Monday, June 13, 2016

First Endeavor

I have been working on refining the fit I need for shorts/pants.  Shorts seem like a better place to start since they use less fabric, right?   I'd love to have more shorts for summer.  However, I need the fit to be just right so that they are comfortable for a lot of walking and bike riding. 

 I bought the Endeavor pattern from Cake last summer.  I like the style and the idea that the pants are drafted to accommodate different hip/waist ratios.

I made the size 40 with the size 28 waist. The fit of my first muslin was closer than most other shorts I've tried, other than the red Chataigne shorts that worked out well (the top is from that post, too).  I did have to smooth out the high hip curve significantly, add 1.5" to the back inseam at the crotch, and added 5." flare to the center front piece at the seam at the center of the leg.  I also hemmed them right up to the bottom of the pocket.

This is a wearable muslin of those changes with some navy blue cotton from my stash.  It's not super heavy but heavier than quilting cotton.  It really worked well for these shorts.

 They are mostly perfect.  However, you can see below that with some movement, they eventually have the same problem that I've encountered with my other attempts at shorts -- they shift to the back and give me awkward creases at the front.
  

I have a new idea about the cause.  Maybe the front rise is too long?  On my next pair I want to shorten the front rise by 1" at the waist and extend the back crotch another 2".  Also, I still need to smooth out the hip curve even more on my pattern piece. 


 Flat shots:
 I used some scraps of a pretty print for the pocket and waistband.  I top-stitched the pocket openings, front seams, and back yoke.  Yes, I should have ironed these for the pictures... but they were straight from the laundry, and I just put them right on to go run around in the sunshine.
I'm very happy with this first pair of Endeavors, and with a few adjustments I expect this to be a TNT.  I'd like to try the sailor view soon.  Thanks for visiting!

2 comments:

Unknown said...

The cut of these shorts look so cute on you and your waist looks tiny! I personally think the fit is pretty good, but it is fun to play around with different adjustments, too. Totally customized fit!

Turbo said...

Thanks, Helena! It's so fun to get your comments. :) Your link-up has really inspired me to post more of my projects.