If you’ve been following for any amount of time, you know that I don’t make pants. I’ve tried a couple times (I don’t even remember these, they were so underwhelming) and they’ve never been right.
But I cannot find a decent pair of shorts to wear around the house. Everything I’ve tried to buy has been either too short or too frumpy, too stiff or too ill-fitting. I was this close to buying $50 Patagonia baggies when I thought, “I bet I could make that. It’s just legs and an elastic waist, right?”
So I downloaded the Emerson Pants and Shorts pattern from True Bias Friday night, cut it out Saturday, and sewed it up Sunday. I used old IKEA twill hanging around since I told myself this was a test and not to get too excited, but I was really confident I’d get a decent wearable muslin and was already dreaming of making more shorts and the pants version.
…except my wearable test failed before the waistband stage because I cut a size too small and barely could get them over my hips. (facepalm)
For once, this was operator error instead of pants error: I took my measurements and promptly decided to go with the size to fit my waist instead of my hips, which…I know better at this point in my sewing career. I guess I was just having a moment.
I’m still dreaming about the pants version, though–and my lone current pair of shorts is nearly falling apart–so I’m trying another pair in the next size up. I don’t know if this is blind optimism or if it will really work this time.
Warm-weather bottoms…so necessary and so fraught. I ordered the 100 Acts of Sewing pants pattern because my lone a-line skirt (made in 2010) is starting to disintegrate. Fingers crossed.
SO fraught!:)