Space Shorts

Build Your Own Outfit - Part 2

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This is article 2 out of 3 of my Build Myself an Outfit series. Only a shirt left! These only took me 5 months to procrastinate my way through, so hopefully I do better next time.

Space Shorts!

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As you might recall from my first post, the idea of space shorts originates from a pair of shorts my mom made me when I was a kid. They were honestly a way cooler fabric than what I have for these, but I just couldn't find something that came close to being as cool. In the future I may have to make it myself.

 Original Space Shorts

These are real freaking shorts though. I had to learn to do a few things for these specifically, and had to dig back to recall a few more. It is the Burda 6815 Chinos.

I'd been warned about Burda sewing patterns and how their instructions are a little lacking, and I found that to be very true when working with it. Honestly, that was the biggest reason these took me so long. The instructions didn't always make sense, and sometimes used words (like "welt") that it just assumed I knew. Steps would often be a few sentences long, with a few tasks per sentence. But, I made it through! I may not have done everything exactly as intended, but it looks like it all worked out.

Features

• Belt Loops - I discovered that when sewing a long strap like a belt loop, tacking a couple stitches here and there will keep the fabric from sliding out of place.
• Zipper - I hadn't sewn one in two years, so it was almost like a new adventure. I shortened it the incorrect way, so I had to make my own stopper by sewing a strap over the top.
• Welt Pockets - These are the pockets on the back, integrate into the pants instead of being sewn on top of the fabric. These were an adventure to figure out, but I think it turned out pretty well!
• A Button! - Sewing a button itself is no biggie. Sewing the button hole was a little scary, but dude my machine rocked that shit. It has a button assist setting and special presser foot, and it made it ridiculously easy. Some notes in the manual from my grandma helped too!
• The Sun Shines Out of My Ass - I was actually pretty embarrassed  when I noticed that the suns matched up right on the back seam, but I've embraced it! It is a lesson for the future to watch where things line up when I'm cutting out the pieces.

 You can see the zipper in better detail in the picture below.

Keeping myself humble

There are some things that didn't work out as well as I'd hoped with these. Which means I'll be able to make a new pair that's even better!

The fit: First off is the fit. In that last picture you can see the button is way off center. That's because the waist is way too big for me. The hips/butt however fit perfectly fine! So I need to figure out how to make a pair of pants that is more fitted to the butt and waist.

The legs: Sure, for pants you want a tapered leg, but the pattern had one for the shorts too. It fits very snug, and doesn't give much mobility. So moving forward I'll want to keep those straighter.

Never trust the pockets: Most of these patterns predate phones by a good amount of time, so while I can put my phone in the pocket, it is far from secure. So I really should have extended them the way I extended the pockets on the skirt I made.

Fabric choice: I have so much to learn about fabrics. This stuff (Kona Cotton) is soft enough, flows reasonably well, and seems sturdy. However it kind of sticks to itself, and just doesn't give quite the flat look that I was hoping for, or the right feel for clothes in general.