How To Repair Mens Swim Shorts Too Short In Crotch

Welcome to Celebrate the SUMMER Boy calendar week!..both hither on MADE and over on Fabricated past Rae.
I thought we'd kicking it off by heading to the pool….since we swam four times last week in our 100 degree weather.
The past two summers I've made swimsuits for Lucy. Only until this weekend I'd never made the adolescent version. And now I'm wondering why I waited this long.

Using the Kid Pants/shorts pattern it'southward easy!
And with the Diaper Embrace pattern, you lot take the selection of calculation a mesh lining inside:
Owen's ready to hit the pool!
The only drawback to this project is that swim torso fabrics are not very accessible. For such a simple/mutual store-bought item, you'd think there'd exist more fabric options in the shop.
But printing on! We'll talk near some online cloth resources. Then I'll use an existing pair of men's trunks to refashion them down to smaller trunks, walking you through all of the steps so you can make your own too.
Let'southward get started!

FABRICS:
My original plan was to show you how to make swim trunks from scratch, using the Child pants blueprint. But that same quondam question kept bubbling up, "where practise you lot purchase nylon/polyester swim trunk material??" I wish I had better news. About swim trunks are made of a soft, thin quick-drying polyester, with a nylon mesh lining. The fabric is cipher special. Just I can never find it in my local material shop. And nylon ripstop doesn't cut it. Information technology's too see-thru and crisp. So, I searched online and institute these…

Online shops:
* Fabric Fairy – they conduct nearly seven lath curt prints!
* Seattle Fabrics – good spot for mesh fabrics
* Sundrop – someone recommended this though I can't discover a specific cloth that catches my eye.
* Spandex World – this is my become-to shop for girl's swimsuit material, or if you lot want to make your little man a speedo! (check out this totally cute speedo/trunks rendition by Rae).

For more than info on Spandex Globe and sewing with spandex, bank check out my Tips for Making a Swimsuit Tutorial:
If you lot have a peachy go-to swim trunks fabric shop, please go out info in the comments!

And so, I went with my next best option: swim trunks refashion. I bought men's tunks from the thrift stop. Some of y'all might blench at that. If it's not your thing, I totally get information technology. I washed them though and experience okay with it. In fact, some thrift shops carry new swim trunks too.
I couldn't decide which I liked nigh so I bought 3 pairs but went with the dark-brown considering they were easiest to cut apart and I liked the forepart stripes.
If yous're making trunks from scratch and would like similar curved stripes:
Create single-fold bias tape (using our Bias Tape Tutorial) and so grade/sew them to your fabric–assuming you've found some polyester trunk material.

CUTTING/SEWING the Trunks:
We'll be using 2 patterns for our swim trunks:
* Kid Shorts (a version of the KID Pants) – I'm using the Flat Front version
* The Perfect Diaper Cover (for the lining)
Offset by cutting the existing trunks into smaller trunks. If the trunks don't have a sideseam similar the brown trunks, you can incorporate that into the new trunks. I originally planned to do that. But it became complicated with the stripes continuing effectually to the dorsum and I wanted apply the existing hem of the shorts, then I decided to chop the whole thing upward and make an entirely new pair.

Lay your pattern over the meridian and trace/cut out the new pieces.. If you're using the existing hem, call back to account for that in your cutting. Cut them a scrap shorter than you lot normally would.
And you cease up with 4 pieces like this (2 front, two dorsum):
Pin and stitch your shorts, equally outlined in the Kid Pants tutorial. First the two crotch areas, then the inseam, then the side seams. Finish when you get to the waistband so we can add together-in the lining.
For a cool "board shorts" wait, pinnacle-stitch on the right side of the fabric with a contrasting thread color. It's easiest to topstitch subsequently each step in a higher place (rather than deciding to practice it at the stop…when the shorts are entirely sewn, like I did). Use the line of the seam and your presser pes to guide you in a directly line. Sew another parallel line next to the kickoff for a double-line look (you lot tin also utilize a double needle for this but I'm as well lazy to unscrew the needle and rethread).
LINING:
Adding a mesh undies lining is optional. If you detest em, leave it out. If you desire it, read on.

To create the lining you accept a couple options…
* Purchase mesh fabric and utilise the Perfect Diaper Cover pattern/tutorial to create the lining. Size the pattern up if needed and don't finish the waistband.
* Use an existing liner from another pair of swim trunks and size it downwards. This is what I did.
Cut the lining out of existing trunks and cut the sides open so you can access the front and back separately. It'll look like a diaper. Fold it in half and lay the front shorts blueprint over the front portion of the lining. Line up the shorts crotch with the lining crotch seam and cutting around the blueprint–so that the lining fits adequately close to the size of the trunks. It won't be exact merely that'due south perfectly fine. Do the same thing for the back of the lining,with the Back of the shorts pattern.
When yous're done, you have a smaller version of the original lining. Sew downwards the side seams and leave the waistband unfinished.
With the lining turned inside out, stuff information technology within of the trunks and pin information technology in place next to the trunk'south waistband. The lining may be a flake larger and slightly bunchy here or there. Effort your best to evenly spread the mesh textile around. Move more of the bunchy-ness to the back of the trunks where the elastic waist will be. Then drip (run up) or serge the lining and trunks together at the waistband.
Then fold/atomic number 26 over your waistband and insert the elastic (think you're simply using rubberband in the back of the swim trunks if you've created the flat front version ). I used standard polyester elastic from Joanns. Swim/rubber rubberband will withstand chlorine better but I was antsy to become started….and I've used standard elastic in the past and it's been fine.
When you lot're done, y'all've got a pair of flat front swim trunks! As you tin can see my front end got a bit bunched up. I tried my all-time but sometimes it happens. Then let'due south comprehend information technology up with one added bear upon….
This:
Remove the tie and fabric flaps from the old swim trunks.
Or y'all can make your own: Using leftover fabric from the old trunks, cutting and sew double-layered rectangles, plow them right side out, and end off the edges (like to the flaps below). Then pound 4 small grommets into the flaps.

These flaps are a bit also broad for my waistband but eh, it'll work. Pin them in place leaving virtually a centimeter of space in-between. Stitch them down, then pin/sew the middle of the necktie to the centre of the waistband (so your trivial guy doesn't lose the tie somewhere)
And you're done! A new pair of swim trunks!
with a snazzy mesh liner:
I admittedly honey them. And Owen does too. He's obsessed with the colour orange and was happy to meet those colorful stripes.
Summer has officially begun!
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Check out Rae's cute bucket hat over on Made by Rae: