Mum on beach duty check: comfy tee yes, birkenstocks, yes, sun hat hair, yes, bermudas, yes, lots of wet towels, yes OK take the photo.



I really hope you managed to get your free download bermuda shorts in time because when I went back to the Mane-ladies-privates (thanks Miss Smith for enriching our vocabulary!) site I noticed they'd removed well over half their free downloads. Including aforementioned shorts and a beautiful jacket I was intending to make but now I can see it's just not to be. Nevermind, I took solace by downloading a very cute knit dress that I hope to be brave enough to attempt some time soon (the bravery including no instructions and working with knits)

Fortunately, I am about to get some home grown help on the knit front soon. Palmer/pletsch have now added "fitting knits" to their weekend workshop options. Woo hoo! (Here is the list of instructors for Australia and New Zealand)

Gail mentioned in a comment that knits don't really need to be fitted - and some knits definitely don't - but some really do - an unforgiving knit on me will be saggy at the shoulder and back, but pull very tightly across the bust in a look best described as "hello Dolly!"

Anyway, I refitted my shorts grading them up a whole size and a bit extra to be on the safe side because I was sewing a cotton drill that tends to hold its shape - more than you'd like it to sometimes. They are now a good fit, although I will tweak the pattern a bit more adding a bit more to the front crotch length.

The reason I ended up with the drill is that I went to Global Fabrics and came away with 2 Merino knits, completely forgetting the reason I went there in the first place. This is a scrap from another project and I hunted for something to finish the facings and pockets with as I didn't have quite enough fabric.





I decided to sew the back welt pockets this time, using this tutorial kindly forwarded to me by EmilyKate. However, due to my loathing of fake pockets I made real pockets by adding a button loop closure and sewing in a pocket bag. One thing I didn't do but should have is topstitched around the edges of the pocket like you often see in commercial shorts. That reduces the stress on the seams and helps the pocket to hold its shape over the course of a day.



I also for the first time used the blind hem foot for the bottom of the turn ups. Since I plan to sew a few knits shortly I thought I'd really best get my head around it.




ratings out of 5

sewing enjoyment **** the welt pockets were a nice detail
wearing enjoyment *** comfy fit, very practical with ALL those pockets - a great mum-at-work short but cotton drill is hardly a pulse raiser in the fashion stakes.

Overall I'd say I'll get a lot of wear out of these shorts as we enter our hottest month but I'd be looking to remake them in some heart singing linen for the next summer season.


Costings: cotton drill Nicks, $2, contrast fabric men's shirting from Working Style discounted at Nick's, $1, buttons $1 Salvage, zipper 65c from Geoff's cotton $1, interfacing $1 $6.65