Men' boxer horts

You are going to make a pair of men's boxer shorts. These shorts are madeup of just three pieces of fabric, and feature a fly front. The boxer shorts have an elasticated waistband.

Key

The darker colour represents the The paler colour represents the right side of the fabric. This is the wrong side of the fabric, which is fabric that is seen from the outside the side that’s on the inside when when the boxer shorts are finished. the boxer shorts are finished.

Size Chart & Fabric Quantity

Measurements:

Hip – Body 34” 36” 38” 40” 42” 44” 46” 48” 50” Hip – Garment 38” 40” 42” 44” 46” 48” 50” 52” 54”

Fabric required:

44” wide 15⁄8 yd 15⁄8 yd 15⁄8 yd 15⁄8 yd 15⁄8 yd 15⁄8 yd 15⁄8 yd 15⁄8 yd 15⁄8 yd 115cm wide 1.5 m 1.5 m 1.5 m 1.5 m 1.5 m 1.5 m 1.5 m 1.5 m 1.5 m

60” wide 5⁄8 yd 5⁄8 yd 13⁄8 yd 13⁄8 yd 13⁄8 yd 13⁄8 yd 13⁄8 yd 13⁄8 yd 13⁄8 yd 150cm wide 0.6 m 0.6 m 0.6 m 0.6 m 1.2 m 1.2 m 1.2 m 1.2 m 1.2 m

Suitable fabrics: Light/mid weight woven fabrics, like cotton voile, lawn, quilt cotton, poplin or polycotton. Brushed cotton and cotton flannel are also great choices. Any fabric that would feel comfy in bed!

Notions / haberdashery: 1 inch wide elastic that's the same length as the wearer's waist measurement. Cutting Guides

150cm / 60” wide fabric 150cm / 60” wide fabric Sizes 34-40 Sizes 42-50 FOLDED EDGE SELVEDGE SELVEDGE SELVEDGE

FOLDED EDGE

150cm / 60” wide fabric with nap Sizes 34-50 SELVEDGE SELVEDGE

FOLDED, THEN CUT, EDGE

115cm / 44” wide fabric 115cm / 44” wide fabric with nap Sizes 34-50 Sizes 34-50 SELVEDGE SELVEDGE SELVEDGE

FOLDED, THEN CUT, EDGE 1 Pin your pattern. 3 Transfer pattern markings. Lay fabric out flat and fold it in half so that There are two circles on the short edge of the ‘selvage’ edges are folded back on the waistband that need to be transferred themselves with the right sides together. to the wrong side of your fabric. Lay the paper pattern piece on top of the Push a pin through the middle of each folded fabric so the grainline arrow runs circle, through both layers of fabric. parallel with the edge of your fabric. Pin the pattern piece to the two layers of fabric to keep it in place, measuring the arrows at either end. Then refold one piece of the remaining fabric and fold along the length to cut out your waistband.

SELVEDGE SELVEDGES Slide the paper pattern away from the fabric, without removing the pins.

GRAINLINE FOLDED EDGE

FOLDED EDGE Use a dot of chalk to mark the position of the pins onto the fabric, then turn the waistband over and mark the other side as well. Remove the pins.

SELVEDGE

2 Cut out your pieces. Cut precisely around the edge of the paper pattern pieces, cutting through both layers of fabric. Mark the notches by snipping a tiny snip into the fabric edge wherever you see a 4 Pin mark the bottom of the fly. small horizontal line marked on the edge of Now pin mark the circle at the bottom of the pattern piece. the fly on the right side of the fabric. 5 Prepare the fly front opening. 7 Snip the thread tracing sticthes. Remove the pattern and lay the two leg Snip the middle of each of the long pieces with the centre fronts together and stitches. This allows the pattern to be the right side facing down. removed. The left and right side of the fly are constructed differently.

Lay the pattern back over the left half of the boxers. Fold along the line that says Take the pattern off the left side of the “Cutting line for left side”, and trim away boxers. Your fly shape is now transferred

some of the fly alongside this line. onto the fabric. CUTTING LINE FOR LEFT SIDE LEFT FOR LINE CUTTING

8 Neaten the fly. Neaten the raw edges of both the left and right fly / crotch with a zig zag. It's important to do this before we construct the fly, as it's hard to get in here later.

6 Thread trace the fly shape. Thread a hand sewing needle with a length of thread no longer than your arm span. Using a long running stitch and a short space between the stitches, sew around the curved shape of the fly on the left half of the boxers. 9 Construct the folds of the fly. 12 Sew the front crotch seam. Press a 0.5 cm fold onto the wrong side Unfold the pressed creases on both the of both the left and right fly opening. left and right sides of the shorts. Place them together with the right sides facing, and pin from the marked circle to the inside leg seam. Machine with a 1.5 cm seam allowance, making sure to back-stitch at either end.

