I am so excited to be included in the shorts on the line summer sew along again this year! I had so much fun sewing up some fun and beachy shorts for Violet and Henry last year and I am thrilled to have the chance to do it again this year.
I went "beachy" again this year, but I didn't stop with just a beachy look...why not some board shorts...
I've had the idea of making a pair of boards shorts for Henry for a while now...but then, why does he get to have all of the fun I thought. There are days when a girl could use a pair of board shorts too, right? So, new bathing suits for each, because, I'm always up for sewing something now for Violet that can be worn by Henry later...
Once I decided on bathing suits, the next step was to decide what fabric to use? I remembered Meg, from Sew Liberated, making a pair a baby rain pants last Spring which is how I was directed to the Rain Shed.
The Rain Shed carries a wide variety of outdoor and active fabrics. I
have to say that they are super helpful and friendly and quick at
responding to emails. I wasn't quite sure what fabric to buy at first
and they helped me to decide. I ended up using Item#:1256, 2-Ply
"Laundered" Supplex, which has a +25 UPF sun protection rating.
Alright, once I figured that out it was time to get started...but wait, I needed a lining too as my husband kindly reminded me. That was going to make this a bit less straight forward, oh well...I ordered some micro mesh (Item #2857) as well.
My plan for the shorts was for them to look vaguely like the sun and the sky and the ocean...First, I started with the sun rays shining through the sky.
I cut 2 1/2" wide strips from my yellow and turquoise fabric and then sewed them together with a 1/4" seam allowance. This was the first time I've ever sewn with waterproof/athletic fabric. I wasn't expecting quite as much fraying as there was.
After sewing all of my strips together I trimmed the frayed edges up the best I could and then zig-zag stitched along each seam allowance.
Once all of the raw edges were zig-zagged I pressed the seam allowances toward the turquoise stripe and top stitched them down.
I am hoping that this will keep the fraying in check, perhaps it's better to use a serger, but, alas...I do not have one, so...
For the shorts themselves I used Rae's (a fellow shorts on the line guest poster) parsley pants pattern. This is my second time using this pattern and I really just love it! It's a great pattern to use as a base and then to build upon. Once I had my sunshine and sky "fabric" made I laid my pattern pieces on top to cut. I cut one leg out in each size, a size 2 for Henry and size 5 for Violet, and cut them as a mirror image of one another.
I used some leftover stripey fabric as a tuxedo stripe down the blue "ocean" side.
I gave each pair coordinating pockets with grommets (my first time using grommets, fun, fun!)
And, along with the elastic waistband, I also added a shoelace drawstring (and two more grommets)...
And, let us not forget, the underwear lining...
Not much to see here, but mesh underpants. I used a pair of Henry's undies as a pattern guide for his shorts and the bottom part of one of Violet's bathing suits for her.
Make sure that the top waist part of the underpants lining is the same width as your shorts when cutting out your lining. I sewed up the sides and the bottom with a zig-zag stitch and then sewed fold over elastic around the leg openings. No need to finish the waistband because it will be inside your shorts waistband. I left the zig-zag edges facing out (away from the skin) for comfort. To attach the underpants lining, foldover waistband as stated in the pattern instructions, flip short inside out and slide shorts into underpants with wrong sides facing and right side of the lining facing out.
Tuck the top of the lining up to the top of your waistband and pin around.
Finish waistband as instructed and now you have a nifty lining inside your board shorts...
And now it's time for some fun in the sun...
(ps. I promise the hems are even, although they don't look like it here.)
or fun in a moment of sun in between rain showers as it were...
As it turns out bathing suits are great for puddle jumping too...
And, squirters too...
of course...
But, watch out for looks of innocence...
Because they might just be up to something...
Well, despite the rainy day photo shoot all is well and comfy a happy in their new board shorts. Next up surfing lessons!
Thanks so much to
Rachael and
Carla for letting me sew along again this year!
And be sure to check out all of the shorts on the line posts...
Lastly, don't forget to sew along yourself and add your photos to the
Flickr group for a chance to win some great prizes! All the details
here.
