This is my second time making the EA Saturday Shorts (sizes from 34.5-59.5″ hip) and I was very excited to make a couple of changes to make them fit better. My first shorts turned out great, and I still wear them weekly, but the back rise is a little too short, and they kind aren’t roomy enough in the crotch area, so it can be uncomfortable to sit for too long.
I make the size 14 which is closest to my hip measurement. You can read about the adjustments I made to the rise for my first pair to make them mid-rise in this blog post. For this pair, I only shortened the back rise by 1″ and left the front rise shortened by 1.5″. I also added 2.5″ of length, the same as my first pair, which makes the inseam about 5.75″.
The other adjustment I made was to compare the crotch curve against the Free Range Slacks pattern. The FRS are very comfortable on me, so I thought it would help to make the Saturday Shorts curve similar to the FRS. The crotch curve on the FRS is wider, so I scooped a little bit out of the front and back on the Saturday Shorts pattern. This is apparently a heated topic in the sewing community, so here is a blog post with opinions from different experts in the community if you’re interested in reading.
Peep at those perfect bar-tacks!
Now that I’ve finished my shorts and worn them for a day, I can say that fixing the back rise and crotch curve helped in exactly the way I needed it to. It may be different for you, but this is what worked for me. The fit is still great, and I don’t have any discomfort when I’m wearing or sitting in them.
This fabric is 6oz cotton twill in dark copper from Blackbird Fabrics. It’s really nice to sew and wear, but it’s a little bit lighter weight than my first pair of Saturday Shorts, and they get more wrinkly.
When it got to stitching the waistband, I realized that I didn’t have 1.5″ elastic, but thankfully I have a haberdashery just a couple of blocks from my house! They had the elastic, but I’m pretty sure it’s soft knit elastic and I usually use the regular knit elastic which is sturdier. It still worked well, but I had to remove more of the elastic since it was stretchier than I’m used to. It is very comfortable, and the shorts stay up pretty well. I’ll have to see how the elastic holds up over time and if it stretches out. The instructions have you stitch the elastic down all the way around, but I just sewed a channel and threaded it through so that I can easily fix it in the future if I need to.
I love this pattern and the top stitching and pockets are my favorite. I’m excited to have these, especially since there are still plenty of warmer days ahead here. I think the color will be great to wear with things even in the fall when the weather cools off a little. If you any questions or comments, let me know below. Happy sewing! xoxo
They look so cute! I also love the pockets, topstitching, and the neat bar tacks! Good job!
Thank you, Grandma! 💕
Kudos to you…moving house across a continent and ocean, and then stitching up a pair of dream shorts! I can’t wait to hear about your adventures in Portugal. Hope all is going well as you settle in to your new surroundings!
Thanks Lodi! I’m sure most people are here for the sewing content, but I’ll hope to find a way to share our living abroad experience here too. All is going really well so far! I hope you are doing well too. 💕