Daniel andTia: Skinny Babies

It's no secret I have skinny children. Despite how much I try to over feed them they are just beans. The problem is that they are tall too. So finding pants for these kids is already very difficult. Squirmy has been a little easier once he got into the 2T lenghs a year and a half ago, because they have adjustable waistbands in those. But little Miss Bug even the pants with a regular elastic waist band is still to big and fall down. But the size that fit her waist are like cropped pants or long capri's.

Then at the Hobby Lobby I found something that changed my life.... buttonhole elastic.

Seriously! I put it in back of all her pants that fall down. So you don't have skinny babies? Well your lucky, you don't have to suffer through my bad photographic tutorial. However, I would advise you to read through anyways. My neighbor said she was going to do this to her 9 year old's pants, because you never know if your chubby baby will turn into a really active slim kid.

Here was the process.

Measure the length and add 1''. Mine was 7''.
Measure the width of the waist band, double it and add 1/2'' for seam allowance. Mine was 1''.

So I cut one strip 8'' by 2 1/2'' for each pant I was doing.

Folded right sides together and sewed a tube, turned tube right sides out, ironed flat, and zig zag stiched (I want a serger!) the raw ends together.

Sewed the raw edges on each end under. Then I made button holes about 1/2'' from the end of the tube, through both of the fabric (the elastic goes behind the fabric so it lookes finished on both sides, not through the tube of fabric)

I used my button hole foot on my machine and just measured how wide the elastic was for the size of button hole.

Then I cut a piece of elastic that was long enough to come out of the button holes and attach to button, unstretched.

Folded under and straight stitched the ends of the elastic to finish off and keep from fraying.
Sewed the middle of the elastic to the backside of the tube fabric and pulled ends of elastic out of button holes.

Then pinned the tube fabric to the waistband, folding the raw end edges under during pinning. I did just the top side first, so I could keep the elastic from getting sewed to the pants.

Using a thread similar in color to what was sewn on the pants, sewed the top onto the pants. I had to change needle position because I was so close to the edge that way both the feet could guide the material.

Then I did the same thing on the bottom of the band, pulling the tube tight against the pants and making sure to keep the elastic out of the stitch line.

Then I sewed the side edges to the pants. I had to sew an extra "line" in the pants where I did this. Can you tell which are the store sewn seams and which are mine? Make sure you pin your elastic going the other direction or you will sew it down with the tube or you'll have to un pick it and do again. (I know.) Do this on both sides.