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shorts on the line: Pile O' Fabic

I am so pleased to have Alyssa of Pile O' Fabric guest posting this evening as part of the shorts on the line sewalong.  She is a phenomenal quilter, I mean just look at this.  I am thrilled about her Beginner's Quilting Tutorial Series, I might just get brave enough to attempt a quilt!  She took those mad skills and put them to work on an adorable pair of patchwork shorts.

 

Hello, I am Alyssa Lichner from Pile O' Fabric. I live in Sunny HOT Gilbert, Arizona and when I am not hiding inside the house in pajamas all day trying to avoid the heat, shorts are very very useful! This project was a very good experience for me! I am primarily a quilter, and have done very little clothing projects. So the idea of "whipping" up some short sounded fun.

I decided to sew up some shorts for my 3yr old daughter. And chose a simple pair of shorts from a Easy New Look pattern. Let me tell you in my mind I thought, if I can piece a quilt some little toddler shorts should be a cinch! Ha! Little did I know this Shorts Adventure would be a beautifully humbling experience for me :)

The original pattern was for a simple pair of cotton shorts with a contrast band on the legs and an elastic waist. I decided being the quilter I am to add some Quilty Flair and made patchwork shorts.

 

I started with a charm pack of Reunion by Sweetwater for Moda. I cut each 5" charm in half and created pairs, which I then sewed together. I then cross cut the pair's once more.

 

Then took them to my design wall and laid out a nice large square of pieces. Once I had them in the order I liked I pieced them together into two large pieces 3 rows each. At this point I was feeling good! Still in "quilters mode" I moved on to the actual shorts part.

 

In my mind I was planning to replace the required yardage with my patchwork pieces. Up first was the front leg pattern piece which called for two. I pinned the pattern piece out on the left side of my first piece of patchwork and cut it out, moved the cut out piece and pattern over to the right side of the fabric and cut it out again. STOP! Something is wrong here. Yeah, you probably already realized what I did wrong. Since I did not fold the fabric and cut the 2 required pieces together I had two leg pieces going the same direction! I could have also cut the first piece, took off the pattern and flipped it wrong side up and cut another piece.

At first I sort of panicked, but stopped to think for a second. Luckily these are patchwork shorts! I took some of the extra patchwork I had cut off and sewed it to the left side of my failed piece and re-cut the pattern wrong side up.

Moving on I folded the patchwork section for my section pattern piece and cut it out. When I had set up to sew the shorts I got my machine settings all setup to do 1/2" seams. But, when I messed up my patchwork I set it back to 1/4" to fix my patchwork. STOP! Bet you can't guess what happened next! I continued on following the pattern sewing with 1/4" seams! AH! Luckily I caught myself early on and it was an easy fix.

At this point I was feeling pretty defeated by these silly shorts, my sewing room was a disaster, pattern pieces were everywhere and I thought I'd never make another piece of clothing again!

 

I continued on and once I was past all my little mishaps, the shorts came together quite quickly. I used Tomato Kona Cotton for the contract band on the legs, and I decided to add a extra button feature to the sides of the shorts and a button to the front. I made the 3T size and my daughter is skinny for her age, but I still feel like the pattern runs a bit large. I had to make up for that when adding my elastic.

Looking back now I can say the pattern is very simple and easy to follow. As long as you have basic pattern knowledge you should be able to finish these shorts in a jiffy. I'm pretty sure my 7 year old niece who sews could have whipped them babies up twice as fast as me.

  

I love how they turned out, and love the wonderful feeling of conquering some shorts! After everything said and done I might have caught the clothing sewing bug! Now when I am at the store shopping for clothes you will find me thoroughly examining how things are sewn together, so I can go home and do it! You may not see me creating clothing tutorial's over at Pile O' Fabric anytime soon, but I will definitely be sewing some more shorts!

I have been enjoying the last week of Short's Creations and I really can't wait to see what you all sew up! Thanks Carla, Rachel, and Vanessa for inviting me to join you for this wonderful Sewing Event!

