The weekend long read.
In preparation for a British heatwave that hasn't yet arrived I've made a summery pair of shorts using the Spring Trouser pattern as a base. London can sometimes reach sweltering point and when it does I crave clothes that are unfussy and don't cling to my body. This pair of shorts fits the bill and they've been on my sewing list for a while.
I speed sewed this pair on a Friday afternoon having found myself with a couple of hours to fill at the end of the week. They were so fun to sew, perhaps because I love the fabric so much and also because eyelets and drawstring make me feel like I've sewn something really professional. The fabric is a naturally dyed block printed cotton bought from the Cloth House. I originally bought it to make cushions and napkins but something told me I should redirect it to my wardrobe..!
I think the finished garments sits somewhere between pyjamas and fun summer shorts. If you already own the Spring Trouser pattern it’s a really great way to make the pattern go the extra mile as it has a very different feel. The main thing for me is that they feel far more casual than any pair of shorts that need a fly, so they’re perfect for mega chill, mega slouchy situations.
Worn here with the new Racer Vest pattern which launched last weekend!
I photographed some of the steps below - if you’ve made the Sunday Trackies you’ll notice the waistband construction is identical. I’ve used eyelets for my drawstring but you could achieve the same thing with small button holes instead.
This is a lightweight summer hack to have fun with so I hope you enjoy the read and perhaps have a go yourself.
Hetty
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Making Process
To make the shorts I cut the following pieces:
- Front Leg (folded to make it shorter)
- Back Leg (folded to make it shorter)
- Lower Pocket Bag
- Upper Pocket Bag
- Upper Pocket Bag fusing piece
- One long rectangular piece to make a straight waistband
- Fusing for the waistband
(huge apologies that I don’t have the measurements of the waistband to hand when writing this but I cut it extra long and then trimmed down to fit the waist)
I made the main body in the same way I’d usually make the Spring Trousers but with a few changes. I didn’t include a fly opening as I’m leaving the front pleats unsewn which gives me enough room to get them over my hips without a fly opening. I also did a much simpler pocket which excluded the pocket facing - I simply cut the pockets in the self fabric.
To sew the waistband I joined the back seam and pressed in half. I then added stitching around the top about 1cm from the fold to create a ‘paper bag’ waist. I added eyelets at the front and cut the elastic to size by holding it around my waist and feeling how tight I wanted it.
A closer look at the eyelets and stitching.
I then threaded the drawstring through the eyelets.
I joined the elastic and then started to pin the elastic and drawstring inside the two layers of the waistband.
I then stitched the whole thing closed, sewing about 0.8cm from the raw edge.
This is the closed waistband before attaching! I then sewed it to the shorts and overlocked the raw edge.
I then tried the shorts on to get a length I liked, folding up to test it out.
After a trim and a hem… voila!
