I am so past the whole short-shorts-and-high-heels thing. No-one can pull that look off without looking skanky (yes, I'm in a catty mood).
I really want some shorts, though. My bubs are at the zoo-and-outdoor-walks age and I'm tramping around outside way too often. That's always a hot and moist exercise in these parts, and my mood isn't made better by my usual denim knee-length bermudas.
I need shorts.
As usual my rushed shopping jaunts left me severely depressed. Enough already with all those crack-y, cheek-y shorts! You fast-fashion bosses too cheap to give me an extra couple of inches of fabric for my 39.99?
So off I went in search for a pattern. And found this, #111 in my copy of the Burda mag 6/2011.
I love the skirty-ness!
The scalloped hem!
The high waist! (I'm surprised it even works on my tum!)
The scalloping went ok, except I cut too close to the seams in some parts, before flipping out. There are a couple of frays at scallop-points already, so these shorts mightn't last too long *cries*
And because the fabric is thin, and I folded in the hem, you can see this ugly 'layer' on the front side, where the hem comes up to.
I also made a huge bunched-up mess in the scalloping on one of the inside leg seams. It doesn't show of course, but boy does it ever chafe my thigh. Bleh.
More close-ups, just because I'm happy:
The back pocket is a piece of sari silk I bought off Etsy a long time ago. The colours matched almost perfectly. Decided against two back pockets, so as not to look too busy around the derriere.
And I used the remaining bit of silk for an applique. I was anal as usual, so I both slip-stitched as well as top-stitched. Behold my abysmal top-stitching skills!
Oh yah, this was my first attempt at inserting an invisible zipper, and thanks to three or four Youtube vids and print tutorials, it turned out perfect. The first time! I'm so not afraid of invisible zippers anymore.
Overall, I'm really quite pleased with them. Although it's been so long since I wore going-out shorts as short as these, that I have to get used to showing my legs again!
Interesting fact: Ironically for Hubs and I labouring in the sunny garden shooting and shooting pics, the older bub got the best shot of all. She picked up the camera to play with, and I was racing across the grass to 'rescue' it when she clicked the button.
Adjustments:
I cut out a 38 (to make sure it fitted over my abnormally large tum), and instead of tapering it to a 36 at the bottom like I usually do, decided to go for the 'skirty' look instead. And I shortened the hem by an inch.
Fabric:
1 yard of really soft wine-coloured fine-wale corduroy. I snatched it up from the remnant table at Spotlight - only $3!
