Alright, let me tell you about this little project I just finished up – making some 70s style shorts. You know the kind, a bit shorter, maybe a bit tighter than what you see everywhere now. I just got the urge, saw some old photos maybe, and thought, “Yeah, I could probably whip up a pair.”
First off, I needed a plan. Didn’t have a specific pattern lying around for exactly that look. So, I kinda sketched out what I wanted, using a pair of existing shorts as a rough guide but changing the shape quite a bit. Made the legs shorter in my sketch, raised the waist a little. More guesswork than science, really.
Then, fabric. This was key. It had to feel right. I rummaged through my stash first, nothing quite hit the mark. So, I went down to the fabric store. Looked at corduroy, considered some wild prints, but ended up grabbing some sturdy-ish cotton twill. It had a bit of that retro feel, in a solid mustard yellow color. Felt right.
Gathered the rest of the bits and pieces:
- Matching thread (finding the exact mustard yellow was harder than I thought)
- A sturdy zipper, metal kind
- One of those classic metal jeans buttons
- A bit of interfacing for the waistband to give it some body
Okay, cutting time. Laid the fabric out on the floor, pinned my makeshift pattern pieces down. Double-checked everything because, you know, measure twice, cut once, or end up crying later. Cutting went okay, no major slips.
Started sewing the main bits together. The front pieces, the back pieces. Getting that curve at the crotch right always takes concentration. Used my old reliable machine, chugged along alright. Then attached the patch pockets on the back – definitely needed pockets. Simple square ones felt appropriate.
Next up was the fly zipper. Now, zippers can be tricky little things. I took my time, pinned it like crazy, stitched slowly. It didn’t come out perfectly neat if you look super close, but hey, it works and looks fine from a normal distance. Good enough for me.
Attached the waistband next. Added the interfacing first, pressed it all nice and flat. Stitching it onto the main shorts body took a bit of careful lining up, especially over the zipper part. Then folded it over and stitched it down. Managed to get the button on too, using a hammer and that little anvil thingy.
Last step was hemming the legs. I tried the shorts on (carefully, pins still lurking) to figure out the length. Went for pretty short, like I planned. Folded the edge up twice, pressed it, and stitched it down. A nice clean finish.
And… done! Tried them on properly. Honestly? They turned out better than I expected. The fit is snug, yeah, but comfy. That mustard yellow is definitely a vibe. They totally have that 70s look I was going for. Took a bit of fiddling, especially with my self-drafted pattern, but I got there. Feeling pretty pleased with myself. Now I just need some sunshine to actually wear them out.
