Sewing pants for myself & grandkid

February 1, 2021 11:14 AM

My eldest grandchild has various sensory things that make many items of clothing annoying or uncomfortable. I want to make a pair of pants for him. It occurred to me that it would be fun to make a pair of pants for myself as well.

We live in Sweden, so I can get access to Burda patterns and stuff available online to Europe. The boy is turning 6 in a few month, tall for his age and thin. He can button his jeans but it is sometimes a struggle. Is there a pants pattern without buttons that I could scale up for me and down for him? I am not a novice sewer but I am not wildly experienced either. (Ooh, and maybe I could make a pair for his sister, too. We could all match! Or not.)

Anyway, have you made simple pants for kids or adults with sensory challenges? If so, please tell me what pattern you used and what else you did to make those pants feel comfy and wonderful for the person who wears them, plus any other tips or advice that might be helpful. Thanks!

posted by Bella Donna to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (7 answers total)

Have you looked at Ottobre Magazine for patterns? I would add elastic to the back so its easy to pull up instead of buttoning the front.
posted by tipsyBumblebee at 11:23 AM on February 1, 2021 [1 favorite]

As someone who is doing similar research, I'm looking at trying my hand at yoga waistbands soon. Text tutorial.
posted by Lyn Never at 11:33 AM on February 1, 2021 [1 favorite]

if casual is ok I would search for family pajama patterns since they’re simple, not too many seams, and come in a bunch of sizes.
posted by brilliantine at 11:49 AM on February 1, 2021 [3 favorites]

You might try Jalie patterns - I haven't made any of their pants, but almost all their patterns come in a size range from kids to adults. Maybe something like this?

I have made every type of the Hudson pants from True Bias, for adult men and women and a toddler boy. It's a good pattern, easy to adjust for height and clear instructions.

If rough seams on the inside are one of the things that bother him, try french or flat-felled seams - they both hide the raw edges of the fabric nicely.
posted by phlox at 12:07 PM on February 1, 2021 [5 favorites]

I have made several pairs of these for myself and while I haven't made them for anyone with sensory issues, they'd work on some of the common issues: no zipper, no snaps, no tags, and the pockets are on the outside unless you do the optional welt pocket: Greenstyle Iron Joggers. They're under the "men and boys" section but I'm a woman and like how they fit. There's a good Facebook group for Greenstyle if you want advice.
posted by The corpse in the library at 1:05 PM on February 1, 2021 [2 favorites]

My sensory boys aged 4 and 5 wear leggings but in 3 sizes larger than what they would if they were actually wearing them as leggings so they’re quite loose....Maybe that might help you somehow. My boys like the jersey fabric the best. They didn’t like Jean jeggings.
posted by pairofshades at 2:12 PM on February 1, 2021 [1 favorite]

Agree with Phlox on the Hudson pants and seam finishes. When I make the Hudsons, I still use elastic on the waistband but skip the drawstring/cord and also skip the sewing lines that would envelop the drawstring.

I find that I like the feeling of the waistband more than my first pair which followed the pattern and included those elements.
posted by icaicaer at 3:32 PM on February 1, 2021 [1 favorite]