A pattern was provided for us from the church - very simple elastic waist shorts - machine hemmed. They used heavy cotton for most of them. I believe the fabric was donated by church members from their stashes. Instead of finishing off the elastic, we were asked to just put a safety pin at the ends of the elastic and leave it exposed to they could adjust it to size for the child receiving it. They also suggested we zig zag or serge all the seams in these.