Breeches don’t usually fall from the sky, like the pair that I used for Elliott’s Pilgrim pants. So, what are we to do? Well, look no further than your child’s old khakis.
Oliver is modeling such a pair of outgrown khakis with one of his favorite cars and a “coon-skin” cap that he has appropriated as his lovey.
I played with where I wanted the breeches to land and placed a safety pin to mark the spot. (I knew that I would also be adding an under-knee cuff to this length.)
I planned on also using these breeches as part of Oliver’s Alan a Dale rooster costume for our Disney’s Robin Hood-themed family Halloween costumes. This rust colored hoodie was also destined to be part of his Halloween costume. I was trying to kill two birds with one costume fitting!
I measured the excess material that I planned to eventually cut away. Then, I wrote this measurement down for later reference and removed the safety pin.
What did I do next? I dyed the breeches, of course! I know, I know. I have been dyeing a ton of stuff. It’s addicting!
I had some dark green powdered dye on hand, so I went with that. I decided to use only half of the packet and to pre-mix it in hot water before adding it to the washer.
It’s times like these that I am especially glad we have a laundry sink RIGHT next to our washer!
Swirl and mix! It’s always interesting to see the different pigments that are part of the dye.
I needed to dye several things green, so I threw all of them in the washer with the green dye. Doesn’t the new, natural-looking green of the breeches look nice?
This definitely looked like a green that could have been produced using dyes that would have been available to the Pilgrims. It also suited Alan a Dale’s outfit.
Now it was time to remove that excess material from the pant legs! I matched the front and back of the pants together with pins at the hems. I marked my cutting line with my Dritz Disappearing Ink Marking Pen. *Disclaimer* I am an Amazon Services LLC Associates Program member. Any purchases made through my Amazon links will earn me a small commission. I am careful to only promote products that I personally use and love!
Snip, snip!
Next, I cut open the excess material from each pant leg along one side seam.
I measured around the widest part of Oliver’s calf to determine how long each under-knee cuff needed to be, plus 1/4 inch seam allowance. Then, I marked and measured the length and width of each cuff.
Each of the cuff pieces were squared during the cutting process and then serged.
I folded each cuff in half, length-wise, and sewed each into a cylinder.
I gathered the breeches into the cuffs and stitched them together, matching right sides. Then, I turned the cuffs right side out and folded the cuffs over and into the breeches. Top-stitching the cuffs was a slick way to cover the seams on the inside of each breech leg while giving a finished look.
Here are the finished breeches! I have so many costumes planned that will incorporate this very versatile piece! This is a good front view of the finished breeches.
And here is a rear-view!
