A good pair of shorts is at the heart of any basic summer wardrobe and I was determined to make them. I didn’t have a solid plan when I added them to my handmade summer wardrobe plan but I knew they had to be there if I was serious about making what I will actually wear. So here it is, summer is OVER and I am thrilled to show off two pairs of thurlow shorts…one in speckled chambray and one in olive twill. Neither pair are traffic-stopping exciting to look at but I’m positively thrilled! It was a sewing accomplishment to be sure with a good fit, functioning zipper, fitted waistband as well as welt pockets. If only sewing skillZ COULD stop traffic, right?!
I put more research than usual into deciding which pattern to use for these. I always have a hard time finding shorts that fit and I wanted a simple but polished look. No crazy front pleats or fussy hems. Normally, if a pair of shorts fits comfortably in the hips they are huge at the waistband and vice versa. I really didn’t want to bother making a muslin but I knew that a good pair of shorts would take a lot of time and if they fit poorly I would be super sad. I was very tempted by the Maritime Shorts pattern from Grainline and I love their simplicity but I ended up deciding on the Thurlow Shorts / Trousers from Sewaholic.
At first glance, the picture accompanying the pattern isn’t at all what I was looking for. They look too decorative at the hem and overly blouse-y. BUT, I saw a pair that Lladybird made and I loved them. As it turns out, Thurlows are designed to accommodate hips and they are exactly what I was looking for.
Are you checking out my welt pockets? 🙂 I hope so because they are designed to impress.
Ok, well, truthfully, as much as I am impressed I do have a bone to pick with these welt pockets. See those little puckers at the corner? I was so frustrated that I couldn’t get them down. A friend directed me to this tutorial from Liesl and Co and it looks like I need to clip into the corners further next time. It’s not exactly a surprise, what my cautiousness as an obstacle? Shocker. Harrumph. I suppose all of this sewing would get pretty boring if I wasn’t still learning new things at every turn.
My shorts in olive twill are probably more worn than the chambray pair. They are just so durable and easy to throw on. The welt pockets are even messier but not enough to stop me from wearing them.
Both pairs of shorts have all flat-felled seams. I really realized as I stitched up garments with real-life in mind that how I finish the seams matters A LOT. I just need them to be low-maintenance in the wash or they will set in my bedroom waiting for me to clip seams or do laborious ironing. Not what I need.
Nitty Gritty: The black chambray is from Rock Paper Scissors and the olive twill is what was leftover from this Minoru Jacket.
great shorts. Love them. they are traffic stopping.
Ha! Thanks.
Super shorts, they look great on you, they are a lovely shape. Wish I had nice legs, I don’t wear anything above my knees.
Oh, I’m also self-conscious about my legs! I just love how shorter things look, shape-wise, so I try to ignore my worry. It’s only semi-works.