I would love it if you come visit me sometime at Pile O' Fabric! Have a Great Summer, Alyssa

I adore how these tuned out, thanks again Alyssa!

Has everyone seen the great stuff piling up in the flickr pool? It's pretty rad!

shorts on the line: figgy's patterns

I am beyond thrilled to introduce Shelly of Figgy's Patterns as part of the shorts on the line sewalong.  Figgy's offers the most incredible fashion forward sewing patterns for children's clothing.  Seriously, just look at the Sunki dress or Zephyr romper.  I love these patterns so much that I'm praying that they come out with adult sizes! The Figgy's blog is full of great tutorials and if you'd really like to learn to sew like a pro they also offer workshops. Today Shelly is going to teach us how to create a beautifully tailored pair of shorts based on the fabulous Banyan shorts.

   Thank you so much for inviting me to Shorts on the Line summer sew along!  This has been a really fun sew along to follow. 

I have decided to provide a couple tips and tricks to creating a tailored pair of shorts.  I chose to use our Banyan shorts pattern and a really sweet Lecien fabric called “Vintage Linen” by Meg Hawkey of Crabapple Hill Studio.   This is not a full tutorial but if you need a little help with the zipper please visit our zipper tutorial here or you can always email me.

Let’s begin!

I’ve cut out some of the pieces I’ll need to create these shorts:  Front and Back Shorts, Zip Extension and Pocket.  You’ll notice I cut around the cutting line and not on the cutting line.  The reason for this is you don’t want to cut on the cutting line twice because you could alter the pattern size.  You’ll notice I didn’t cut out the waistband pieces yet (more on this later) or the cuffs either.  I’ve decided not to make this pair with the cuffs this time because I wanted to showcase the print on the fabric.

 

Because I wanted the print to show at the bottom of the shorts I had to go against the grainline :0.  There are certain patterns you can do this with and certain ones you can’t (that’s another post in itself).

  Once I cut out the pattern piece I then cut out the markings for the pleats.  This will allow you to create more accurate pleats which makes all the difference in the fit and size of the shorts.

 

 Transfer the markings onto the wrong side of the fabric and on both front pieces.

For the back pattern pieces you’ll want to do the same thing but first transfer the pocket markings onto the right side of the fabric.

 

 

 

 To create the pleats you will align the top two yellow markings and pin or press flat.  The bottom point should run along the fold of the fabric.

 

When you sew the pleats, be sure to sew along the folded edge and leave long tails to manually tie the threads in a knot.

After you sew the pleat, take a moment to measure the distance between the waist edge and the pleat bottom.  You can compare that with the pattern piece markings to make sure you sewed them correctly.  You’ll also want to use this measurement against the opposite shorts panel to make sure the pleats are the same length. 

Place the pocket and stitch in place.  (Isn’t this fabric darling?)

 

When creating the front pleats you do not need to sew these to a point.  Simply sew down to the stopping line and backstitch.  Press all pleats to the center.

I’ve gone ahead and attached the pockets and the side seams. 

Measure the back along the raw edge of the waist hem and then compare this measurement to the pattern piece (doesn’t quite look like it in the photo but the measurement was 11.5” (29.2cm)). If I have sewn the shorts perfectly the back pattern piece measurement + the seam allowance (total of 1”) will be 12.5” (31.8 cm).

 

The pattern piece measures 12.25” (31.1 cm).  It looks like I am ¼” off.  This could mean I was slightly off when I created my pleats, center or side seams or I was off a tiny tiny bit in all of those places.  Perhaps my needle was in the incorrect spot.   It happens to all of us. 

How do I fix this?  Do I rip out my side seams?  Not in this situation.  I simply added ¼” to my waistband which is just 1/8” on both sides.  Now, if it is off by more than that I would have a look at your seam allowance and trouble shoot as to where you were thrown off a bit. 

Repeat this exact process with the right and left waistbands.

