How to Make Jersey Sportswear

Measure yourself and trace the pattern pieces you need in your size. Use these pieces to cut out your two leg pieces from your jersey fabric. Don't forget to mark your notches.

For each leg piece, fold them so the inside leg edges line up, pin, and sew with a zigzag stitch.

Please note, the rest of the edges will not line up.

Press these seams open and trim the seam allowance down by half.

Place one leg the right way around and place inside the other leg, lining up front and back centre seams and notches. Pin and sew the crotch curve with a zig zag stitch. Press these seams open and trim the seam allowance down by half.

Turn your shorts inside out and press the top edge down by 2.5cm, then again by 2.5cm. Pin in place.

Before sewing, iron two small pieces to either side of your centre front seam so it lies exactly where the outside waistband hem will be, mark your button hole placements for your drawstring.

Use the buttonhole settings on your machine to make two button holes on your markings.

Cut the centres open with sharp scissors.

Place double pins at the back of your waistband hem to mark a start and stop point to make sure you leave a gap for your elastic.

Sew hem with a zigzag stitch.

Cut a piece of 2cm wide elastic to your waist measurement +3cm. Attach a safety pin to one end and feed it through your hem gap.

Pull the other end out and overlap elastic ends by your 3cm allowance. Attach together with your safety pin. Try them on to check fit around the waist. If happy, zig zag stitch elastic together, then zigzag stitch gap closed.

Cut a 1 inch strip along the width of your jersey fabric, this should be your waist measurement +30cm. Once cut, stretch this strip to create a tubular jersey drawstring.

Attach a safety pin to one end of the drawstring and feed it through one buttonhole and out the other. Even the drawstring and trim if needed.

Tie a knot in both ends of the drawstring.

Stretch the waistband and elastic as much as possible and let go, this will evenly distribute the fabric along it. Secure the elastic and drawstring by stitching a small straight stitch in the seam line of the centre back waistband.

Try the shorts on and check the length you'd like them to finish. Trim if needed, then fold up the bottom hem by 3cm, press and pin. Stitch with a zig zag stitch and press to finish.

Cut a piece of scrap jersey fabric 45 x 12cm.

Fold in half, right sides together, lengthways and use your machine to sew a zigzag stitch line down the long raw edge, leave a gap at one end.

Using a safety pin to feed the 'non-gap' end inside the tube, pull it to the other open short end (with the gap).

Line up the short raw tube ends together. Use a needle and thread or your machine to do a small, neat running or zigzag stitch around in a loop roughly 1cm, from the raw edges.

Pull the whole tube through the gap. You should now have a ring of fabric pulled the right way around.

Cut a piece of elastic to 20cm. Use the safety pin to feed the elastic through the ring (through the open gap). Take care not to loose the other end.

Join the elastic ends together with a zigzag stitch.

Then use your needle and thread to sew up the gap using a slip stitch or use your machine close to the edge.

Your scrunchie is ready for wearing!