Experimental shorts

Last week’s Built by Wendy, Sewn by Lizzy dress is progressing…slowly.  Meanwhile, I came across an interesting idea for cutting trousers (or shorts) and thought I’d give it a whirl.

Here’s the concept:

It’s closely related to these zero waste pajama pants, except that the triangular/diamond gusset is cut from the tummy rather than the legs.

Here’s how the shorts get sewn together:

The centre fronts (or centre backs) get sewn together.

The shorts look like this now.

The gusset is sewn to the inside legs, with the pointiest part at the previous seam.

A concept is one thing, but it needs translating to actual measurements and proportions to make the garment.  I guessed these but I don’t have any photographs, so I have no idea of the ease/degree of looseness.  Turns out I guessed on the tight side.

I cut them out and pinned them together quickly to get an idea of how it was going to work.  Yep, I didn’t even iron the fabric first.

I tentatively tried them on (still pinned together).  All is fine if I stand with my feet one metre apart.

The verdict is that they are too tight for this style.  The sides are too low at the waist.  The centre front bulges out when I stand with my feet together, with drag lines coming from the corners of the gusset and pulling across the tops of my thighs.

I didn’t have time to go any further with these (it’s school holidays here) but I think a second sample would nail most of these problems.  A waistband and opening still needs to be worked out (elastic waist?  waistband with zip? placket?).

Just a thought: they might fit one of my children.

Cheers!