Shorts Pattern Design
Context:
I wanted a high-waisted pair of longer shorts that fit me perfectly. The use cases for the shorts for me would be rock climbing, but also to wear out and about. While patterns exist, I wanted to own the design from start to finish for the design flexibility and learning experience. I am very much a beginner sewist and had never made a pattern before let alone sewn my own garments.
Problem to Solve:
Make a pair of shorts that fit as desired via a straight-forward custom pattern.
Solution:
A pair of my husband’s mountain biking shorts fit me incredibly well so I created a base pattern by tracing those shorts onto butcher paper.
Then I updated the pattern with my desired modifications based on my specific measurements.
Results:
The first version of these shorts turned out pretty awesome! Things that I will change for the next version:
Increase the robustness of the shorts by doing french seams and using a thicker material.
Make the top placket wider so that it fully covers the bottom placket.
Shift the button holes relative to the edge of the top placket so that the buttons are more centered on the top placket and the top placket fully covers the bottom placket.
Add the elastic to the waist much earlier (this was a later addition in the first construction) so that it’s easier to add in.
Add at least 1 pocket to the shorts.