Bloomers Tutorial

1. For short bloomers, cut pillowcase in half.  If using the closed end of the pillowcase, cut open the closed end so that it forms a “tube”

2. Measure your child’s inseam (this would be from the top front of the diaper or undies, through the legs and around to the top back of the diaper or undies on your child).  Take this number of inches and divide it by two.  Then add 2” to that number.  With your fabric laid out flat, using the number of inches that you got from the inseam calculation, measure from the top of your “tube” down on either side edge.  So if you measured 12” at your final calculation you will measure 12” down and mark this with a pin.

3. With your inseam marked on either side, you will need to cut a short bit from the bottom of your tube on the sides, in a line up to the pin.  Do this along the outer edges/seams.  This will determine the crotch/leg areas.  Once you have this part finished, its on to the sewing machine! 

4. If you have a serger, it would be a good time to go around and serge all of the cut edges so that they don’t fray.  If you don’t have a serger, zig-zag stitch the cut edges.  I do have a serger, but for this project am showing it with the zig-zag stitch.   If you prefer, you can iron over a ¼” hem and sew that  over all of the raw edges.  I just prefer this method, as it is faster and usually leaves me with a little more fabric.

5.  Pin the cut bits together that you cut in step 3.  In this step you will be sewing the front & back of the legs together, and giving the bloomers a “crotch” area so to speak.   Please note that you want to make sure that the seam from the pillowcase is on the *outside* at this point.  This will help your seams to all be on the same side of the garment.

When you are finished with sewing this area, it will look like a large pair of shorts.

6. Pin down the top of the “shorts” about 1”.  Sew about ¼ inch from the edge of the fabric, giving you about ¾” pocket.  Make sure that you leave a 1” opening for the elastic to work through because This will be the sleeve that your elastic will go in later.

7. Repeat this with each of the legs as well, making sure to leave an opening for the elastic to come through.

8. Measure your child’s waist (near or just below the belly button, all the way around the waist.  Cut a piece of ½” wide elastic the same size.

9. Measure around your child’s thigh (just below the crotch area, and around the entire thigh.  Cut 2 pieces of ½” wide elastic the same size.

10.  Next you need to feed the elastic through the opening at the waist, and to do this, you will want to clip a safety pin onto one end of the elastic to feed through the sleeve.  Then clip a second safety pin onto the other end of the elastic, and pin it to the fabric just above the opening for your elastic to go through.  This will help your elastic’s “tail” not to get lost inside the tube. You will need to have both ends once you feed it through.

To feed the elastic through the band, push the first safety pin through the opening, scrunching the fabric down over the pin as you go.  With your left hand, hold the tip of the pin.  With your right, gently pull the fabric so that some of the elastic feeds through the sleeve.  Continue this all the way through the sleeve until it comes out the other side, making sure it doesn’t twist.

11. Once the elastic is fed through, pull both ends taught so that you have several inches of elastic on either side.  Once again, make sure that you don’t twist the fabric in this process.   Place the elastic pieces on top of one another about 1” overlapping.

12.  Zig-zag stitch  in 3 different places over the overlapped elastic.  This helps to secure it very strongly so that it remains sturdy and elastic without separating.

13.  To re-insert the elastic into the  sleeve, gently tug on the waist, until all of the elastic is in the sleeve.  Adjust the bunched up fabric until it is fairly even throughout.

14. Using your sewing machine, stitch closed the little opening you used to insert your elastic.

Repeat steps 10-14 for the legs as well

14. Flip inside out, and enjoy your new bloomers!

If you like this tutorial, feel free to use it, and you are also welcome to link to it.  I would absolutely love to see any bloomers that you make using this tute!  It takes at most 90 minutes (if you're photographing and writing instructions along the way).  I would say it takes under an hour in most cases! :)

Enjoy!

**editing to add** - Lisa asked in the comments of THIS POST if I make all of the girls' clothes.  The answer is that I have not made all of them in the past, though I did always have something handmade in their wardrobe.  This year I have a goal of making all of their summer clothing, along with a few select thrifted items (jeans especially). 

I figure I only have a couple of years left where I can dress them however I like, so I'm going to enjoy it while I can, and hopefully it will help them to love handmade clothing too (which is of course not to say that new clothing isn't fun and super-cute - this is just something I personally really enjoy).

Comments

[Caitlin]

Ooh la la! Those are so cute and easy.

It kinda makes me want kids!

[Felicia]

So resourceful and adorable :)

[Roxanne]

So cute and easy! Thanks for sharing this! A great use for all those 25 cent pillowcases I just got! :)

[Amanda Fuentes]

How cool! I have a sewing maching New in the Box sitting in my garage... I should perhaps learn to use it?!

