Here in the UK it's finally time for some sunshine and warmer weather...! We've had a few weekends of heat and they've come with the sudden realisation that my summer wardrobe ISN'T READY YET.
I'm not someone who needs lots of new pieces to get through a season. But with only 1 presentable pair of shorts in my wardrobe I really wanted to give myself some more options.
I've previously made shorts using the Worker Trousers as a base so I know it works and I also saw this lovely pair by @sari.sew a few months back.
So without further ado, here are the changes I made to the pattern:
- Made them higher waisted
I always lengthen the rise on my Worker Trousers for 2 reasons - I'm quite tall so it fits better. And that extra 1cm of height in the rise somehow makes the garment feel wider - I have no idea why. So by bringing it a little high waisted I have more space for a big meal and general movement.
How to increase the waist height:
1. Cut a line across the front and back legs roughly where the hip sits
2. Tape or glue a piece of paper under one of the pieces
3. Then tape/glue the other piece directly 1cm (or more or less) above
4. Optional - if you'd like to lengthen your fly pieces by 1cm as well you can also do that.
(Diagram below: back piece on the left - the blue line is blocked in to show the width of the 1cm of paper that has been added. The front leg on the right is not coloured in and shows how I stuck the pieces with tape)
- Shortened the length
The crucial step... making them shorter. The full finished length I settled on is 45cm including the waistband. I originally made them much longer but I wanted to try them on and check just how long I wanted them.
- Belt loops
I opted for slightly wider belt loops on this piece - they're 1.5cm in width. I was also inspired by a post I saw recently and added crossed over belt loops at the back of the waistband.
- Two buttons
As the buttons I wanted to use are quite big I opted for just 2 buttons on the button fly instead of 3
- Bias binding detailing
This part is my absolute favourite feature of the garment. I love adding binding to fly areas. It's the part of the garment you interact with the most and it's just so nice to see it beautifully finished.
I have a preference for using checked fabric for binding as it creates such a pretty effect.
This is something I've practised over years. They didn't look like this first time around! If you'd like some guidance on this area then I really recommend our Worker Trouser Online Workshop. It will show you how to do this whole area to a really high standard.
- Fabric consumption
The nice thing about this piece is that it can be sewn in under 1 metre! This is to achieve a garment length of 45cm.
150cm wide fabric = under 1 metre consumption in all sizes
P.S. Here they are styled with a very special shirt a made this week. You'll make recognise the fabric from my binding and pockets.
More details on this next week..!