10 Press the left fly facing. Using the centre front notch as a guide, press the front edge from the waistline to the marked circle at the bottom of the fly, without pressing over this point.

11 Press the right fly ‘extension’. Using the notch on the right fold-line as a guide, press the edge of the fly onto the right side. This forms an extension away from the crotch, which will sit under the left side when the fly front is completed.

13 Press the front crotch seam. Press the front crotch seam to one side, onto the left half of the boxers (the side with the thread marks). Ensure you don't press above the seam, and allow the right and left folds of the fly to fall on to the left side. 16 Top-stitch the left fly ‘facing’. Working with the right side of the fabric facing up, tuck the right half of the boxers out of the way. Pin around the thread marks of the fly shape through the pre-pressed folds.

14 Baste the lower ends of the fly. With the folded right fly extension laid over the left fly facing, pin the bottom edges together, and machine with a 1 cm seam allowance. This secures the lower end of Top-stitch along the thread marks from the fly opening. the waistline to the centre front seam, but not over the seam, then remove all the tacking threads.

17 Finish off the fly opening. Lay the left front on top of the right extension, ensuring the fold of the left side slightly overlaps the top stitching.

15 Top-stitch the right fly extension. Pin across the top of the fly opening along the waistline. Tuck the left half of the boxers away from the opening to work on the right half only. Pin the last couple of inches of the curved top-stitching through all layers. Edge stitch the pre-pressed fold into This will be top-stitched for a second position, ensuring you stitch from the waist time to re-inforce the bottom of the fly. to the crotch seam only. Machine across the top of the fly at the 20 Press back crotch seam. waist with a 1 cm seam allowance, and Open out the trouser legs, so the front top-stitch the lower curve along the first and back crotch seams are on top of one row of top-stitching. another and press the seams to one side.

18 Pin back crotch seam. 21 Pin inside leg seam. With the right sides together pin around Match up the crotch seams and pin the back crotch seam. together, and then pin at the bottom of each leg. Then place a pin at the halfway point between the bottom of the leg and the crotch.

19 Stitch back crotch seam. Sew the back crotch seam between the waist and the inside leg only using Continue to pin around the legs a 1.5 cm seam allowance. matching notches. Neaten the raw edge with a zig zag stitch. 22 Stitch inside leg seam. 25 Attach the waistband. Sew the inside leg as one contiuous With the shorts right side out, slide the seam, starting at the bottom of one leg waistband over the waistline of the through the crotch and all the way around shorts, so right sides are together aligning to the bottom of the other leg, with a the raw edges. 1.5 cm seam allowance. Match the centre back seam, the two Neaten the raw edges with a zig zag. front notches, and pin all the way around the waistline.

23 Join the waistband together. Machine all the way around the waist with With right sides together, pin and stitch a 1. 5 cm seam allowance. the short centre back edges making sure to leave a space between the marked circles to allow a hole for the elastic.

26 Press the waistband. Lift the waistband away from the trousers 24 Press the waistband. towards the waist and press the seam Press the centre back seam of the allowance onto the waistband, ensuring waistband open. it’s really flat with no folds!

Press a 1.5 cm fold around the un-notched edge of the waistband. 27 Fold the waistband in half. 30 Secure the elastic. Fold the entire waistband in half so the Attach one saftey pin to the end of pre-folded edge sits just over the stitch your elastic, this will be your threader. line at the waistline. Press in place, then pin.

Secure the other end of the elastic with another saftey pin to the back crotch seam. This will ensure your elastic doesn't disappear inside as you're threading!

28 Stitch the waistband down. Starting at the centre back, edge stitch the waistband down, 3 cm from the outer folded edge.

31 Thread the elastic. Use the saftey pin to thread the elastic all the way around the wasitline, until it comes out again at the back seam.

29 Measure the elastic. Measure a length of 1 inch elastic around the waist so it feels comfortable, and then add an inch for the overlap. Cut your elastic to size. 32 Pin the elastic. Check the elastic hasn't twisted, then Tip overlap the ends by a half inch, pinning The free arm of your sewing machine in place. makes sewing trouser hems really easy.

For more handy tips and tricks, as well as our class schedule, visit:

www.thethriftystitcher.co.uk

33 Stitch the elastic. Secure with 2 rows of straight stitches, then pull the wasitline so the elastic is completely inside the waistband channel.

34 Hem the trousers. Press a 1 cm fold around the bottom of both legs. Then press a second 1.5 cm fold to create a narrow double folded hem. Pin in place, and then stitch in place using the 1.5 cm seam allowance guide on the machine.

1.5cm