Sew your own with this easy culotte hack using the Pai Shorts sewing pattern!
Thank you to Georgina Warren-Porter for creating this tutorial for our Below The Kowhai sewing community.
To see more of Georgina’s beautiful sewing visit @sew.exhausted on Instagram.
Culottes seem to be very popular at the moment, so I used the Pai Shorts sewing pattern to create a chic pair of natural linen blend culottes for my toddler.. at her request!
This culotte hack is so simple, she was able to help me at every step, including the pattern hacking.
Fabrics such as linens and quilting cottons will hold the wide leg silhouette nicely, whilst drapey fabrics such as viscose/rayon and tencels will have a more fluid, skirt-like appearance. This is something to consider when choosing your fabrics, go with your personal preference!
The culottes can be made at any length (decide in step two), from the length of shorts all the way to ankle length
Adjusting The Pattern
To begin you will need all 3 original Pai Shorts pattern pieces in the correct size to make the culottes.
Get your Pai Shorts sewing pattern here
1.
Stick the front and back leg pattern pieces to a large piece of paper with the grain line arrow remaining vertical.
In the image I have used pattern drafting paper, but it would be fine to use any large paper such as old newspaper, wrapping paper, roll of Kraft paper etc
2.
With a measuring tape and your little model, measure their inseam to the point on their leg that you would like the culotte hems to land.
For example, my three year old was 23cm for just under knee length.
3.
Hem allowance: Add 3cm (1 1/4″) to the inseam measurement determined in step 2 to allow for hemming. (26cm total for me).
Draw a line vertically down from the point of the crotch using the length of this measurement: Inseam + 3cm (1 1/4″).
Next, draw a line vertically from the centre back and front points until they are level with the previously drawn lines. Join the two lines across the bottom of each piece.
4.
Cut out the modified front and back leg pieces. The original waistband piece will be used without any modification
Sew The Culottes
5.
Finally, construct the culottes following the original instructions.
I did a deeper hem to create the aesthetic I was aiming for – turn 1cm (3/8″), turn 2cm (3/4″), hem.
You have made some culottes! Yay!
Have some fun making different lengths of culottes in different types of fabrics 🙂
Thanks for sharing this Pai Shorts Culotte hack tutorial Georgina!
Share your Pai Shorts (or culottes!) in our VIP Community on Facebook or tag us on Instagram!
Love and happy sewing,
Sophie x