Star Wars Shorts and random t-shirts

I found this shorts pattern recently at a Salvo's second hand shop... that was a great haul as I got about 20 patterns for $3! How could I leave them. I thought this was a bit more grown up style with the flat waistband at the front and the fly, as opposed to the Burda elastic waist shorts I usually make for Alex. I have always liked New Look patterns too but never made one for a boy before. The pieces were a different shape to the Burda but I though it wouldn't matter if they didn't fit really well as the time a boy wears clothes when growing isn't that long and this was an experiment in fit and pattern brand to see it this could be used in the next few years. 

Bit poufy at the front, but I might superimpose the Burda crotch shape there and make this a go to pattern. Alex was impressed that he had a fly!

You can see here that the stitching would have benefited being a bit longer... next time. Pretty good fly though!

Pocket stitching

I used red top stitching thread... it's really gorgeous stuff. I've never used it before but I definitely will again. The only thing I thought of after finishing was that I should have lengthened the stitch. The fabric is a fine shirt weight cotton that Spotlight had a couple of months ago and I bought 2 metres of it. Funnily, when I first bought it (I bought 2 other Star Wars prints at the same time) of the three this is the one Alex was ho hum about, but when I finally got ready to make shorts, he picked this one saying it was nice and light for the heat. 

The waistband is made with elastic to about the pocket line in the front. It suggests interfacing only to this line, which I did and regret as did Fadanista in a recent vintage garment. I won't do that again as if you look a couple of photos down, the button hole stretched out. That's for two reasons, one being lack of interfacing and the other being that the waistband was a bit short for some reason and I had to make a slanted end (embarrassing or design feature? Embarrassing I think!) so I made the button hole on the slant not thinking about the fabric then being on the bias.. live and learn.

The elastic I used was the button hole type you find in rtw boys shorts. I really like this as I find it extends the life of the garment. I didn't put buttons on both ends but just sewed down the elastic on the other end. I used the industrial method for the waistband and used the selvage for the finish - I didn't grade out the interfacing as you can see.. I'll fix this up later (sure). Boys tend to grow up but not out so much so these are a little long but I think will be ok for next summer too. Our winter often allows the wearing of shorts at times also.

Here's that bad button hole... next.

I made the t-shirts below a few weeks ago from fabric I bought at Darn Cheap Fabrics and some as did Lara recently. I saw this green cotton with sharks print and knew it was perfect for Alex. This is some heavy cotton... probably too thick for our summer but it will be perfect for winter and autumn. I only bought 60cms but wished I bought more as it is great weight for shorts.

I finished the sleeves and hem with one of the fancy stitches to mimic the stitches, you know like, if  that shark had bitten you!

This is the second t-shirt I made. The print is from Darn Cheap the green was leftovers from a t-shirt I made earlier for Alex and a lighter fabric, this one has some spandex (from East Coast Fabrics) but the print is just a very light weight cotton. Again I just bought 60cms of this and wished I bought more. It is the perfect weight for summer and light and cool.

I used the remnants from the printed fabric for the sleeves of the last t-shirt. The grey is from East Coast Fabrics too and leftovers from another shirt. This one still needs hemming and the neck band finished. Alex loves the t-shirts but I made them the same size as the merino ones in December, but they are a little big... that's ok often it's only a few weeks between a too big and just right fitting t-shirt when you are 10 going on 11.

I put my label on the grey one. Now that I'm getting used to making t-shirts I don't think I'll buy one again. I've said before that Alex is very particular about what he likes on his t-shirts print wise, and although I KNEW he would love the sharks, I was not so sure about the white print... he doesn't like skulls at all, but luckily he did like the randomness of the print. I would love to buy more of those printed fabrics from Darn Cheap but they aren't on their website and I emailed them to see if they could send some anyway, but I haven't heard back. Maybe I should try and ring them? That's enough boy sewing for now though, don't you think. I have bought even more fabric (wrist slap) from a designer sale that I stumbled across (luckily?) last week so I'll photograph those and my Melbourne purchases in the next post.. plus the pavlova recipe I said I would but instantly forgot!

Just an offside, when I bought the Star Wars fabric, I asked how much it was as it was on sale and the lady said it was $9.99 pm and all three were the same price so I got 2 metres of each (I mean how often have you seen Star Wars fabric...me, only time in 10 years). When I got home I realised she had charged one at some phenomenal price so I went back to get it fixed up. There she realised she had charged the other two (or the computer did rather) at $4 per metre and the one I was returning at $29 pm or something ridiculous. She said she can't charge the correct price on the underpriced one as it's gone and not my fault, but she refunded the overcharge on the returned fabric. So huge score... I didn't even notice the underpriced one until she pointed it out. I don't even feel bad as currently I have some $25 pm laminated cotton fabric that runs terribly when wet I bought there a little while ago.

I'd also like it known that I am one of the few persons in the Western world that has not seen any of the Star Wars movies, even though I was the right age demographic when they were released and remember them being at the movie cinemas... no interest then and none now. Anyone else out there?