At this point if you have read through the instructions (you should always do this) you’ll know that the waistband pieces for the right and left side should be at least ½” longer than the waist measurement.  So when you measure the pattern piece make sure you include the seam allowance and ½” overhang when comparing the two. 

When aligning the raw edges of the waist hem and the waistband begin with the side seams and pin.  Pin the center back and then pin along the front panels. 

You’ll want to make sure that the waistband side seam and the shorts side seam align.  Once attached press the seam allowances up.

 

When sewing the inner waistband side seams be sure to leave a 1” opening for the elastic to slide into later.

 

Repeat the seam process by aligning the side seams, center back and then the front with the inner and outer waistbands.

 

Once the inner waistband is attached along the top you can make a chalk line to ensure you will make your sewing line to match the shorts edge.

 

Trim the corner at an angle and then trim the seam allowance.  Press the bottom of the inner waistband up ¼”.  Turn the inner waistband so wrong sides are facing.  Using a point turner gently push the corners to a point.

 

Lay the folded edge on top of the seam allowance and top stitch on the right side of the shorts.  I finished my shorts by finishing the raw edge of the bottom hems and turned them up ½” and finished with a nice topstitch.  I, of course, found an adorable vintage button for the final touch.

Ofelia (as usual) was the recipient of these darling shorts and I couldn’t get her to stay in one place long enough to get a good shot.  She’s really moving these days!

 

She was a very happy girl and even noticed the trim print on the fabric!

Thank you again for having me and Happy Sew Along!

Wow! Thank you Shelly, your shorts turned out gorgeous!  I love that fabric!

shorts on the line: sewVery

Hi Everyone!  I am thrilled to introduce Veronica of sewVery.  She will be guest posting as part of the shorts on the line sewalong.  She sews the most adorable outfits for her daughter.  Just check out this outfit and don't miss her beautiful flower top tutorial.  Today she is going to show us how to make scalloped hemmed shorts!

Thanks so much Veronica! 

I can't believe it's already the second week of the Shorts on the Line sew along, can you?  The first week was full of great ideas and projects, a few of which I will definitely be trying out soon!

I'm Veronica, and I began my blog, sewVery, a few months ago in order to share my sewing projects and craft ideas with anyone willing to look!  To my surprise, I've had a lot more people than I would have ever expected interested in the outfits I make for my 3-year-old daughter and all the purses I've sewn.  And the best part is that I've made some good friends, too!

A few weeks ago, one of those good friends, Rachael from Imagine Gnats, asked if I would be interested in guest posting for the Shorts on the Line event.  I've never done anything like this before, but I was excited to have the opportunity.  In fact, the day before Rachael emailed me, I was talking to my hair stylist about all the clothes I make for my daughter, and I even told him that one thing I hadn't made too many of for her is shorts. So, Rachael and the Shorts on the Line sew along were definitely the motivation and inspiration I needed to make more shorts for my daughter's wardrobe!

The moment Rachael asked me to participate, I immediately had an idea pop into my head for a pair of cute shorts.  Based on an Oliver + S skirt I saw, the idea I had for a cute pair of shorts was to add a scalloped edge detail to the leg openings.  Now, I have never made anything with a scalloped edge, but I think it is my new obsession!  I figured out how large I wanted the scallops to be, drew up a pattern, and started cutting out fabric!  This is what I came up with.  Pretty cute, don't you think?

Would you like to make your own pair?  Then you're in luck because I've written a tutorial on how to make them.  Here we go...

shorts on the line: Sew Delicious

Good morning!  I'm excited to introduce Ros from Sew Delicious as a guest poster for the shorts on the line summer sewalong.  She sews beautiful clothes and accessories for her little ones and her shop.  I can't wait to make Jude his very own toy car mat and this Peggy Skirt Pattern is super adorable.  Today she is going to teach us how to take cutoffs to the next level with a cute jean refashion.  

Thanks again Ros! 

