was able to finish them. I think they'll be quite cloth-diaper-friendly, too -- though it's time to think about potty-training Scout. Yay...

I did add some top-stitching, but the thread
blends in so well that you can't really see it!

Less in the stash, more shorts for Scout -- I'll call that a success. But I'll be very grateful when the charity shops reopen!