Learning to Sew

One of my first projects with my new sewing machine was to make shorts for my two nephews, aged 6 and 3. They are big fans of the movie Cars, so I bought some fabric with various Cars characters on it.

I used Butterick pattern 3475. That pattern has a few different items in it, but these shorts are letter “D.” My nephews are not nearby, so I had to have their mom measure their waists for me so I would know what size to make. They ended up being sizes 4 and 7, which meant I had to buy two patterns. Eventually I hope that I will get to the point where I will be able to just adjust a pattern to a different size, but I am not there yet.

The pattern was pretty simple and it was not the first time I had made shorts (I made a pair 16 years ago in junior high home economics), so I did not have too many problems. The difficulty with making clothing for someone you don’t see often is getting the fit right. Luckily the nephews came to town and I was able to measure for an exact waist/elastic measurement and they were able to tell me how long they wanted the shorts.

I think they came out pretty well. I re-learned how to hem and how to put in elastic, which are two big skills that I will continue to improve on.