Thrifty Little Baby Part III - Upcyling old jeans to baby shorts

I'm not sure what it is about being on holiday, but I go from a frugal Minny (read parts I & II of the Thrifty Little Baby series here and here) to an absolute spendthrift: after MONTHS of combing second-hand shops, never buying toys on a whim, and making stuff myself, I went and bought the Bean a wheelbarrow, a new Duplo set, AND a doll. Granted, the wheelbarrow is also for his cousins - we're leaving it with the grandparents - but the rest? Unashamed consumerist parenting. Erk. It'a a good thing he immediately gave the doll a big old cuddle... (Cuuuutie patootie!)

And it's also a good thing I finished this super-thrifty little project today: 

I'm so chuffed with these beauties. They're made from an old pair of jeans of mine, based on this pattern. All sewn by hand too, as I don't have a sewing machine. 

The pattern is very, very good, as are the fabulously detailed instructions that go with it. I have never sewn anything from a pattern before (previously I've either adapted bought clothes or gone for the old 'winging it' approach), but I didn't find it hard to follow or execute at all. Well, apart from matching up the crotch seams together, which may or may not have involved a lot of swearing. 

I went for the 2Y size, to leave plenty of room for the Bean's big, cloth nappied bum. As I sewed by hand they obviously took a while to do, but with a sewing machine I imagine they wouldn't take longer than a couple of hours. The same pattern covers ages 1-10 years, and I'm pretty certain it would work just as well with old t-shirts, shirts or skirts, or leftover quilting cotton, too. 

Now to persuade the Bean to stand still for long enough to let me get a decent picture of him wearing my handiwork...

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Disclaimer: I did not receive compensation in any way for including the link to the pattern for these shorts. 
I'm just pleased they turned out well, is all...

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