How to make easy kids pants

I am always being asked how I can whip up 20 kids pants in a day. Its easy I say. They say "I could never do it". I say anyone can. Here is the instructions. First cut a pattern from a pair of well worn favourite pants. If the pants are for a child under about 7 yrs old - then the front and back can be the same. This is what the pattern should look like. take the pants and turn them inside out and follow the line. if you are unsure about this method then buy a simple pattern for kids pants and alter it a little so it looks something like this.

cut it out in the fabric x2 for 2 legs.

If the fabric is plain - then to make the pants more interesting add a cuff in a bright contrasting fabric, here I have used a striped cord. Simply cut a lenght the same width as the pattern.

if you are adding a cuff then, sew the cuff onto the bottom of the pants first.

the cuff sewn on the pants.

now sew the two pieces of fabric together - sewing the crotch sections first.

When the crotch sections are sewn together it should look like this.

turn it over to look like this. Sew the inside legs together starting at the crotch and sewing down the legs.

then over lock the top and bottoms

fold the cuff in and sew it wide so it can be turned up. if not using a cuff then turn a wide hem so it can be turned up.

pile of pants ready to thread the elastic

sew on pockets, these could also be done before the pants are put together

some pockets i sewed a design on ready to go on the pants

if not putting on a cuff, then an opportunity exists for some decoration, ribbon or lace looks nice on girls pants.

threading the elastic. as a rough guestimate 1 1/2 times the width across the front of pants

thread it through the top hem in the gap you have left using a large safety pin



at the end sew the elastic together and finish sewing the top down.

Mud oven Project - technical notes.

• Basic oven is a simple, dome shaped shell of mud and sand
• we built a simple one layer oven - however you can build up to 3 layers
• dense thermal layer
• less dense layer with straw
• finish layer
• to figure how big to make the oven - start off with deciding how often and for what you will be using it. lay out loaf/pizza pans to see how big a circle you need to contain it - thats how big the oven needs to be.
• location of site - you need to think about:
• wind - direction
  
• wood - storage
  
• water - proximity
  
• roof - protection
• materials list:
• water
• dirt - subsoil - amount will depend on clay content (don't use top soil)
• sand to mix with mud - sharp sand not round
• sand for oven form - needs to be able to hold its form
• straw if doing an insulating layer
• foundation - use bricks, wood, concrete, urbanite (old broken up concrete) etc - height determined by how low you want the door
• floor of oven - firebricks (expensive), standard red bricks (approx 28) new or used but must be smooth and flat
• wood for door
• newspaper
• note on waterproofing oven: Denzer says an earthen oven is like a living thing and must be able to breathe. When baking it exhales steam, by putting a non breathable finish on like paint or concrete on top of the oven it is like putting on a rubber suit - it traps moisture. and the steam will condense and soak back into the oven - possibly cause collapse. the best sort of water proofing is a roof - leave at least 3inch ventilation gap.
• Mud: dig down to where the subsoil layer is - hard solid mass of earth. recognising subsoil - its hard, it doesn't crumble. add water and you can mould it, when dry it is hard and not crumbly, it feels sticky and greasy when wet.
• final cob mix needs a mix of 75% sand and 25% clay
• give mud/cob mix test to see if it is right consistency - dampen mix lightly - not paste, listen to it crunch - squeeze and hear grinding. add more sand if it doesn't.
• then the snow ball test - make it dry not too wet, pack it into a firm ball - this might take a few minutes. drop it onto the ground and it should hold its shape if it crumbles add more clay, if it goes flat add more sand, if it holds its shape - perfect.
• more technical details in the book about shrinkage and strength, which we didn't really bother with.
• foundation: must support the weight, be at the correct height, protect against the elements.
• see our post on building the foundation out of wood and using prefab concrete at a base.
• read the book for urbanite solution
• about the sand form for the oven void: draw the circle around the brick floor - and fill with sand - it should be moist enough to form into clumps and hold its shape, shape it by walking a wooden board around and moisten with a light sprinkle of water. till it is smooth and firm.
• measure height of oven, the door must be 63% of height. - why 63% research of traditional clay oven found that was the optimum ratio for perfect baking.
• dome height is 60-75% of dome diameter
• making mud: mix ratio of sand and clay to form fine granules - get all the clumps of clay out. put dry mix on a tarp and stamp and twist on it, working the clay and sand together. roll the tarp over the mix back and forth until it looks evenly mixed. add water slowly adn mix with tarp again, and then jump in and twist about breaking up the clay.
• apply mud in layers around sand form. press handfulls around the base and press down with thumb and fingers - being careful not to damage the sand form - at least 3 inches thick - use your hand a guide - thicker oven requires more fuel but will stay hot longer.
• when its all covered - take your flat board and whack or tamp it until smooth and solid. to add another layer rough this one up first. then add straw mud layer and then sculpt.
  
