Hack attack!
Despite initial appearances, my new shorts are actually based upon the Pietra shorts/pants pattern by Closet Case patterns… I loved this pattern immediately, loved the high waisted flat front with no waistband, and those cool side panels with pockets. However, I was not quite so much in love with the elasticated back … or perhaps I should specify I was not quite so much in love with my own rear view in the aforementioned elastic waist version of the pattern?!
Yes, I did make up a test version with the elastic waist first … for version number one, I cut up an old linen dress given to me by Mum. Unfortunately I decided I’m tragically allergic to elastic waistbands, with the one and only exception of pyjama bottoms. Although looking at these pictures now my rear view is not as offensive to me as it was when I first looked at them! at the same time, I am still much happier with the rear view of my second, non-elasticated and more streamlined version.
side view…
I was pretty sure I would be able to alter, modify, wrangle a de-elasticised waist with a bit of finagling… putting an invisible zip in the centre back seam and removing a whole lot of real estate from the back waist area, retaining that lovely flat front and pockets completely.
the front view looks exactly the same as the original, unsurprisingly since this is basically unaltered…
I shall now proceed to explain my butchery… and please note that these measurements laid out here are tailored to my own personal waist measurements and will obviously be different for other people. Specific measurements for each of these modifications can best be determined from your own waist and hip measurements.
I removed 6cm from the waist of the back piece; and actually swung the side edge out towards the hem edge at the same time, adding a bit of flare to the back view of the shorts…
I also removed 2cm from the top/back edge of the side pieces, tapering off to nothing at the top edge of the pocket. This wedge was also removed “mirror-image” from the front facing, shown already stitched on at the left…
I put a dart in the back piece… while my picture illustrates it to be 10.5cm, I actually stitched it a bit longer, closer to 11.5cm at its end point
… the dart is situated 10cm in from the centre back raw edge and is 3cm in width at its top edge
… I used the existing back waistband piece to cut my two new back waistbands to fit the new size…
… inserted an invisible zip into the centre back seam. Note, the centre back seam is essentially unaltered, except that the back waistband now has a vertical centre back seam too.
Because I whimsically fancied something a bit different for the back of my waistband, specifically a V-shaped cut-out effect at the centre back … I put in the zip a bit lower and stitched the top edge in an angle like so… Yes, I’m very much oversimplifying here, because making my two sides exactly identical actually took aaaaages and some super precise measuring. I even unpicked one side completely and re-did it because it’s amazing how even 1 or 2mm difference will show up as a glaring inconsistency. Hint; making a little paper template made it a lot easier to get everything perfectly mirror image; which yes, seems super obvious in retrospect!
corners trimmed and turned out…
I hand stitched the waistband self-facing down with tiny fell-stitches…
To finish; the side seams were pinned, and the already-understitched front facing was wrapped around over the top and over the back waistband piece.
Side seams were then stitched, corners trimmed and seam allowances finished etc. before pulling the whole thing right sides out. And that’s it!
Oh! of course, the ever important fabric notes… this is actually just a super cheap cotton drill from Spotlight… I LOVE the orange-y mustard colour of course, SO MEEEEE! and the random vertical dashes. The pattern sorta reminds me a lot of this felted wall hanging I made, many moons ago; my vision was of a sort of poem carved by an artistic cave man, in a language or alphabet wrought in colours and strokes of differing lengths and groupings. This is still hanging up in our front room! and you can read more about it here
Details:
Shorts; both the Pietra shorts/pants pattern by Closet Case patterns
Drapey white top; based on the loose drape top no.1 in the Japanese pattern book “drape drape”, by Hisako Sato
Hat; Vogue 8844, in khaki drill
Plain white tee; Nettie tee by Closet Case patterns, white jersey
Fabulous shorts! Love them immensely. You did a great job. Love the back hack. The fabric is to die for, cheap or not. I never wear shorts but I want a pair of those.
They look great, I was just working on this same adjustment as I wanted to make the pants without the elastic. I was debating on the zipper at the back or the side but I think the back won out since less bulk there.
Very nice! I am with you on the elastic back. I do not like how frumpy my backside looks with an elastic waist, no matter if it’s comfortable! I’m wondering if the lowered zip creates a little more ease of its own.
I think both look just fine and I too love the pietra pattern. Your dog has grown up so beautiful!
The shorts look so elegant. Thank you for sharing your ‘butchery’. I’m not keen on the elasticated waste thing either. And I love the felted art you made!
Love these and completely identify with the dislike of elastic waists. The hack worked very well for you. Not sure I could do this ( yet). I absolutely agree with not liking elastic waists myself. I will save the link to this for later.
Unfortunately I am about to have a hip replacement op which they tell you you HAVE to wear elastic waists after for for at least 6 weeks. Yes please do pity me. I am feeling very dismal over it. I have made some very nice elastic waist clothing in anticipation but expect to send it all to charity immediately after I no longer need to wear it because I am not liking the look of any of it. That is with a possible exception of tube skirts but I suspect I won’t get into them after the op anyway. So yes elastic waists have a place in life. Lucky you to not yet need them! At least once its all done with I can not only walk again I will be able to throw them all out/donate!
It looks great! Thanks for the explanation of how you did it. And of course the beach photos. That’s half the reason I read the blog 🙂
Adore your new shorts…. and those pockets!! Thank you for taking the time to write the tutorial as this is a technique I’d like to learn and apply. The last photo made me think Clara is taking to the camera as photogenically as Sienna.
You wear these shorts so well, Carolyn, I even like the elastic waist on you!