Hi, I'm Ros from Sew Delicious and I'm an Australian blogger from Melbourne who is a bit envious of your lovely summer weather right now! I'm a Mum to two little girls, so many of my sewing creations are designed with them in mind. Today's project was made for my big girl Anna who is three, and will be perfect for her for the Aussie summer later this year.

This is an easy project for confident beginners and beyond - all you need is:
a pair of jeans (mine were $2 at the thrift store)
a small amount of fabric -1/4 yard or fat quarter (an FQ will require piecing together to make the belt)
a scrap of contrasting fabric for the bow
a button or snap
basic sewing equipment

Fabric details - I used fabric from the Verona range by Emily Taylor for Riley Blake for this project.

Ready? Lets go!
Fold your jeans in half. Cut the legs off at the desired length (err on the long side - if you go too short, you can't go back!) Measure around the cuff.

To make the cuffs:

Cut your fabric the length of your cuff plus 1cm for seam allowance and 7cm (3") wide. My jeans were a size 3 - if you are making these for a child or adult you may wish to increase the width of the cuff. Press in half.

 Sew short edges together to form the cuff and iron open seams.

Fold back in half along the pressed crease. Turn jeans wrong side out and place cuff over each leg, aligning then pinning raw edges together.

Sew all the way around each cuff. Serge or zig zag stitch as denim has a tendency to fray. Turn your jeans right side out and flip your cuffs up. A good press with your iron will hold the cuffs into their correct position.

To make the belt:

Measure the waist and add an additional 10cm (4") for overlap. My fabric for the belt was 10cm (4") wide.

Cut your fabric strip, fold in half and press. Sew along the raw edge length. I used a 1cm seam allowance. Turn inside out and press so that the seam is hidden along the pressed edge, Tuck the short raw edges in and press. Top stitch around the entire belt. Set aside.

To make the bow:

Cut your fabric into two rectangles - 25 x 11cm (10 x 4.5") and 8 x 4cm. (3 x 1.5")
Press the long edges in as shown in the picture.
Take the large rectangle and fold short edges in so they overlap.
Pinch the down the middle to create your bow shape.
Wrap the smaller piece around the middle of the bow to create the bow centre. Secure with fabric glue or pin and hand stitch in place.

Your finished bow should look like this. If you would like it to be more sturdy, you can iron on some fusible interfacing to the main piece of bow fabric before you assemble it.

To finish off - mark your belt where you would like the bow to be situated, and hand stitch the bow to the belt.

Stitch a button onto the wrong side of the belt, so it aligns with the middle part of the bow. (or do two steps at once by sewing the button and the bow on at the same time!)

Mark the other belt end with where you would like your button hole to be, then sew a button hole, so the belt can be done up.

Done! Time to play!

Don't be fooled by this very summery looking picture - despite the sunshine it was a frosty 10C (50F) during our photo shoot! My little model did a fabulous job but soon after this picture she gave up and ran straight for her polar fleece coat.

Happy summer my northern friends and thanks so much for having me to share this tutorial for Shorts On The Line! If you have any trouble with this tutorial or any questions, or you'd just like to say hi, please get in touch! You can find me here:

blog  - facebook - twitter - pinterest - etsy

Wow!  That bow belt is extra adorable, thanks so much for the tutorial Ros!

shorts on the line: Cirque Du Bebe

Hi Everyone!  I am thrilled to introduce Sophie of Cirque Du Bebe fame.  She will be guest posting as part of the shorts on the line sewalong.  Her work is always perfectly styled and beutifully sewn.  As if that isn't enough, she is the queen of upcycling.  I am so totally obsessed with her mad skills, just look at this wiggle dress and this bloomer outfit.  Oh, and be sure to check out her baby sarouel tutorial.  Today she is going to review the  Bermuda Shorts pattern by Danslalune for us.  

Thanks so much Sophie! 

Pattern: Bermuda Shorts by Danslalune on Etsy.

Fabric: Heather Ross for Kokka, Far Far Away III, green and yellow guitars in a cotton linen blend + knit ribbing for the waist band.

