Picture Perfect by Belledandi: Narwhal, Unicorn of the Sea: costume tutorial (pants)

This is part 1 of a 5 part series on costumes for the monkey and elf based on the graphic novel Super Narwhal and Jelly Jolt.

For Halloween at school, kids have to dress as a literary character. Enter Narwhal, Unicorn of the Sea, a children's graphic novel about a narwhal. The second book in the series is Super Narwhal and Jelly Jolt, from which we take our characters.

The elf decided to dress as Super Narwhal and the monkey, as Jelly Jolt. Today's tutorial explains how I'm adapting a pre-fabricated pair of adult exercise pants into a pair that fit my 5 year old. Also, I'm making them into bell bottoms to look more like a fin.

I chose a pair of the elf's leggings and used them as the pattern. I traced the top half of the leggings along her pair then measured out to the sides to create the bell shape.

Trace the leggings onto the adult's pair and add shape for bell.

I folded the adult's leggings in half, lining up the seams, so that I could use the existing seams as much as possible. Then I pinned the legs along the pattern.

Next, I ripped out the seam for the waistband, to avoid uncomfortable side seams.

I also pinned and marked the cut line and seam line on the pant legs.

Next, I cut out the pattern pieces.

I pinned the legs to sew the side seams.

The basic look of the pattern.

At this point I tried them on her for size. The fit was pretty good so I took them back off.

On a different day...

I sewed together the leg seams.

Then I tried them on the elf again to make sure they fit. Since I use a vintage machine and not a serger, I checked for places my stitches missed catching both edges. I mended those holes by going over the seam again.