Saturday, November 26, 2011

How To - Boy Shorts

This is how I make shorts, I hope these pics can make it look as quick and easy as they are.
Choose your fabrics

Pick a pair of shorts that fit well and have a shape you like,
fold in half like so, and lay out on baking/pattern paper.

Trace and cut  around shape leaving a 1.5 cm seam allowance or larger
if you are wanting to size the shorts up.  Make sure you stretch
out the waist band as if there was no elastic when you trace.  Leave an extra 1.5 cm at the bottom

 for turning up the hem and an extra 2.5 cm at the top for turning over the waist.You should now have a piece of pattern the shape of half a shorts leg. 
  You will need to cut two of these on the fabric fold.  
Place your pattern piece onto the fabric fold, pin and cut.   ( The long straight side of the  pattern - without the curve, goes onto the fabric fold.)
Because I am using up fat eighths to make these shorts I have
 had to patch two fabrics together so I have enough. (This is my use up scraps technique.)

  Place your pattern piece on the fold and cut the next leg. 

You should then have two pieces of material cut out (on the fold)
that will make the two legs.
Turn the fabric the wrong side out, pin and sew the inner leg seems.
Overlock or zig zag the seam edges.
Sew both leg inner seems, wrong side out so you have two leg tubes.
The tricky part now, I am not sure if this pic shows it well - 
 Sewing The Crouch Seam.
  I put one leg tube inside the other making sure the right side of the
 fabrics are touching each other.  
Pin and test that your seam will be on the inside of the shorts when sewn
and that your leg tube fabrics will both be the same fabric side in/out.
(I am trying to say check that one leg isn't inside out and the other the right side out.)
Sew the seam.  I always do a double seam as this seam has to work very hard.
Turn up and hem the legs to the desired length.
Turn over the waist band by about 2.5 cm, leaving a 1 cm 
opening to allow elastic to be threaded through. 
 Thread elastic to desired size and sew elastic ends together.

One pair of Boy shorts

















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