Everyone check under your chairs because today you ALL get a CARITA HACK 🥳
I had a BLAST sewing up the Caritas LIVE with y'all last night! Thank you for your patience with us as it was the first time we've ever done something like that.... We hope y'all enjoyed it as much as we did! If you missed it you can always watch the replay HERE!
Did you spot these AMAZING ruched Caritas on the blog Monday?
The FABULOUSLY talented Amber (check out more of her GOREGOUS work on Facebook and Instagram) has a special TREAT for us today! When we spied this AWESOME HACK on the Pattern Niche site we KNEW we needed to try it and share the results with you! So without further delay I present Amanda and her ruched Caritas 😍:
As a stay-at-home mom of 3 kids under 4, my days consist of dirty diapers, potty training, snacks, mealtimes, cleanup…AND repeat! My daily wardrobe screams practical. The best staple for my on-the-go mom life are joggers and t-shirts. The Carita Joggers with the ruched-side drawstring add a cute addition to a staple to any mom wardrobe. You will fall in love with these cute joggers (pockets and ruched hem included). I absolutely love how practical they are, while still having cute flirty details. I made my joggers out of A&E Limited french terry and absolutely love how soft,warm and light it is. These joggers can keep me warm on the coldest Iowa winter night, while also perfectly transitioning into fall or spring.
Follow along for my quick tips and instructions on how to complete this hack.
Cutting out your fabric
One thing to know before cutting into your fabric is… you don’t need to cut all the pattern pieces. You need to cut all the pieces EXCEPT the bottom cuff pieces. Instead of completing the joggers with a cuff we will be hemming and adding the drawstring. In order to have pieces to make the extra drawstrings, you will need to cut out 3 additional pieces. First, cut out a piece that is 2x9 for the casing and then cut 2 pieces that are 1.5x30 for the actual drawstrings.
Assembly
Make sure to read through the actual pattern to get full instructions on how to assemble the joggers. I will only be including tips and instructions on how to add the drawstring.
Pockets
Pockets. You need them. You’ll love them. If you choose to add them, follow the pattern instructions and do this first. Again, you’ll regret not adding them so just do it.
*Tip* You need the pockets.
Side Seam
Then… match the front leg piece with the back leg piece (right sides together). You will then sew the outer leg seam. Don’t sew the inseam. This will happen later.
Hem
Now, this is where things get a little bit different. Typically, when you hem pants, you are going to hem the entire bottom (and you typically would also have the inseam sewn). This is NOT the case for this hack. Simply hem the middle part of the bottom of the jogger legs. You will leave an inch or two on either side in order to allow space to finish the inseam later on.
*Tip* Don’t worry about being exact with how much you hem. You just need to leave enough space to finish the inseam, while also having it hemmed enough around the side seam to allow for the casing.
Casing
Here’s the part that you’ve been waiting for…
Take the casing pieces and align them vertically along the side seam. You should have about an inch of the casing on each side of the side seam. You will then make 3 lines of stitches. The first will be in the direct center of the casing (this also should align with the side seam). Once that is complete, you will stitch down the 2 sides of the casing. You will leave the top and bottom open. It should look like you have 2 small tubes when you are done.
*Tip* It works best to do the center line of stitching first. This will hold the casing where it needs to be. You can always start stitching on either side, but just make sure the center still aligns with the side seam.
Inseam and Complete the Joggers!
Now you can finish your inseam according to the pattern. Once you have sewn the inseam, you can then finish the rest of your hem. After this is finished you can add your waistband.
*Tip* When you hold the joggers up, they should look complete. Obviously, they won’t be ruched yet, because we haven’t added the drawstrings. Make sure everything is finished and hemmed the way you want it to be BEFORE you put in the drawstrings.
Drawstrings
Take the drawstring pieces that you previously cut. Fold them in half vertically and sew along the vertical edge.
Then use your preferred method to turn it right side out.
Once you have finished your drawstrings, take them and feed them up and then back down through the casing. You can then tighten the ruching to your preference.
*Tip* If you are running short on time or simply don’t like making your own drawstrings, you can totally use pre-bought drawstrings.
Wear them, change diapers in them, make lunch in them, wash them… REPEAT.
