Project Diary: EA Saturday Shorts
let's get into these shorts
2023 is the first year that I've ever made real sewing goals. In the past I've had vague sorts of ideas about what I might like to make over the next season, but I'd never sat down and decided that I wanted to level up my skills in some area or sew more with a specific kind of fabric.
This year I've attempted to do both of those things, and what's really exciting (for me, anyway) is that I'm actually succeeding. Two of my goals this year were to 1) sew pants + shorts, and 2) use up stash fabric, and my most recent project ticks both of those boxes.
Historically shorts have always been one of the most difficult garments for me to buy. The fit is NEVER right. The last pair of shorts I remember owning that I actually really liked were a many-color striped pair of denim shorts that I had when I was six. They were my favorite shorts ever, and I used to wear them with my favorite purple t-shirt, and I remember feeling SO good in that outfit, like I was the coolest person ever. No one else I knew had a pair of shorts like mine and I was obsessed with them. (I believe they were actually OshKosh as well, which was my preferred brand as a kid.) Sadly, I grew out of them a few years later and the subsequent 20 years have been a rough time for me, shorts-wise.
So this year I decided, no longer! I will make myself shorts that I like. My first attempt at this was with the Saturday Shorts pattern by EA Sews, and I'm very pleased to report that they were a success!
This first pair is made out of a navy blue wide wale corduroy that I scored for free at a Stitch Buffalo bag sale (they are a really amazing organization that partners with refugee women in the city of Buffalo and helps them to market their sewing skills; they also sell secondhand/donated sewing supplies in their storefront and I often find fabulous stuff there). Perhaps corduroy is an odd fabric choice for shorts but I had a feeling that they might be kind of cool, and now that they're finished I REALLY love them.
The corduroy is sturdy but not stiff, and shows the style lines just-enough. This pattern is described as a 'utility short', and it really does have a sort of hiking, canoeing, summer adventure, Girl-Guide type vibe. Perhaps its just my imagination but I do think they have a 1930s flavor as well (like many of the clothes I've made recently). My boyfriend told me that they looked like what he imagined the Amazons from 'Swallows and Amazons' wearing, and once I had Googled that book series I was really pleased with the reference.
For these shorts I sewed a size 12, though my measurements put me in between the size 10 (waist) and the size 14 (hips). Alyx kindly gave me some sizing/fit advice when I asked on Instagram, and I felt so confident that the 12 would be the right size that I actually finished all of the seams as I went. My faith was certainly repaid, as I don't think I'll make many adjustments the next time I sew them (and there will definitely be a next time). The only thing I may change is the distribution of the rise; my pelvis seems to be slightly tilted and I will probably lower the front rise slightly and lift it a little in the back. (Because of the mid/high rise on these shorts, they do bunch a little bit in the stomach area when sitting, but it’s not too bad and certainly isn’t uncomfortable.)
I did make one construction change - I did a regular casing for the elastic waistband, and because of that I also hand-stitched the top of the pockets/front belt loops down on the inside. In this fabric the waistband is quite bulky already, so I will probably never wear the shorts with a belt, and opted to leave the back belt loop off entirely.
This pattern is rated for confident beginners and I would agree with that; it is a quick and easy sew and the results are great. It’s a very good value at $12 and it uses remarkably little fabric, I made these using a remnant that I think was a little over a yard of 44” wide fabric with a nap.
This week I and a billion other people have been listening to Marlee Grace’s new podcast Common Shapes, which is brilliant and inspiring and, also, very calming - I’ve always found Mar’s voice to be incredibly soothing. The past couple of episodes have really got me thinking about my relationship with social media, especially Instagram, and considering whether that platform is actually serving me at all.
Today I finished knitting my first-ever Andrea Mowry knitting pattern, the DRK Everyday socks, and I am completely obsessed with them. The pattern uses a Fleegle heel, which I can tell you has totally changed my knitting world. Get ready to see a million more pairs of these from me!
That’s it from me this week; thank you for reading and please feel free to share this post with a friend if you enjoyed it. Talk to you soon!
