Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Sewing Project: Thurlow Shorts part 3--completed!

It's about time I showed off these shorts! I feel like I spent a month on them. Uhhh...because I did! From start (prewashing fabric) to finish (post-completion wash where I check to see if anything fell apart) I'm pretty sure I spent close to 4 weeks making these. I hope they look like they were worth it!


For an insomnia-curing account of my muslin fitting and flat pattern alterations, check out part 1. It will be of interest to anyone else with chicken legs and no butt who might need tips on making a size 0 even smaller. If you're interested in my brutal admission of setbacks with this project, see part 2. If you want to know how I figured out my fit issues, see my post on pants fitting resources. But for more pretty photos, keep scrolling!


If you've missed my previous posts, then I'll recap the important details. The fabric I used is a lovely coral stretch denim from Hart's Fabrics (no longer available). The lining is a cotton batiste from Mood (also no longer available...I should sew things up faster!). Both fabrics were easy to sew, but I used a jeans needle and I KNOW that made all the difference. For reals. I even took the time to change the needle in my serger to a jeans needle.




The insides are not as pretty as I would like. I used my new serger for a lot of the finishing work, and as you might be able to see in the photos, I didn't rethread the machine. Yep, I used the color-coded thread that came with it (blue, green and yellow). It was more a case of "hey I don't want to buy 4 cones of coral thread" than a case of the Lazies. I used the sewing machine for finishing in places where I wasn't confident in my serger skillz. Read: anywhere that wasn't a straight seam. I'm pretty sure that's how I ended up needing two spools of thread. That overlock stitch eats up lots of thread! At least Jo-Ann's is right down the road from me...

Sewing machine overlock stitch.

Serger 3-thread overlock stitch.

Aside from the changes I made to the fit, I also topstitched in a few places where the instructions didn't call for it. I wanted these to be more jean than trouser (I don't visit a lot of trouser-worthy places!) so I thought the topstitching would be appropriate to help keep them casual.

Pocket topstitching.

Waistband topstitching.

The waistband sits a tad higher than I would like, but I doubt I'll tuck my shirt in (okay...I'll NEVER tuck my shirt in) so aesthetically it's not a big deal. It's not uncomfortable, either. I know they look preppy and stuffy, but I assure you that they are comfy and wonderful. The center-back extension, plus being able to sew buttons wherever you want, really helps get a great fit.

I opted for a wide hem instead of a cuff, partly because I couldn't figure out how to do a cuff. Again. Sigh. I obviously need more practice with pants. I'm sort of dreading making up a pair of long pants and tearing my hair out over an even hem. Actually, I think one of my legs is longer than the other. Better store that excuse away for later. Ha!


But back to the shorts. If you feel confident with pants, you'll enjoy making this pattern. If you've never made a pair, I encourage you to take a shot at some pajama pants first. At least something with a waistband. Have you made a pair of Thurlows yet? Or spent a month on one project? And can someone tell me how to do a dang cuff!?

Make sure to check out the sidebar and vote in my poll about Friday posts in June!

5 comments:

  1. Wow-you do one beautiful job of finishing and lining those shorts. They look adorable on you.
    Judy Applestein

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    Replies
    1. Thank you so much Judy! I can't wait to wear these allll summer long!

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  2. I love them!!! I'm new to my Brother 1034D as well but I'm loving it! Oh, and everything is serged in black or white! Lol!

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    Replies
    1. Haha no kidding! I'm about to order a bunch of serger thread, and it will all probably be black and white. That will work for everything, right??

      Delete

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