Chambray Shorts

I don't usually wear shorts - I can never seem to find any to fit quite right due to my curvy thighs and slim(mer!) waist. After a spell of hot weather in April I decided to see if I could make some shorts myself.

I knew I wanted them to be lightweight for hot weather and a looser design with an elasticated waist. After searching for some patterns I came across several tutorials on designing your own shorts pattern and decided to have a go myself!

As the basis of my pattern I used the Margot pyjama pattern from Tilly and the Button's first book Love at First Stitch.  I made a few changes to this pattern. I decided where I wanted my shorts to finish, added 1/2 inch for hemming and this gave me the correct length. Because I was not using the channel for a drawstring, I added 5/8 inch to the fold line marked on the original pattern when tracing. I wanted to my shorts to be loose fitting and slightly a line in shape, so I added 1/2 inch to the outside hem of both the front and back pieces and curved the side seams slightly at the bottom, following a tutorial from the book Gertie Sews Vintage Casual by Gretchen Hirsch. I then cut a length of fabric for the waistband. 

The fabric I used was some chambray originally bought from Calico Laine that was leftover from a blouse I made. Despite this being the first time I have ever sewn shorts/trousers, I put these together very quickly in just a few hours spread across three sessions. For some reason there was a length difference along the crotch but I trimmed down the excess and it seemed to work out ok! There are also several issues with the waistband. I had a lot of trouble cutting out the length I needed out of what was left from my fabric. When I started sewing it in it was slightly too short. I tried to ease it in but it has puckered a bit- annoyingly at the front. It's also too wide, so I've made a mistake when calculating the width of fabric needed. 

Since making these I have worn them a couple of times - mainly around the house and also on holiday in Spain. They were great on the beach and comfortable without being at all revealing- I don't think I could wear short shorts!

I would definitely class these as a wearable muslin. I think they would look better using fabric with a better drape and maybe a bit of pattern. I need to fix the problem with the waistband and perhaps take some width out of the waist for a sleeker look. I'm also thinking about curving the bottom hem at the sides as a bit of a design feature.