My Time with Simplicity 1887 "Shorts"

So all this talk about shorts has finally paid off under my sewing machine. I found this gingham pink and white  fabric at a local thrift store a while back. This was perfect for my first muslin test garment at size 14 with half inch seam allowance. This is the front view:

I am really pleased with the fit of the shorts. I can see no drag lines or pull lines. The ease of the pattern really worked for my curves. Here is the backside:

I have walked, sat, and driven in my shorts. The shorts are comfortable. I am making a slight change on the waistband by chucking the bow on the front of the pattern. The directions were easy to follow. Now, here is a picture of the fabric and thread for the next pair of shorts:

Exploring this pattern to make my own pair of shorts is well worth my time.

Sew excited...lol

A Look at Shorts Through the Decades

Nowadays, you will find people wearing different types of shorts with different types of fabric. But when did shorts first begin to trend? Again, using Bing images to create a brief timeline of shorts through the decades. So this image summarizes what I found for the roaring 20's:

The dropped waistlines, bagginess of outfits and hats were the common design elements during the 1920's. Let's see what happens in the 1930's. Alas, here is what I found:

 

Is this the birth year for the Gaucho pants? Simplicity had a sewing pattern way back when for these types of pants. Take a look:



The 1940's era produced some shorts that sit high on the waist with what appears to be no zipper front. Here is what captured my eye:
 
I love the details on the slim waistband. Since these shorts have no zipper, I can picture elastic on the back of the waistband. The 1950's shorts look like they squeeze the waist and round out the hips. Look at these sewing vintage patterns:

  
You can see that there is a slight variation in the size of pockets and length. Let's venture out into the 1960's shorts. Check out these short shorts:
 
The white shorts look like they have a side zipper. But I'm not too sure. I like the little side slit on the upper thighs. The 1970's continued to shorten the length of the shorts.
  
These are some very fitted and snug shorts that can probably be worn without a belt. The 80's changed the waistline:
                 
These shorts appear to have more ease at the hips. I like the contrast fabric near the pockets on the black stonewashed jean shorts. The shorts on the right replaced the zipper with buttons. The 90's shorts introduced pattern fabric:
        
The clean hem disappears and out comes the unfinished and torn hem that represents the "grunge" look. So, let me add my disclaimer now. I am not a fashion historian. All I wanted to do was show a visual timeline of shorts.

Sunday at the Beach

My hubby and I were just too lazy to cook breakfast, plus we had no bananas nor pancake mix. We made our way to the Omelette Inn based on all the positive yelp reviews. The food, service, and decor was on point. We will definitely be back to this place again.
 Afterwards, we decided to head to the beach. The weather was perfect.

I was armed with my tanning oil and book. My hubby was excited to fly his kite.

We couldn't help but to notice that further down the beach, we saw these giant, over-sized kites looming over the horizon. So we headed to this kite flying zone.

Yes, these were some huge kites. I guess kites have had some engineering advancements. I saw someone using an air pump for their massive kite. Then, people flying these kites had to wear a body harness. Go figure. Nonetheless, it was the ideal setting for a picture of us.

Hasta Luego! 

Exploring Pin Up Shorts

I am fascinated by women owning their inner sexy through shorts. In these summer months, I have been thinking of making my own pair of shorts. However, I thought it would be fantastico to bing images of pin up shorts. These are some of the inspirational images that are triggering some afterthoughts:

These grey shorts are a modest, discreet, low-key version of pin up attire. These caught my eye because they probably have a non-roll elasticized waistband.
 

Many of the images for pin up shorts displayed a high-waisted style feature. Now, let's take a look at the backside of these high-waisted, sailor blue pin up shorts that I found at retrovixens.com. The extension above the yoke seems to be about four to five inches long. I'm left pondering if this design feature would look pleasant for my body type. I know that I have to make swayback adjustments, so maybe having a minimized extension would be my best option. 

I have a sewing pattern for shorts that I will explore as I attempt to make my own "Pin Up" shorts. I will be using Simplicity 1887 version C.


A book that will help me through the process of making my pair of shorts is called : Easy Guide to Sewing Pants by Lynn MacIntyre.

On page 139, she explains with clear illustrations how to draft your own raised-waist pattern. On page 141, she has a step-by-step diagram for drafting the facing for a raised waist. I will be making the muslin using the hip measurements.

All Righty then, happy sewing!

McCall's 6556 Fashion Star

I decided to dive into this pattern designed specifically for knit fabrics. I chose to make the dress using geometric knit fabric that I purchased at Michael Levine in Downtown LA. I used a jersey ballpoint needle  70/10 with polyester thread. I used a size 16 based on my hip measurements...yeah, I said it. I did not have to make any alterations. This pattern was a pleasure to work with. I plan to wear this dress casual beach days.