How to Sew Shorts No.2

Chloe Spring '11 via Fashionologie

Hi everyone! Hope you've all been well. Sorry for the delay but here is the second (you can also consider it 'first') part to my shorts tutorial. This post goes through how you can create a pattern for your shorts. Once you've made a paper template, cutting and sewing the material is pretty easy. I forgot to mention that I used a zip on the side of my shorts because this pattern doesn't include a fly. Saves any embarrassment over open flys (...flies), huh?

As always, please read through all instructions before starting! And after you've made the pattern, I'd suggest tracing it onto newspaper as if you were actually making the shorts, and trying on your paper shorts to see if it fits.

The sewing section for the shorts may be found here.

Making the Pattern:

STEP 1: Measure around your hips and divide this measurement by four. Add two centimetres.

Draw this line like so.

STEP 2: Measure your crotch length (sit down on a chair, and measure from your hips to the chair).

Draw these two vertical lengths like so.

STEP 3: Close off your box, adding five centimetres to the left.

We'll call this 'the crotch line'.

STEP 4: Extend your vertical lines by eight centimetres on the left, and five centimetres on the right.

The vertical line on the right represents your outside of your thigh. Likewise, the longer vertical line on the left represents the inside of your thigh.

STEP 5: On the bottom of both your vertical lines, draw a two centimetre horizontal line to the right.

We'll connect these two points later to create a hem for the shorts.

STEP 6: Using a curve (ruler or plate), connect the point from the hip (your first line) to the hem on the right.

Draw a wider curve from your crotch line (the line drawn in Step 3) to the hem on the left.

STEP 7: Draw your hem as shown.

STEP 8: Draw a straight line from the left hip line to the crotch line.

(This looked curved in the diagram, but I later discovered that a straight line connects the right and left shapes much better.)

You've just made your pattern piece for the front!

STEP 9: The back pattern will be a little different to allow for your butt.

You'll need to cut out your front pattern and trace it onto a second piece of paper.

This blue outline represents the original front pattern.

Mark a spot on the crotch, three centimetres left and half a centimetre up.

Then mark another spot on the hem, one and a half centimetres to the right and one centimetre down.

STEP 10: Connect your new crotch point to the hip (straight line even though it looks like a curve).

Then connect your new crotch point to the hem.

Connect the lowered hem point up to the original hem point on the right (the outer thigh line).

You have made your back shorts pattern. YAY!


















So when you're tracing your shorts, cut two of the front and two of the back. Don't forget seam allowance (about a centimetre) all around. Have a look at my first post for these to get an idea.

Hope you have a great week.