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- One habit stops linen from fraying before the first seam goes in
One habit stops linen from fraying before the first seam goes in
One thirty-second step keeps linen shorts from fraying before the first seam.
A straight seam and an elastic casing are the whole skill list here, and linen turns them into a garment a kid will actually wear all summer.
Linen frays the moment a rotary cutter touches it, and that ruins more first tries than fit ever does.
One thirty-second step stops the fray before it starts, and most patterns skip it.
The pattern uses two pattern pieces and one elastic waistband, with no zipper to install and no darts to fit.
Less than a yard of fabric becomes a finished pair in one sitting.
WHY LINEN EARNS ITS PLACE ON THIS PROJECT
Linen holds still under a presser foot instead of sliding like slippery synthetic fabric does.
The fabric holds a crisp crease after pressing, keeping folds in place
Most kids' sizes under 6 need less than a yard of 44-inch fabric
Extra fabric is worth buying, since linen shrinks more than cotton on the first wash.
THE STEP THAT KEEPS THE FRAY FROM WINNING
Linen frays because of its loose weave, not because of anything a sewist did wrong.
Every raw edge needs a zigzag or serger pass before the first seam goes in
The guide walks through the remaining five steps in the exact order that keeps the fray contained
 | See the steps most tutorials skip |
Skipping that order lets the fray spread into the seam allowance before anyone pins the hem.
The full instruction sheet and pattern pieces are in the guide, sized for toddler through early elementary.
One yard of fabric and one afternoon turn into shorts a kid will wear all summer.
What project do you want to do next?
Stitches and patience,
Maggie
Sewing.com
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