What’s better than a potty trained toddler? Free undies for said toddler! I got the Made it Patterns Play Pants pattern for free and had it stashed for the time I would need it.
My toddler graduated to level 3 of the Oh Crap Potty Training book (highly highly recommended if you are looking for one). Which meant she could wear underwear. Level 2 was commando under the pants. The book explains that the underwear has a very similar feel to diapers and the child needs time to undo muscle memory.
Anyhow .. I had gotten some training underwear but we only had six. On the six day, I realized she wouldn’t have any clean underwear the next day. So like any logical seamstress, I made her some..instead of doing laundry! I mean, who really likes doing laundry, right?
I decided that I was going to cut up Lillian’s old onesies and shirts to make her new underwear. It was either that or donations. I have a few sentimental outfits I kept but mostly, I just want to move on from them. Besides, then these undies are truly free!
The blue flower one is made from a 12 month footie pajama, and the pink white one is from two different onesies, I think both were 6 month sizes.
Now the pattern does have a color block option but I didn’t want the blocks the whey they were laid out. I decided to cut the front and back pieces in to two different ones. I believe I cut it 2 inches from the fold so that the middle is 4 inches wide. I also made another pattern piece that is the inner lining, since there wasn’t any such piece.
Construction order was to connect the middle two pieces, then sew the lining to the middle. I serged either side to the middle piece and then did a fold over waistband instead of attaching a separate waistband. I find the construction is much simpler this way. Legs were finished done with bands and a zigzag stitch.
The first one I made (the blue) was a smidgen on the smaller side. I didn’t add seam allowance to the cut pieces, on purpose because I thought it was going to be too big. It still fits Lillian, but it is a bit harder to take off and put on. So the second time, I added the seam allowance and it fit perfectly.
She picks out her own underwear and every time she picks these two out to wear before the ones I bought her. Looks like I will be making her more! The pattern goes up to 14 years of age, so I think I’m set!
Pattern Info:
Pattern Name: Made it Patterns Play Pants
Size: 2T
Modifications: Color blocked vertically
Would I recommend it? Definitely!! Fun pattern and free if you join their FB group