Level: Confident beginner

Sizing: 1-7Y and on the generous side. I made a 4 and both length and width wise, we'll get another 6+ months for sure.

Mods: None

Make again: I'm cutting the next pair as we speak.

I'm sorry to say these shorts have been on my pattern 'to buy' list for two years. Sorry, because I wish I'd got onto them sooner. It's not like I've been waiting for an excuse ( I don't need any help in that department) but the 'Shorts on the Line' series seems a pretty fine occassion to break them in. I think it was the name, Bermuda shorts, that totally sold me and I had a vision of a swanky, beach-going, easy wearing short. Boy did it deliver! It's a slim fit, below knee cut with a host of other adorable features like a soft ribbing waistband, back yoke, pockets and top stitched details galore.

I've had great success with one of Danslalune patterns before, her Monkey Spats pattern have become a particular favorite of mine. And just like the monkey pants, the Bermudas are a speedy sew even with yoke and pockets and top-stitching oh my! Actually it's the top-stitching details that make them look a lot more involved than they are. Love it. With the fabric pre-cut the day before, I sewed them up one evening between the kids bedtime and mine, which admittedly isn't a huge gap. There's only four pattern pieces for the main section but what I really like is there is a fifth pattern piece included for the ribbing waist band which takes care of one of my pet sewing peaves: measuring out dimensions for ribbing pieces. Does this bug anyone else?

(Fun top-stitching details on back pockets)

These easy-sewing, easy-wearing shorts certainly make for a winning combination. I even picked up a useful trick along the way. Usually when making pants, hemming the legs is the last and my least favourite step. It's becomes some sort of ugly dance between myself and the iron while I try to manouver it around a small leg opening. But here, the instructions call for you to press the hem before you sew the legs into legs, so to speak. When you go to hem, the pressing is already done and you don't even have to pin, just stitch.

The only thing I can think of that could possibly make them even better would be some side / front pockets. Archie kept patting himself down searching for somewhere to house yellow car. Geez, should'av thought of that one. Clearly, not on my game that day.

Thanks for having me. Back over to you Carla...

Thanks again Sophie, I those shorts are adorable and I love the fabric you chose!

shorts on the line: Small & Friendly

All right ladies and gents, it's my turn to host a jam packed week of short sewing love.  Rachael of imagine gnats just wrapped up a week of fabulous guest posts and next week will be Vanessa's turn on Designs by Sessa.  But this week, Small & Friendly will be hopping with two posts a day (I usually post twice a week)!  Hold on to your shorts ... it's gonna be wild!

After putting together the shorts on the line pinterest board, I was overwhelmed with choices for shorts to sew.  That is until I came across this Playsuit Pattern by Salme Patterns.  I have a serious soft spot for rompers.  The thing is, I'm lazy.  I love to wear dresses because I don't have to pick out a top and bottom.  A playsuit offers the ease of a dress with the functionality of shorts!  I have a rather unusual shape, so my attempts at purchasing a romper have turned into dressing room comedy sessions.  I knew sewing my own was my only chance at romper success.

Okay, so what did I think of the pattern?  I adore the style, and I am really happy with the end result ... but ... the instructions are a little slim.  More than once I was lucky that I was working with a fabric (a grey chambray from Joann) that didn't have a wrong side.  Since there are no button holes or zippers, this is not a difficult garment to construct, but you definitely wouldn't want to start with it.  You really need to know your way around an adult garment and be prepared to use the old noodle; I added quite a few steps (basting, pressing, etc).  I am super short waisted and ended up shortening the bodice by an inch.  I would recommend adjusting for a long or short torso in the pattern cutting stage.  Also, there are no seam allowances, and I'm lazy, so that wasn't my favorite bit; although, it's not a big deal.  The printed pages fit together beautifully, and it is a very well drafted pattern, everything matched up really well.  The sizing seemed right on; I measured as a 14 and cut that size with only the bodice shortening and a shorter, cuffed hem. 

