Hello Shorty!

Hello blog world! long time..... almost a year to be exact. time flies when you're consumed by the corporate world. yes, unfortunately to feed myself independently i needed to do the unthinkable. so now i'm some accountant slaving away her life for pennies. life is generally not as miserable - i surround myself with books and crafts, secretly sewing pieces of clothing whenever the weekends come along. this particular weekend is rather fruitful. i had been thinking of making summer shorts for a while and i couldn't find a pair for a decent price in the stores, so i thought, heck, i'll make one. so here's a tiny tute to share my tiny joy.

Hello Shorty!

Bit more girly than expected. not necessarily a bad thing! It looks like boudoir short, but its really a lot wearable in real life. change the fabric / embellishments to create a different look.

You'll need your fav shorts for this project, if you don't have a pattern already. its rather easy to make a pattern and very useful for simple adjustments for future projects.

You'll also need paper for your patter, ruler, pencil, chalk, scissors, thread, sewing machine, embellishments & of course fabric for your short. depending on size, i recommend about 1.5 yards/meters for safety. you'll also need a bit of time. I took about 6 hours, with the pattern, decisions and embellishments. some amount of coffee recommended. ;+)

1) Pattern.

Fold your fav short in half to get both the front and back pattern. i recommend a non-stretchy short if you're using a non-stretchy fabric. the pattern is generally a rectangular piece with an extended piece at the bottom so there's like a curve "L" at the side. See snapshort for elaboration. the front piece ussually has a shorter L, the back has an extended L at the crotch, to make room for my um, ahem, ample bottom. :P i.e., the larger the bum, the longer the L has to extend out. i left more space at the side seams for luck and i kinda wanted to have the bottom leg part to be slightly wider.

2) Sew the crotch area. Front side to back side.

 

 3) Sew the side seams. Repeat for other leg.

4) Flip one piece inside out and place it in the other pant leg. line them together and sew the inseam. this will ensure a smooth curve around your crotch area.

5) Flip it inside out and you have your basic shorts! All you have to do is finish up the top and bottom.

6) I stitched around the seam to ensure the seams are strong enough to withstand machine washing.

7) Waistband. 

Cut a length of fabric, long enough to go round the top with a bit to spare for the seam and wide enough to fold over. Pin it along the top of the short, good sides together, and sew around the top, leaving a space for your elastic to run through.

8) Insert elastic.

Cut a length of 1 inch elastic (it can be wider, just adjust the width of the waistband to accommodate the elastic.) comfy enough to go round your low waist area, cut and insert it into the waistband of the short. pull it through, join the ends of the elastic together by sewing a zigzag stitch along. adjust the elastic until it fits in nicely then sew the opening.

9) Pockets

Feel free to skip this step if you don't need them. i personally adore them to store objects i often lose. or they're perfect for your hands. ;+) think about the size, make sure it fits your palm, how big and deep you want them to be, mine was about 5.5 inches all round. also think about where you want them. try your shorts on and figure that out.

10) Round edge

I like to use bowls and plates for the perfect curve. ;+)

11) Chalk the edges.

12) Sew the edges leaving about 2 inches space to turn the pockets out. Cut the edges for a smooth finish. iron the pockets and sew them on your shorts. embellish them if you like. i used ribbons and vintage lace for a girly touch.

 

13) Hem / sew bottom leg portions and you're done! finished short is the one on top. ;+)

It looks soooooo cute on i might make a couple more. the bottom leg part is a bit wide so i might take it in a bit next round. i'll need a grey linen slightly longer one for work. we'll see.

hope you guys like it and enjoy short-ing! :D taaaa!

The St Paddy's Day Top

I looked in my closet and there was nothing green! 'Cept for an old grass green tank & a flutter cami, I was out of cute green! Nothing else to do but to whip one up. I didn't want to get pinched on St. Paddy's Day. LOL Besides, I want to fit in when I meet a Leprechaun. ;+)



The design is relatively similar to the Babydoll dress I made earlier.

The top portion is from an old navy tee, cut about 6" across from the bottom. It depends on how "thick" you want the top panel to be. I find 6" works for me.

I used cotton gingham for the bottom panel. You'll need your hip measurements, add 5" for the gathering effect & 1" for seam allowance. In my case, I cut out one long rectangle and stitch up only one side, which sits on the center back. You can choose to cute 2 rectangles & stitch up both sides. Fold up 1/2" twice of the bottom raw seam & sew across. You can choose to add ruffles if you like. I think I might do that later. ;+)

My pockets are about 7" square. If you have leftover from your tee, cut 2" strips & add them to the top of the pocket for interest. I added some cotton lace as well. To place the pockets, place your rectangle tube flat out. Measure 1.5" from side and bottom & pin your left pocket on for sewing. Do the same for the right one.

The tough part is to fix the top & bottom panel plus the elastic all together. You'll need a piece of elastic that will sit comfy around your under bust & stitch the ends together first. I find that the elastic stretches out a little after sewing so I usually make sure its a bit snug on the under-bust, not tight though. Put the top panel into the bottom panel, good sides together. Find the center of each section, pin the top & panel bottom together.

When you've pinned at least 8 sides, use the same method, add the elastic on. This stage can be trying & annoying, but keep going knowing your top will be cute! Have a drink or take a BREAK if you need!

When you're all done pinning, go to your sewing machine, pick the longest stitch, start at the side seam. Stretch both front & back while sewing. Go slow. I went 2 rounds to make sure everything is nice and tight. Flip it around, you're almost done!

If you like to have shoulder straps, cut 13" by 8" for 2 strips, fold lengthwise, good sides together, sew up the sides, flip it inside out and iron flat. Measure your favorite top's shoulder straps if you don't know how long it should be. You can choose to add ruffles to the sides or add lace, ribbons, etc. Its good to wear your top at this time and find out where you want your strap to sit. mine was 3.5" from the side. For the back placement, you want to place it a little angled and inner than the front placement. This will ensure the strap sits nicely on your shoulders.

You're almost done here! I added small white buttons for fun but you can do anything else! ;+) I'm already thinking of doing yellow summer tops & of course, pink ones! :D

Babydoll Dress Tutorial

As promised, from the Polkadots Babydoll Top blogpost, a tutorial in the same style!



Seems complex but really quite easy! If you can sew straight lines & is not afraid of dealing with elastics, go for it! ;+) Besides, the possibilities are endless!