the grown up version of those little blue shorts

Ok, I'm a woman obsessed with using all of the stitches on my new sewing machine! After saying in the last post that I wouldn't use the decorative stitches on my own clothes, well I did, but it is very discreet and doesn't look too bad at all...


This is a fagoting stitch, used for smocking or some such thing (I actually don't know it's proper use!), but I sewed this along the pocket edge and it worked so much better in keeping the pocket bag to the inside than just a single line of topstitching.

I made some shorts for myself out of some navy blue cotton drill I had in the stash, primarily because I wanted to try out the fit of BWOF 11/08 pattern 121 if I took the pleats out.

When I made these pants previously in a grey wool the fit was great but the pleats added too much volume around my hips and thighs. And it turns out that without the pleats they are still very comfortable and look pretty good too, although a darker colour probably also helps in visually slimming the hips.

I also made little slits at the hem just for looks and not for ease of wear since the legs aren't tight.


Although I had to take the waistband in by an inch or so because I have lost a few more kilos since I made those grey pants, so I just put a centre back seam in the waistband which also helped with a sway back adjustment that I need in close fitting clothes like these. Now I have the pattern altered to a good fit so it just may become a TNT (tried and true) pattern. As much as I love trying out new patterns (and with 600+ paper patterns I should!), when it comes to tricky fitting clothes likes pants I think it is good to have something you know will turn out well without having to do a muslin every time.


So next up on the sewing to do list is a pretty frock for a christmas party, although I have washed, cut and pinned together three drops of the curtains so I should really sit down and sew those! I am such a procrastinator sometimes.....

But right now I'm off for a swim because it is 35 degrees here, far too hot to do anything else