2016 Sewing Bee Round 1 - Shorts or Capris–Butterick 6062 Review
2016 Sewing Bee Round 1 - Shorts or Capris
Pattern or style used and how it fits the criteria: Butterick 6061--Pants in 5 different lengths, including capris and shorts. Semi-fitted shorts and tapered pants (below waist) have bias, front button, contour waistband, carriers, side-front pockets, mock-fly zipper and stitched hems. I used view D, which is Capris.
Fabric Used-Material Content and Yardage: Denim Medium Wash 7oz., 100% Cotton, 1.13 yards.
Describe your closure: I used a no-sew jean button.
Describe the other components you used (e.g. buttons, zippers, trim, pockets, contrast, etc): I used a metal zipper in a mock-fly, and added pockets to the back. I embellished the back and front pockets with fancy stitching and gem stud buttons. I also used fancy stitching on the bottom leg hem.
Describe the fitting technique(s) you used to achieve shaping: I measured my hips and went off of the pattern chart for which size to use, which was size 12. I didn’t make any adjustments.
Indicate here that you included the photos required - Remember one photo MUST be on a live model (although head may be omitted/obscured) and blog links are NOT allowed:
1. Front [Required]:
2. Photo shown on the model [Required]:
3. Closure detail [Required]:
4. [Optional]: Back Pocket
5. [Optional]: Front Pocket
Describe what you like most about your entry: I got it done! Haha. I was limited on time, so I was very worried I wouldn’t get it done in time. I only had about one day to do this because I was working and had other obligations. But seriously, what I liked most about my entry was embelishing it. I had a lot of fun designing the back pockets to make them look pretty. I looked online for ideas (and subconciously looked at a lot of people’s back pockets at work. Haha.) Then I drew on a scrap piece of denim and practiced different stitches until I came up with something I liked. I added the gem studs and was very pleased with how it turned out.
Describe your biggest challenge in sewing these shorts: The ZIPPER!!!! I read and reread the directions over and over, looked at the drawings in the directions and could not figure it out. I had to youtube it and after watching 4 different youtube videos and ripping out the seam 5 times to redo it, I finally got it.
Here’s the video that helped the most:
https://youtu.be/k7HkxpaKips
The second biggest challenge was the waistband. For one, it should have been 2 or more inches longer. I stitched a 1/4” seam rather than 5/8” just to make it work, which it barely worked.
Second, the interfacing that they say to put on half of the waistband made it way too bulky. Third, the waistband is too short. If I needed a belt, I wouldn’t be able to use one any bigger than my finger. And lastly, the belt loops (carriers) were impossible to turn after sewing right sides together as directed, so I did it my own way:
What other information would you like to share about this project and your process? I really don’t like how they fit. They are a little poofy in the front, they give me a wedgy and remind me of old lady pants (sorry if I offend anyone.) The directions really could have been better and more thorough. They are certainly not like professional or store-bought pants, so if anyone is looking for a pattern like that, they will be disappointed in this pattern. One thing I learned when searching for videos for the zipper was to put the zipper on with the top sticking way over the pants so that it is out of the way when sewing. Then later, open the zipper and snip off the top where it needs to stop, rather pre-shortening the zipper by snipping off the bottom. another thing to remember with this pattern is that it does NOT include back pockets, so if you want back pockets, you’ll have to get more yardage than what it says to get and find (or draft your own) patterns for the pockets. I used a pattern from my daughter’s overalls that I made in the last contest for the pockets.
