How to Sew Scrubs
Scrubs, the uniform shirt-and-trouser combination worn by medical personnel to minimize the accumulation of dirt and stains, are fairly simple for a person to make at home. Many nurses, surgeons and other medical workers sew their own scrubs, rather than waste time and money searching for the perfect pair from a store or medical uniform website.
Things You'll Need
- Scrubs pattern
- Sewing equipment and supplies
- Fabric and matching thread
Instructions
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Find a scrubs pattern that you like and that fits your uniform requirements, or take an old pair of scrubs that fit you well and take all the pieces apart at the seams with a seam ripper. You can find scrubs patterns from all of the major pattern companies, such as McCall's, Simplicity, Butterick and Burda. Purchase your fabric based on the instructions that come with your pattern, or lay out all of your pattern pieces side-by-side and measure how much you will need.
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Determine what size you will need your pattern pieces to be. Using a measuring tape, measure around your bust or chest, waist, hip and shoulder width for the shirt, and measure your waist, hip, crotch depth and leg length for the trousers. For each piece, fit your largest measurement first and then, if you wish, scale down the other measurements for a closer fit. Cut your pattern pieces in your determined size, and separate the trouser pieces from the shirt pieces so that you do not get confused.
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Pin the pattern pieces to your chosen fabric and cut around the edges, following the directions on the pattern pieces. If you have made your own pattern pieces from an existing pair of scrubs, add 5/8 inch seam allowances to all sides, and hem allowances of an inch to the bottoms of the shirt body, sleeves and trouser legs before cutting. Transfer any markings directly to the fabric, using a fabric pencil on the wrong side of the fabric.
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Collect all of the fabric pieces for the shirt. Pin the shirt front to the shirt back at the shoulders, wrong sides together, and stitch beside the seam allowance. Press the seam allowances and trim, and then finish as desired. Pin the sleeves to the body at the armholes and stitch, and then press and finish the seam allowances. Fold the shirt body back together and stitch the side seams, and then press and finish the seam allowances. Fold under the hem allowances at the ends of the sleeves and the body, stitch in place, and then press flat.
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Collect all of the fabric pieces for the trousers. Pin the center back seam together and stitch, and then press and finish the seam allowances. Pin the outsides of the front and back leg pieces together, and then stitch, press and finish the seams. Pin the insides of the front and back leg pieces together almost all the way up and stitch in place, but do not finish the seams yet. Stitch the center front or fly piece, depending on your pattern, and then stitch the rest of the inside seam together. Press and finish all seams. If your pattern includes an elastic waistband, attach the waistband piece to the top of the trousers, then fold it in half and stitch the bottom down almost all the way around. Push a length of elastic through the opening, all the way through the waistband, and pull it out the other side. Stitch the elastic together and then sew down the opening.
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Tips & Warnings
For an easier time, buy a pattern that uses set-in sleeves that are part of the body pieces. Finish all seams by serging or zigzag stitching.
