Cully is really into skorts these days--only 3 and already concerned about fashion! Anyway, I get the basic principle and I've read the sew along, but the pics are gone now and I'm a visual learner. Also, what is the best way to convert a regular side seams shorts pattern into a flat front pattern? Do I just take away some from the front and add to the back? I just thought a flat front skort would look nicer than one with a gathered waist. Any help would be much appreciated! TIA! :flowerkit

My 5yr old only wants to wear skirts but is an active kid and I don't want her flashing everyone. What I am doing is using cotton lycra and making a pair of more fitted shorts unfinished at the waist, then making a knee length skirt unfinished at the waist. Sew them together at waist (wrong side of shorts to right side of skirt), flip skirt to the outside, stitch elastic casing and slip elastic in, close casing. Does that make sense? I can try to take pics when I make one. She has a rtw one with 2 tiers to the skirt that she loves. Also that one is fitted enough they don't even put elastic in the waist.
As far as converting a regular side seam to flat front I would just take away from the front but not in the section with the crotch curve- take it from the middle. I wouldn't add to the back or you will get "poof butt" a very technical term :p

There is a pretty informative sew-along in the FAQs, I believe, on skort making. Then I would assume you could just do back elastic, after using Shannons tips on reducing the front bulk.

oooooh! Just had an idea...if you made them out of knit, you could hack off the casing area and just use ribbing or add a little elastic inside the ribbing for added "hold up factor" (similar to yoga pants). Im sure theres something in FAQs about that too, as someone SNSd that not too long ago (sorry, I cant remember exactly who) :)

DD really only wants to wear skorts and capris and jeans. She's picky though. Must be flat waisted. Problem is she waist is really small and I tried a few times to come up with an acceptable pattern that actually fit her.

I was at Kohl's last night looking for soccer socks (Yeah, I'm now a soccer mom.) and they already have so much spring/summer stuff on clearance. I bought almost her entire summer wardrobe for $68! That's 8 pairs of skorts (5 of which have hidden adjustable waistbands), 9 t-shirts, 1 pair of capris, 1 knit cardigan and a pleated skirt! It all fits fairly well, it's trendy, she likes it and I never could have gotten the fabric for all of that for $68. Oh, there was also a bra for me in that $68, lol. About half of it was the Kohl's Sonoma brand, but the other stuff is Osh Kosh, Liz Beyer and Carters. And, I can't emphasize how glad I am that we are still shopping in the 4-6x section.

. I bought almost her entire summer wardrobe for $68! And, I can't emphasize how glad I am that we are still shopping in the 4-6x section.

Wow!!! Who needs to sew when you get a deal like that?!?!? That leaves sewing time for *fun* stuff, since all the basics are covered. And a bra to boot? :bow:

As for enjoying shopping in that section...is it because of all the hoochie mama stuff in the larger sizes?

I almost forgot to say...thanks for all the info and tips! Shannon, am I understanding right that you just do a regular elastic waist? Not flat front, right? Or can you do either with that method? In my head, you can do either, but that doesn't alwalys mean it's true! ;)

Oh, and any pics would be SUPER GREAT!

BLECH! Nothing cute at all. Everything looks like this Olivia Newton John "Hoochie/Aerobic" wear. It's UGLY!

It's extremely interesting to me that there were tons of cute and modest things in size 6/6x and then when you move to 7...it's totally different. You'd think there would be a little phase-out program from cute to trashy. DD is "girly" and loved everything I got her.

She grew a lot this year and now we are probably enjoying our last year in that section. Jac is bigger than she ever was and thank God the boys section is pretty much shorts, t's and polos and campshirts across the board. Easy peasy for boys.

On a side note...I just bought them soccer cleats. They wear the same size in soccer cleats! How the heck can that be possible?