• cut door and remove sand - remember your dimensions.

From "how to build your own earth oven: a low cost, wood fired mud oven; simple sourdough bread;perfect loaves" by Kiko Denzer printed in 2004 by hand press, USA.
this can be purchased through Amazon
More books by Kiko can be found at Handprintpress, he has some new books coming out soon. He not only writes about mud ovens but about making art out of mud, making bread art and making beautiful things with your hands. Check it out. Hand print press.

Some pics and links to mud oven projects:
Maya - Kiko's huge mud oven
Cob cottage - info on workshops and techniques
Cob cottage pics - lots of pics, not only for mud ovens but for houses etc
Earth oven faq -

Mud oven project. Part 2

Building the mud oven. gather bricks for the base of the oven. layout for minimum gaps between bricks. We numbered the bricks to easily transfer. Fire bricks are best but they are $6 each so we went with old Canberra Reds (solid clay bricks)

mixing mud. we got this first batch wrong. too much clay and we didn't add any sand. but this first batch was only for the outside of base, to hold in the sand.

Making the border to old the sand base.

You can see it is quite wet and muddy, too much clay. it cracked really badly.

This will be filled in with a layer of road base and a layer of sand, then the bricks will sit on top of the sand.

layer the bricks carfully on the sand in the formation previously designed. the flat side must be facing up, and they must be very close together. Mix and match them to get a good fit.

laying the bricks closely together.

are you going to help or just take photos?

if you havn't placed the bricks correctly you will need to remove them and smooth the sand over again before putting the bricks back. things to ensure: there is enough room at the back for the wall and the front where the door will go.

the front hearth bricks hang over a little to make a little shelf and to enable ease of ash removal.

next is collect the sand to make the sand form. the dome must sit in the middle of the bricks. any kind of sand that holds its shape is fine.

getting enough sand.

begin the dome, compacting as you go.

the dome will the size of the inside of your oven.

still a bit small - add some more. the optimum size - height is 75% of the diameter.

Adding water stops the sand drying out and losing its shape.

fill in the gaps.

use some 2x4 to smooth the sand dome and compact it a little.

thing of beauty.

next mix the mud. the best mud mix is made up of clay - subsoil - and sharp sand. not too wet and well mixed - no lumps. We used the drop test where you roll up a ball of the mixture and compact it 50 times between your hands them drop from waist height. If its right is will deform but not break. I thought it was a very sandy mixture but this is what is required to avoid shrinkage and cracking. All the details are in this great book .

mix mix mix. get all the helpers involved.

using a tarp to fold over the mud mix is an excellent way to achieve even consistancy.

more sand.

cover the sand dome with wet newspaper. this is to 1. keep the sand moist and 2. enable easy removal of sand after the dome is finished - so you don't scrape the mud away whilst removing the sand. I actually reckon you dont really need the paper and the wrinkles leave an impression on the inside of your oven.

digging some clay for the mud mix.

Begin to shape the clay around the sand form using your fist as a measure. go around and around in layers.

pressing down with fist to firm the mud and keep a square edge. Dont ever pressin to the sand form, push down against the mud already layed.

keep it consistant the whole way around.

note the consistancy of the mud. it is very sandy.

build it up.

cover even where the door will go - this gets cut out later.

need to mix some more mud.

nearly there.

smooth over and compact the mud by whacking it with a plank. If you are adding another layer then scratch the surface before adding next mud layer. other wise you can let this dry before cutting out the door.

stay tuned for next week when we fire her up.