The Monthly Make: Easy Double Gauze 100% Cotton Fabric Shorts

There’s nothing I look forward to more than summer. Now that it’s hit the PNW we are fully in the thick of it. My garden is growing like crazy, my face got a little too much sun, and I am in desperate need of new shorts.

I shared in my summer inspiration post that I’m really trying to reduce the plastic in my wardrobe and replace everything with natural fibers. It’s incredibly hard, especially since most of my workout clothing is essentially plastic. So I decided to start with my everyday wardrobe first since it seemed like the easiest place to begin and a great excuse to finally dig into my fabric stash. I have a heap of clothing I want to make over the next few weeks and since we plan on having a very Seattle summer this year, I finally have the time to do it.

Table of Contents

The Inspiration

No one will be surprised when I say: Pinterest and Old Navy.

I found a number of inspiration pieces a few years ago and when this project got into my head I moved them straight to the top of my board. In all honesty there’s a real 50/50 chance this will work. I’ve made things like this before when I first started sewing and let’s just say I’m hoping my skills have improved since then.

The Fabric

This fabric is coming straight from my stash! I’m thrilled to finally work through some of it. This piece is from JoAnn’s, RIP 😢, and it’s been sitting around for a while. I must have bought it a few years ago on sale. It’s in great condition, already washed and dried, thank goodness for past me, and it’s made from double gauze muslin 100% cotton. It’s a stunning color and I love it, though I’m not entirely positive it matches my skin tone.

The Process

I ended up using a pants pattern by Simplicity that has also been sitting in my stash for years. Just opening it and cutting out all the pieces made me feel like I’d accomplished something. If you’re interested it’s easy-to-sew Simplicity S8841.

In truth I thought this would be an hour long project but as usual I overthought it. I also went off script, only following the pattern partially because I wanted to try a new technique. The process was a little painful due to my pattern hacking tendencies but I’m glad I did it because the original pattern wouldn’t have fit my sizing anyway. I’d still rate this pattern as easy overall. If you’re brand new to sewing some of the phrasing might be a little confusing but otherwise it’s a good one to start with.

All in all this project took about 5 hours, most of which was overthinking. Once I actually started cutting I got careful and wanted to measure every trim and hem precisely. Speaking of which, I ended up doing a hidden hem as the final touch. I was annoyed with myself at first but once I started I remembered how much I love hand sewing. There’s something so genuinely comforting about it. I sat in our guest bedroom with music on, singing and sewing. It was a really lovely way to end the project. 💕

What I loved about this project is that I didn’t need to buy a single thing. I had everything required including the fabric, thread, elastic, and equipment.

The Final Results

Truthfully? Not my best work.

It’s a little sloppy in some areas and because I didn’t really think through the fact that I was essentially chopping the legs off a pants pattern to make shorts, they look exactly like that. Which is a problem because they fit more like pants than shorts. BUT once I hemmed them and brought in the top section a bit on the sides, they actually look really cute!

Like anyone, I’m self conscious of certain areas on my body. My lower stomach is a little more accentuated in these shorts, which isn’t something I’d normally love. That said, I just need to make sure there’s more room in the thighs next time and that should help.

Regardless of the outcome I learned a lot. I learned it’s always worth doing a trial run to make sure a garment will actually fit before cutting into your good fabric. I also know what to do differently next time and even though I don’t have the same fabric, I might try another pair using quilter’s cotton. I found a shop on Etsy that sells a similar fabric in a variety of colors and the cinnamon, greens, and browns might work much better with my skin tone. For now I’m keeping these and wearing them with long tanks and a duster. Next time will be better and I’ll definitely share the results! 😊

Hope you’re enjoying these Monthly Makes as much as I am. It’s such a fun challenge to make sure I’m actually carving out time for my crafts and hobbies. Thank you for letting me share them with you. 💕

What are you currently making or working on? Leave it in the comments below!

xoxo