I’m sewing up a pair of Guinea Pig shorts for my Little Dude with McCalls 7377 sewing pattern. I’m sharing all my best tips and tricks to help you learn how to sew your own kids shorts – I promise it’s easy!


Sewing Fabric

My Little Dude insists on living in shorts for about 10 months of the year – crazy boy!! At least they’re nice and quick to sew so he can have a good variety to choose from.

He’s currently obsessed with Guinea Pigs having just adopted a pair of the furry critters, so I treated him to some new Guinea Pig Print polycotton Fabric.

Printed Polycotton Fabric - Guinea Pig Denim Blue

I bought 3 metres of this Guinea Pig print polycotton. So far my Little Dude has a new shirt and these matching shorts as well as lots of Guinea Pig themed doll accessories.

Sewing Peek-A-Boo Pattern’s Classic Oxford Shirt – Guinea Pigs


McCalls 7377 Sewing Pattern

I picked up this McCalls 7377 sewing pattern to stash bust some woven fabrics by making dresses for my Little Miss. She’s grown out of the pattern now which is a shame as it has made her some nice summer dresses. But I’ve hung on to the pattern so I can sew some shorts for my Little Dude.

It’s sold as a beginner sewing pattern and I’m inclined to agree with that. All of the patterns are really nice and simple, quick too!

McCalls Sewing Pattern 7377

Tracing Pattern Pieces

I can never be bothered to trace the pattern pieces.  I think I did it once when using one of those free patterns with twenty different patterns were printed on one sheet – I’ll never try that again!!  It’s put me off pattern tracing for life.

But kids grow so the bigger sizes need to be preserved for future use and frankly I tend to grow too, lol so the same goes for my adult patterns.

I preserve the bigger sizes using a combination of a tracing wheel and carbon paper to trace the curves onto the fabric and my rotary cutter and ruler for the straight lines.  I fold the pattern piece back to the appropriate size.  I have to be very careful not to trim the pattern too – I have quite a few held together with sticky tape!

Olfa Rotary Cutter
Cutting Mat Self Healing
Serrated Edge Tracing Wheel
Dressmakers Carbon Paper

Stitching Hems

Sewing McCalls 7377 Guinea Pig Shorts

I like to use a twin needle to stitch my hems and waistbands. I think it looks so professional. And if I’ve got my measuring just spot on, it holds the overlocked edge in place perfectly, almost like a cover stitch machine.

Schmetz Twin Needle 4.0mm Size 80 Machine Needle
Schmetz Twin Needle 4.0mm Size 80 Machine Needle

I hope you have enjoyed reading about my adventures in sewing.

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Sewing McCalls 7377 Guinea Pig Shorts

I do hope my sewing project has inspired you to have ago at sewing your own children’s shorts.

Pop this post in your Pinterest board so you can find it later.

Sewing McCalls 7377 Guinea Pig Shorts Pinterest Pins

A Little Bit About Me . . .

Thank you so much for stopping by my little corner of the interweb. I’m Bridie, mum to two small humans, full time homemaker and full time craftaholic – which totally explains why I’m always short on time!

Bridie @ Heart Hearth and Crafting

I’ve included links to my favourite retailers for the products I’ve used to make my crafts. Click on any of the product images and links for full details. If you decide to buy any of these products I may get a small percentage of what you spend. There’s no cost to you at all.


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