Maritime Shorts

Oooh look! Lovely new blue shorts! They're the Maritime Shorts by Grainline Studio and I love them to bits, but they weren't an easy sew…

This was mostly down to a silly error I made regarding the instructions (sigh). The area I struggled with most was the zip fly, a few of the steps seemed to be incorrect and some of the diagrams were downright confusing. After eventually working out how it all went together, I decided to email Grainline to point out the errors I'd encountered. It was only when I was looking up Grainline's email address that I discovered an old email from them which included (you guessed it) updated PDF instructions for the fly steps. Nooooooo! When I looked at the new instructions (with gritted teeth I might add), every single point that I'd struggled with was explained more clearly and/or a different diagram used. Grrr I'm so annoyed at myself for not updating my PDF file when I first received it. I still don't think the new fly instructions are absolutely foolproof, but they're a vast improvement on the earlier version.

If you have no prior experience of sewing a zip fly then I'd recommend using the step-by-step tutorial on the Grainline blog alongside the written instructions. It definitely helped me figure out what to do when I was floundering!

Apart from the zip fly, construction of the shorts is relatively straight forward. Just take note that the very first step on the curved side pockets involves sewing convex and concave curves together - once you've figured that bit out, you're laughing.

I like how the rear patch pockets have a nice, clean finish to them once they're topstitched into position. By the way, the top folded edge is actually supposed to be on the inside of the pocket but I prefer it this way round.

For the front pocket lining I used a soft blue cotton, which gives a cute little burst of floral to the insides.

The fit is amazingly good. I was tempted to size up 'just in case', but I knew my fabric had a lot of stretch, so I cut the size that corresponded to my actual measurements - size 6. I fully expected to have to tweak the centre back waistband as I'd read a few reviews mentioning excess room in that area, but they don't gape at all.

I love the fit - they sit snugly just below my natural waistline and are really comfortable. There isn't any digging in at the waist and the width of the thigh is just right. This makes me happy as I've tried on lots of shorter length RTW shorts recently and not one pair did me any favours. To get a comfortable fit at the waist, they're always either too big round the hips or wide in the leg (think Don Estelle).

The fabric is a medium weight stretch cotton sateen from Fabric Godmother with a slight sheen to it. It's perfect for shorts as it's easy to cut out and sew and very robust. If you like the look of this particular pattern and fabric combo then Fabric Godmother also sells a Maritime Shorts Kit which includes the pattern, fabric and notions and works out slightly cheaper than buying everything separately.

As shorts go they're a bit shorter than I'd usually wear out, but for holidays and hot days they're absolutely perfect. This pair are going straight into my suitcase, ready for my holiday in a couple of weeks time! I'm pretty sure I'll make another pair next year too, just as soon as I've put the horror of the zip fly behind me! x


Fabric for the shorts was given to me free of charge by Fabric Godmother for review. All views my own.

Sewlution Juniper trousers

I did it, I did it!! I completed my Sewlution for 2013 - to make a pair of trousers with a zip fly. Hoorah. I rule.

Ahh the relief!

I used the Colette Juniper pattern and even though they didn't actually take that long to make, the pattern instructions for the fly front had me completely flummoxed. How on earth they managed it on last week's Great British Sewing Bee with a rubbishy set of instructions I do not know!! The insertion of a fly front is a relatively quick and simple job, it's just getting your head around how it all fits together that's the difficult part (well it is for me anyway). Luckily, there's a photo tutorial on the Coletterie website which is a godsend if, like me, you need to see things visually in order for them to click in your head. There wasn't anything else tricky about the construction and the only change I made to the pattern was to shorten the leg length by three inches. 

I made a size 8, which initially seemed a bit on the tight side, until I realised that they're actually supposed to be extremely fitted around the waist and hips. My big worry was that they might be too wide in the leg, but on comparing them to my Simplicity 3688 1940's trousers and my sailor trousers, they're actually narrower in the leg than both pairs. Would you credit it?!

Very fitted around the derriere 

I think it's the design that made me think they're about fifty inches wide - the legs drop straight down vertically to the floor from a very fitted waist and hip. In the end I didn't narrow the leg width, having decided that they might look a bit odd if I tried to taper them in.

Side view

Fabric-wise, I used a lovely red gabardine from Calico Laine which was a delight to work with - hardly any fraying at all. As I'm short I only needed two metres, so at £5.99 a metre it was a cheapish make. I used scraps of leftover Lauren Childs Liberty fabric for the pockets which was last seen on my second Violet blouse. This worked well as Liberty Tana Lawn is a perfect weight for pocket lining. 

One final change I made was to add two buttons to the waistband instead of sewing on hooks and eyes. It may seem like madness to some of you, but it was actually a lot quicker and more beneficial to my mental health to make two buttonholes and sew on the buttons than it would have been to sew on some evil hooks and eyes (uurrgh). I like the way they look too - I think they add a bit of a nautical touch.  

Oh yes I nearly forgot - look at the interfacing on my waistband pieces... 

"What interfacing', I hear you cry, "I can't see any." Well that's because it's RED!! Yes, red interfacing from Walthamstow market - how cool is that?!

I'm pleased I've finally made these trousers and I'm ecstatic to have ticked off my Sewlution at the same time (there's nothing like somebody putting your name in a jar to make you stick to a task!) 

On reflection, I think they're quite a difficult shape of trouser to wear, which is probably why there aren't that many versions out there. They kind of remind me of Oxford Bags - I feel like I should be doing backflips down at the Wigan Casino when I wear them. So they may take a bit of getting used to...

Oxford bags in action

Also, because the waist is so fitted, you can't really tuck a top into them or you end up with an unsightly bulge. They look good with navy though, which is always a crowd pleaser in my book. Happy Monday. x