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Oh wow, I have to share (and welcome back!) my newest sponsor with you all.*

Teacups and Mudpies, found here, is an absolute darling children’s online boutique………filled with the most chic and current clothing, baby gear, furniture, and okay, tons more.* They seriously carry everything you can think of needing for your own child and baby gifts.* And with a flat shipping rate, shopping online for baby/child is pretty guilt free!*

Happy shopping……..see you in a few hours!

(Teacups and Mudpies can always be found on my right sidebar.)

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I love little boys.*

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And I love making them projects.*

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I know, I know……..they are harder to make things for.*

But I always get my brain thinking about boy projects around the change of the seasons.*

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So when I saw some cute little flag pants at Baby Gap a few weeks ago (while shopping their end of summer sales for next years clothing stockpile), I quickly snapped a picture with my phone and decided to make some for my little boy.* Sorry Gap, I wasn’t going to pay you to cut up jean scraps and sew them back together.* Some boy clothes are tricky to make, yes, but using up old scraps to spruce up some boy pants?* No problem.* I can do that.

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So, these pants are no longer available online……so I couldn’t find a good picture and link to show you.* So, (sigh), here’s my quick little cell phone picture I took a few weeks ago.* Just to give you an idea of the pants I saw hanging on the rack as I was browsing the store.* (And just for the record, I do buy my kids clothing too.* I don’t make every single thing.* In fact, I will buy up the whole store if the price is right.* I love sales and I love a good bargain.* But if something is overpriced and I think I can just make it………that’s when I warm up my sewing machine.** Just wanted to make it clear that I don’t spend hours making all of the clothing for 3 small children.* Eeek!)



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Anyway, the above visit to Baby Gap is where the idea came from to make these.* And haha, I’m not British…..but I agree with Gap.* The shape of their flag (hello UK!) makes a great visual shape for boy’s pants.



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Nothing too complicated……but definitely a cute way to perk up some old jeans.



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And because these were hand-me-down jeans from a friend and I used old jean scraps from my stash…..

………these pants cost me nothing.* Kinda perfect.



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He loves it when I make something for him.

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Would you like to make your own UK flag jeans?



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Before we get started…….I made these pants using a pair of 3T size jeans.* If you are going to use pants any smaller (or a narrow leg style), it may be really difficult to maneuver the pant leg under the sewing machine needle.* Try fitting the pant leg under the needle and see if you can move it around bit by bit (see pics below), before cutting into your jeans.* If it doesn’t fit……try unpicking the side seam of the pant leg and then attach the flag with the opened up leg.* Then sew the leg back together when you’re done.


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Oh, and I just used a regular old standard needle.* The denim scraps I used weren’t terribly thick.* But if yours are, and you only have your standard needle, just sew slowly.

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Start by cutting a long rectangle down the front leg of a pair of jeans (don’t cut the pocket).* I started the top of the rectangle right about even with the crotch and the bottom a little lower than the knee.* And you want to leave enough space on both sides of the rectangle so that you can attach the flag without running into the side seams of the pant legs.* (The placement of the flag will depend on the size pants you are using.)



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Then I dug into my jean fabric scraps and cut out a rectangle that was about 3/4 of an inch bigger on all sides.* (The original rectangle is on the left.)



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Then I cut strips to make an ‘X’ on the front.* I needed a wide strip and then a narrow strip to go on top.* The wide strip was just the denim face down and the narrow strip was the denim face up.



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Sew the wide strip down first (face down), sewing about a 1/8 – 1/4 inch from the edge on both long edges.* Then place the narrow strip on top (face up), sewing along both edges too.* So both parts of the ‘X’ down the same way.



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Then sew a 2-part strip going horizontally and then another one vertically.



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Trim off any extras along each edge.* Then slide the flag inside of the pant leg and center it in the opening.* Pin in place really well.* (I rolled up the pant leg because it was easier to keep it out of the way.* Also, pin the pocket out of the way so you don’t sew through it.)



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Here’s the tricky part.* Slide the opening of the pants onto the sewing machine, making sure the back side of the pants are underneath the arm of the sewing machine.* (This is why tiny baby pants would be too hard.* They probably won’t fit on the arm of the sewing machine.)* Start sewing right along the upper edge of the flag, an 1/8 of an inch from the edge of the rectangle opening.



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When you sew all along the top of the rectangle, start sewing down the side.* You will have to sew a few inches, then adjust the pant leg so that you don’t sew through the back side.* This may get tricky but if you keep adjusting, you can do it!



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Once you get to the bottom of that side, backstitch and pull the pants off the machine.* Then turn your pants and slide the back on the machine from the bottom of the pant leg opening.* Sew across the bottom of the rectangle and then back stitch and pull off.



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Then slide them back on through the top of the pants again and sew down the other side of the rectangle, just like the first side.

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Now, sew another seam, right next the first line…….but about an 1/8 of an inch away.



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Now, wash and dry the jeans and cut off all of the frayed and loose threads.*

It roughs up all of the edges and makes it look more rugged.



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And that’s it.*

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Your UK flag jeans are complete.*

And ready to be worn.



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