selfish sewing | parkside shorts

Hello there. It's been a while! Blogging and pretty much everything else has taken a back seat to the little guy up there. He's slowly getting more predictable as far as naps go so I've been able to squeeze in some sewing here and there. I was in desperate need of another pair of shorts (shorts + t-shirts are my mom uniform for most of the year) so I made some Parkside Shorts by Sew Caroline. This was kind of a big deal for me because these shorts are the first garment I've sewn for myself from start to finish and have actually worn. There was a pleated skirt in high school that I never hemmed and a shirt I made but never wore. Another first - I changed out the white serger thread to thread that matched my fabric. I knew that seeing white thread on the seams of these shorts would really bother me so it was well worth the extra effort! Sometimes it pays off not to be so lazy. . .  

Reasons why I never made clothing for myself are numerous but most of those reasons are silly so hopefully I'll be making myself more clothing soon. So, back to the shorts - I love them! They're super comfortable and so easy to make. The only changes I made was to the waistband. I used a really soft woven elastic that was narrower than what the pattern called for. I made the waistband casing about 1/2" narrower and also attached it so that the seam allowance was enclosed to make sure the shorts would be extra comfy to wear. I sized down one size after reading some posts from others that have made the shorts. I might try making another pair and size down 2 sizes for a more fitted look. For reference, I'm 5'3" and found the length perfect but the pattern does include shorten/lengthen lines should you need to make adjustments.

I made the shorts using some Indah Ikat in Indigo by Me + You. This fabric is so so good. It's amazingly soft and lightweight but still feels sturdy. I'm thinking a pair of these in a soft, drapey rayon would be awesome too.