I bought this awesome cherry fabric months and months ago and never got around to making it into anything....until today!
It rained all day, so I figured it was a perfect day to stay in my pjs and just bum around the house! I sat at my sewing machine for a while, thinking....procrastinating and digging through my fabric boxes hoping something would 'jump' out at me.
The cherry fabric, did just that, so I whipped it out and thought I'd make my daughter a dress from it.
I flicked through various little girls dress patterns, but couldn't find the particular style I had in mind, sooooo, I thought 'SHORTS' for me!
I don't have any sewing patterns for ladies shorts, so I decided to experiment a little!
Grab a cuppa and read on! This is how I made them.....
Ladies Sour Cherry Shorts Tutorial
1. Find a pair of shorts that fit you well. I chose this old pair of shorts that I usually only wear around the house. I like the length and fit of them.
Fold them in half and flatten them out, making sure you can see the shape clearly. Place them on top of your fabric and cut around them. Don't forget to cut a few centimetres bigger, allowing for seam allowances.
Fold them in half and flatten them out, making sure you can see the shape clearly. Place them on top of your fabric and cut around them. Don't forget to cut a few centimetres bigger, allowing for seam allowances.
Follow this method for the back of the shorts too.
2. Once you have cut out the front and back shapes, turn the piece over and cut 1x front & 1x back on the reverse side. You will have 4x pieces in total.
3. Take 1 back piece and 1 front piece, place them right sides together and pin the crotch area.
Repeat on the remaining 2 pieces.
4. Sew the crotch area together on both pieces.
(I sewed a basic straight line, then went over it with a zigzag stitch and trimmed the edges. You could use an overlocker if you prefer.)
You should now have 2 pieces that look like this....
5. Place the 2 pieces with the right sides together. Pin and sew the whole way around the "U" shape. Finish seams with a zigzag stitch or by using an overlocker.
6. I like to press all the seams with the iron and then use a basic stitch to hold them down. It gives a neat finish on the final product.
Don't mind my wonky stitching, I had to keep stopping and starting to break up fights between my kids. You get the idea though.....it gives a top stitching effect to the right side of the garment.
7. Turn your fabric the right way out and admire! Really looking like shorts now!
8. Place the right sides together again and pin the sides of your shorts. Stitch them together and finish the seams.
9. Fold and press the hem of the shorts 1/4 of an inch, then fold over again another 1/4 inch, press and pin. Repeat on other leg.
10. Top stitch the hems. I just used the edge of the presser foot as a guide.
Top stitching again....
Now, to make your waistband!
11. Measure your waist and cut a string long enough for you. Make sure you allow enough room to be able to thread your elastic through!
Fold in half lengthways with the wrong sides together. Press and pin the raw edges and sew them together with a basic stitch. Don't forget to leave the short ends open!
12. Pin the raw edge of the waistband to the outside of the shorts. Imagine that when the waistband is folded up that the seams will be hidden insde the shorts.
13. Sew the waistband along where you have pinned and finish the seams.
14. Measure some waistband elastic on yourself then, using a safety pin, thread it through the ends if the waistband.
15. Once the ends are through, secure the elastic with a strong stitch on your machine and then stitch the open ends closed.
Ta da! You are finished!!
16. Press and admire your new shorts!!!
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