Overall, I am really happy with my new playsuit.  The style is very summery, and it's got a fun pin-up vibe.  Plus, the style completely changes with a different belt or sash, so you can add versatility to the list of pros.   

And perhaps most important of all, it doesn't give me long butt.  A serious concern for an adult in a romper.  

Did you notice that I added a few more photos than usual?  That's because my best friend and professional photographer came over for a relaxing Sunday, and I made her work.  All photos are by the amazing Meg Messina.  

I've decided that the playsuit is the perfect summer mom-gear.  I might have to whip out a few more and call it a uniform.  Cute and comfy, what more could a mama want?

Want to make your own?  Elisa of Salme Patterns gave me one, and since I had already purchased it on Craftsy, she said I could give it away!  Leave a comment on this post before Saturday at 5pm PST to be entered to win.  Giveaway now closed.

Have you caught the shorts sewing bug yet?  There is still plenty of time to join the sewalong!  

Again, all photos courtesy of Meg Messina Photography. 

This Parenting Thing is No Joke

I have always hated the term "terrible twos", I don't think any child or any phase is truly terrible.  I'd call them "challenging twos" with moments of exasperated awfulness.  No one said being a parent was all sunshine and roses, but some days it feels next to impossible.  

Some days you just don't have a long enough fuse.  Some days you're super PMS'd, and after an entire day of "no's" and a toddler, who seems to have forgotten how to speak (unless it is to argue or boss) defies you by digging up an entire pot of basil seedlings and all you see is red.  (Okay, maybe not you, but me.)  

Luckily, for this particular instance, my husband (and terrific parenting partner) was there to take over so that I could go cry hot frustrated tears and pull myself together.  Moms need time outs too, you know.  

I'm not sure exactly where I'm going with this, other than to say that if some days mindfully parenting a two year old really kicks your a** and leaves you feeling more than a little worn out, you are not alone.  We all have days like those, and all we can do is try our best.  Even if that means yelling, shedding a few tears, letting Sesame Street help run out the clock, and hoping the tide changes tomorrow.

Because the thing is, the tide does change.  And for all the challenges of being a parent, the rewards are even greater.  Like finally getting through to your little one in a way that cuts the arguing down drastically.  Like huge hugs, and sweet kisses, and heart warming giggles.  Like becoming a much more patient person.  The rewards of a thousand tiny victories and few huge ones.  Being a parent is part challenge, part privilege.  To love and be loved as a parent is the greatest joy my soul has ever known.  With that in mind, a few hard days seem a small price to pay.

Here's to being a parent: surviving the terrible and relishing the terrific.

A few more parenting words I enjoyed recently:

Honesty about the challenges of parenting a "strong willed" preschooler.

What so many of us feel as the primary caretaker of a toddler (and another rad felt board).

And inspiration for all of us modern homemakers who may at times question the importance of all the "extra" stuff we do.

DIY Travel Size Felt Board

Welcome Pinners!  Don't miss the latest DIY's and Tutorials from Small & Friendly, please subscribe via email or in a reader!

Looking for another simple felt craft?  I'm your gal!  This was a big hit on our recent road trip, although I'm not sure who had more fun, Jude or I.  

Here's how to make your own:

1. Cut a piece of cardboard (9 1/2" x 12 1/4") and apply a piece of craft felt to it with spray adhesive.  (I tried other glues with minimal success, I highly recommend spray adhesive for the best results.)  

2. While that dries, cut out a bunch of shapes in many colors.  (I got fancy and used the pinking shears on a few.)  

3. Stick the felt shapes in a bag or box, and you're ready for some felt board fun on the go!

Jude has recently been irritated by drawing because he can't create the exact image he has in his mind.  The felt shapes allow him to create fire trucks, flowers, faces, etc. with minimal frustration.  (I did the scene above while he was napping, just in case you thought he was some sort of two year old Matisse.) 

Here's to fast felt fun!  Happy Crafting!