SewHolidayLizzy – Grainline Maritime Shorts (1 & 2)

Grainline Maritime Shorts in floral denim – Take 2 in size 6

I’ve never been a ‘shorts’ girl. However after the Archer blast I decided that I needed MOAR Grainline in my life so I purchased the Maritime Shorts, Mini Moss Skirt and the Tiny Pocket Tank. I know, nothing like jumping in boots ‘n’ all.

I decided to make the Shorts first – weird choice as I have never been a fan of me and my legs in shorts…

I had a scrap of denim so I whipped up the first pair… they were… let’s say ‘friendly’ aka rather on the super-fitted side. I think if I had put on Kylie Minogue’s Spinning Around that I could have smacked out the denim version of the music clip. Actually… they weren’t quite that bad… but they were a little frisky for me

ahhhhh….. NO….. size 2

I didn’t actually finish these – ie no hems – I’ve just rolled over the raw edges. I knew they were not going to be wearable before I even put in the fly but I just continued on just to practice the techniques. The fabric was about $4 so there were no tears over this failure. ELH (the ever lovin’ husband) said he thought they looked mighty fine (men!) but understood my reluctance to leave the house in them!

Grainline Maritime Shorts – front view

So then I decided to make them again in size 6 (because going up two sizes seemed sensible after Take 1 fit!) with some floral denim I had stashed (yes this is the stash busting project of 2013!). I basted up the side seams on the advice of Abbey from Sew Charleston – great advice as I took them in by at least another 1/4 inch on each side after trying them on.

I also altered the construction method so it was more like the Sewaholic Thurlow - in a similar manner to Lauren’s Maritime shorts.

I sewed the crotch seam from the bottom of the fly and just an inches into the back pieces. I inserted the fly front and then attached the waistband in two pieces. I sewed the left front band to a back band and the right front band to the other back band. I then attached the left front/back bands and the right front/back bands to their side of the shorts – leave the back seam unstitched (am I making any sense??). I tried on the shorts and redrew the back seam line on the shorts back and band pieces – taking out a massive slice… I mirrored this slice onto the band interfacing back pieces.

This is a really simple way to fit shorts if you have a huge gape at the back – no-one wants to see your builder’s crack – trust me on this one.

These are not too bad – not quite perfect but still very wearable. I really love this denim, it’s stretchy and really quite cute. Looks so much better made up than on the roll… good thing I got three metres for $12…

So I decided I needed to make these in size 4. I don’t know why I went up two sizes. SewStoopidLizzy hoots the Drunk Monkey. So Take 3, the Urban Butterfly, is coming your way very soon…

Where am I in these shots? Yes away again. This time with friends at Nambucca Heads, about 75 minutes drive north from home for the October long weekend. I had the most hideous flu in these shots, I actually spent most of the weekend asleep in the cabin… staggering out for a few hours, having a few beers and then back to bed!

This is a truly gorgeous spot where the river meets the ocean and they have a breakwall – complete with graffiti rocks. I love breakwalls like this, people document their holidays, family reunions, propose, commemorate a loved one’s passing… while it is graffiti, most people ignore the ‘illegal’ element. These strangely beautiful walls are about lives being lived… and there is something captivating and beautiful about that. Ordinary people taking the time to grab a brush and celebrate a moment in a public way. Over time the rocks change, as people paint over a rock and start their own stories where another once was. I love that. There is always another story, another joy, another sorrow. It’s quite beautiful in a magnificently ordinary way. Just like life.

Grainline Maritime Shorts – Nambucca Breakwall

And we saw whales breaching offshore while we took these pictures. Amazing!

Pattern: Grainline Maritime Shorts
Fabric: denim from Spotlight ($4m from the bargain table!)

Also See: Sew Charleston | Boo Dogg & Me | Lladybird | Cloth Habit

Watch this space for Take 3… The Urban Butterfly…

I seriously can’t believe I put two photographs of my bum in a blog post – but there you go… that’s blogging for you…