Ponchos make for quick outerwear when rain starts up unexpectedly.
When it begins to rain on campus, students run for cover. Keep your clothes and books from getting soggy in between classes with some rain wear. Most students are short on funds and can't buy their own raincoats and hats. You can make your own at a low cost with some very simple patterns. The gear is also collapsible, making it easy to fold up and stuff in a bag.
Instructions
Simple Rain Pants
1. Cut two pieces of water resistant fabric in a rectangle as long as your body from the belly button to your ankles and twice as wide as your leg at the upper thigh. This will leave you with two large rectangles. Fold each rectangle in half lengthwise with the right sides together.
2. Take your crotch measurement from the belly button to just above your buttocks. Divide this number in half and add two inches. Take your waist measurement at your belly button. Divide that in half and add two inches. Mark down both numbers.
3. Mark the waist measurement on the top edges of the outer open flaps of the two pieces of folded fabric. Measure down the sides of the flaps to the length of the crotch measurement and mark. Mark a straight line with a gentle curve on the fabric between these two points. This will serve as the crotch of the rain pants.
4. Cut out the crotch on both pieces of fabric.
5. Pin and sew together the open sides of each folded rectangle from the bottom of the crotch down. Give yourself at least 3/4 inch clearance on the edge.
6. Fold one leg right side out and place it inside the other leg so the leg seams and crotches match up. Sew along the crotch seam from front to back. Pull the inner leg out of the outer leg.
7. Try on the pants and measure the length for cuffs and mark the waist at the belly button. They are meant to be baggy, as they will go over your normal wear. Take off and pin hems and waist in place. Turn pants inside out.
8. Sew the hems of the pants. Sew the waistline of the pants, but leave a two inch opening at the front of the pants.
9. Run a cord through the waist via the opening in the front of the pants. Cut the threads connecting the crotch together at the front of the pants by about an inch. Run the ends of the cords through this opening. Sew over the top and bottom of the hole to lock the stitches and sew the rest of the waist down in front to close the cord in. Tie two knots in the ends of your cords so they won't get pulled in and lost inside the waist.
Sew Up Poncho
10. Cut a rectangular piece of water resistant fabric 3 feet by 4 feet. Fold in half width-wise.
11. Mark a half circle along the center of the folded side. Cut out with a pair of scissors. Sew around the circle with a straight or zigzag stitch to keep the fabric from fraying or tearing easily.
12. Use the circle cut out as a pattern to mark the inside of a collar piece for the neck of a poncho. Make the piece 2 1/2 inches wide.
13. Pin the collar to the poncho with right sides together. Sew down along the edges. Turn the collar under and sew along the edge again to sew into place.
14. Fold in outer edges by one inch and sew to give the poncho a nice hem.
Quick Floppy Hat
15. Cut out the top of the hat. Make it a circle 7 1/2 inches in diameter. Cut out the side of the hat, making it 3 3/4 inches wide and 11 1/2 inches long. Cut out the brim of the hat in four pieces 2 1/2 inches wide. The brim pieces are curved and look like a circle when connected together.
16. Pin the top of the hat to the side of the hat, forming a wide, shallow cylinder. Sew the two pieces together.
17.Pin the four brim pieces together and sew into a circle.
18. Pin the brim to the open edge of the cylinder with right sides together. Sew the brim in place.
19. Repeat steps one through four to create a lining for the hat. Sew the lining to the bottom of the hat, folding the edges of the brim inside to create a nice edge. Sew close to the sides of the hat to secure the brim in place.
Tags: belly button, front pants, inches wide, right sides, right sides together, sides together