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Little Boys Shorts at Hopeful Threads and The Free Mud Puddle Splashers PDF Pattern


If you’ve hung around here for very long, you already know how much I love Kristy and the work that is done through her charity blog, Hopeful Threads. I was so excited a few months ago when she mentioned her plan to ask all of you to sew little boys’ shorts for the families who are supported by Children in Families in Cambodia! I am so blessed to live in a household full of boys, and I loved the idea of being able to give some handmade love to little guys on the other side of the world. I knew that I wanted to be involved in a special way, so I asked if I could design a shorts pattern specifically for this project. (To read more about July’s Little Boys Shorts Sewing project, please click over to Hopeful Threads, and then come back here for the pattern!)

I set out to design a simple shorts pattern with a few little extras. First an elastic waist, because that’s the easiest for little guys to handle all alone. (Charlie’s favorite phrase lately is, “No, Me!”)

Next, it simply had to have pockets! Have you ever known a little boy to not collect things throughout the day? My boys can’t stand pants without pockets. (These side seam pockets are really easy to sew, so don’t worry at all if you haven’t sewn pockets before!)

An optional folding cuffed hem adds more wearing time. All moms know that kids tend to grow up faster than they grow out. Those extra inches when coupled with the elastic waist mean that these shorts could maybe last a little boy for two seasons, instead of just one. (The pattern does include a traditional hem, too, and I’d recommend the traditional hem if you choose to sew the pattern with knit fabric.)

I added an optional faux fly just to give that perfect finishing touch.

A comfortable, easy fit has already made these a favorite with my own little boys.

Finally, the option to sew these with woven fabrics (cotton quilting fabrics, seersucker, lightweight denim, corduroy, twill) or with knit fabrics (cotton interlock or cotton jersey) means that anyone with a fabric stash will be able to grab something and start sewing!

You’re ready to start sewing, aren’t you? Can I just share a little story first? It’s a quick one about how the pattern got its name. As I was wrapping things up early last week and mulling over a name for this pattern, “mud puddles” kept coming to mind. That evening, I popped over to the Children in Families blog and read this blog post: The Beauty of Family. In that post, one of the similarities that Heather mentions in children growing up here in the US and those growing up in Cambodia is the simple things that they love to do, things like splashing in mud puddles. And, with that, the pattern name was finalized.

I finished up the pattern last week, had my amazing group of testers check it out for me, and prepared it to give it to you. One little question remained, though. Were these shorts really good for mud puddle splashing? I couldn’t really give you the pattern without checking, could I? With that in mind, after dinner last night I asked my youngest two boys if they wanted to go jump in a mud puddle. They, of course, were happy to oblige! It turns out that these shorts are perfect for mud puddle splashing!




Doesn’t that look like fun?! Okay, finally, the pattern download! I’m providing this pattern download free of charge. I just ask that you respect the spirit in which it’s given. If you download the pattern, please sew at least one pair of shorts to give to July’s Little Boys Shorts Sewing project at Hopeful Threads or to another charity of your choice. Once you’ve done that, please feel free to use the pattern to sew for your own children! (I do ask that you refrain from sewing this pattern for profit, and the pattern itself is copyrighted, of course.) This free pattern will only be available for download through the end of July. Just click the icon below. (Be sure to read through the pattern preparation instructions before printing!)

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