[kerri]

These are so cute! I have no one to wear them though :(

I'm sorry Arby's sauce on Mini Wheats still has me giggling. Plus I have had the Mini Wheats song stuck in my head for days now!

[Terry Ellen]

You've done a fabulous job providing instructions for this project! Photos with legends, photos of each step - and of the finished product. Nice work Kristin, you inspire me. Thank you.

[Linda]

Cool tutorial! I'll bet this would work with the knit fabric you can get in a "tube" as well.

[kristin]

Yes it definitely would! :) You could even cut the top off of a tee shirt and use that - or just sew up a tube from fabric you have on hand. :)

[christina]

I wish I had some girls to make this for...I have 3 boys. And I have to laugh about the Arbys because to this day my 6 year old still puts A1 sauce on his pancakes, he will not eat them any other way!

[amandajean]

what a great tutorial! thanks for sharing...i think my little one might need some bloomers this summer. this will be perfect.

[Stacy]

Great tutorial! These are so cute I think I might have to make some.

[Valerie]

These are just great! Thanks for sharing.

[Jess]

Love these!
Thanks so much for the tutorial!

[Jeannett Rivero]

Excelente explicacion, me gusto mucho. Gracias por compartirla.

[Monika]

Thanks soooo much for taking the time making this fabulous tutorial and sharing it with all !
I'm new to sewing (2 bags, rag dolls) and will like to try this...just wondering,... if I want the bloomers longer I just cut the pillowcase whatever lenght I want and will not change or altered the procedure in your tutorial to complete the bloomers ?
Pardon my ignorance !!!

[nikki]

question:
how big are these half pillowcase bloomers?
i have 10m old twin girls (wearing 12M and 12-18M,
and would love to make a ton of these...

how wide is the tube???

[Liz]

These are great! I've had 1/2 of a pillowcase lying around just waiting for THIS pattern! Thank you!

[kristin]

Want to add the answer to some of these questions! Sorry it took me a while to get back (life has been hectic).

If you want the bloomers to be longer, you would just leave the tube/pillowcase longer (rather than cutting in half) and follow the instructions here. :) Should work out perfectly!

These bloomers would also fit a 10-12 month baby for sure. They are so easy to adjust. The key is to measure the elastic for the waist to the child you want to fit. That will make it fit or not. They will probably work with children 12 mos or so, on up to about 4 years old (or even small 5 & 6 year olds).

To adjust the pattern for smaller or larger sizes, just use your best judgement with widths of fabric creating your own "tubes" (like pillowcase-style, but just sewn up fabric instead). For smaller bloomers (for small infants), you would obviously go smaller. For older kids, and even adults, you follow the same process by adding more fabric. You want to make sure that the "tube" looks HUGE when held up to the person - about 3x their width. :)

[Rebecca]

Thank you for this tutorial, I have been searching high and low for a pattern for something like this so to find such a great tutorial is even better!

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[Amber]

WOW. I just stumbled on this tutorial. I'm really excited because my girls wear bloomers under their Irish Dance dresses (which was the pattern I was really searching for... but I feel like I am getting closer)!!!

Thanks for sharing!

[Amber Marie]

I am a petite woman, and i am considering using this tutorial to make a pair of bloomers for my halloween costume... I have a few questions concerning these handmade bloomers;
First of all, can they be sewn by hand? Im not really the sewing type sadly..
Are they easy to make?
And are they of good enough quality to wear besides the one I am making them for?

[Jena]

I'm confused as to the inseam measurement... isn't inseam the measurement from crotch to ankle (or in the case of shorts/capris, the length of the leg of the garment)?

[Jen]

Thanks so much! Made some pillow case dresses for my girls and was wondering how to make the bloomers to match. So excited to get sewing these! Love my four girls!

[Sara Winnett]

I just got the pillow case dress idea from my church and I can't wait to make a bunch for my daughter's summer wardrobe. I am a full time nursing student and my DH, bless his heart, works to support our family. Needless to say, money is tight so I was VERY excited to get this idea and the bloomers will be a perfect match. (and I have to add that my husband's eyes lit up when I was explaining my plan, like perhaps he was interested in helping ;) I may be financially poor right now, but I am rich in so many other ways! I will let you know how they turn out. Thanks for the work you put into these great instructions.

[Amanda Thomas]

Oh boy! Oh boy! Was I glad to find your tutorial! I recently whipped up an adorable modern pinafore and matching bonnet to enter in our local fair and the ensemble was just begging for matching bloomers, I think I have just enough homespun left to work it! Thanks so much for the great pics and instructions I can't wait to get started...ps...I'll let you know if I win! :)

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