Ok...here is an actual sewing post! Church trousers for a child...

So, in the midst of the bathroom leak, and the kitchen leak, and my son getting suspended, my 9 year old needed a pair of new trousers for church.

So, I bought some nice Khaki Chino from Fabrics.com and went to town...

the front:


close-up for the front waistband:


Close-up of the inside of the back waistband:


What you see there is buttonhole elastic. While I am still trying to lose weight (35 lbs left to go), my children are all extremely thin. My 9 year old has the leg length of a 9-10 year old, but has the waist of a 6 year old!

So, I normally cut his pants patterns (and my other 2 little ones) 1 size larger than they are in the waist, and then cut the length based on their inseam. However, because these are church trousers, and not worn everyday, I also add a 2 inch hem, which I cuff up.

So, I add a 2 buttonholes in the waistband facing, near the side seams, insert the elastic, and sew on 2 clear buttons to hold the elastic. This work much better than havin to see him winch his trousers tighter with his belt!

I have been doing this little trick on skirts, shorts, and trousers for my younger children for a couple of years.