Tan Linen Chi Town Chinos

Get ready for a handmade shorts blast! For the next three weeks I will be sharing with you my three (yes three!) most recent makes – all of which are shorts. Basically I was looking for holes in my closet and found that I’d like to have some more non-denim shorts… because now that I’m over 30 I felt the need for some “grown up shorts” – if that’s even a thing. Keep reading to learn more about this first pair, a slightly longer crisp tan linen set.

The pattern is of course the Alina Design Co Chi Town Chinos. Y’all I have never repeated a pattern so much in my life! What I love about this pattern is that it has many views to play with. (You can see my pants versions here and here.) Once I got the fit right on my first pair, it only made sense to me to continue to use the same pattern to fill these holes in my wardrobe. I may* even use it to make some boyfriend jeans one day. I didn’t have to make any additional fit adjustments to the shorts. Previous adjustments I made had already been copied to the pattern. Those adjustments were: take in center back seam at waist and blend into rise, take in side seams at waist, taper leg (<-this didn’t really come into play much for the shorts).

For this version, I wanted it to be a bit of a “nicer” pair of shorts – if there is such a thing. I went with a longer inseam, that I copied off a pair of rtw shorts I own. I also did welt pockets on the back using the expansion pack pattern rather than the patch pockets that come with the basic shorts pattern. Unfortunately I must have been rushing through my welt pocket application because as you will see in the coming photos they are a little crooked. For the most part I don’t think people will notice but it is rather annoying … I’ve been trying not to dwell too much on it. I also chose to do a cuffed hem for no other reason than I am obsessed with cuffed hems. Weirdly, I think most pants and shorts do not look complete without a cuff at the hem. Maybe its a short person thing?

The fabric I used  is a tan sturdy linen I had in my stash. Most likely received from a previous internship. I love the neutral, minimalist look of this linen. And it is soft in spite of its more medium weight. For the pockets I used some cotton lawn I had in my stash as well. I typically keep a stash of smaller pieces leftover from other projects to use for things like pocket linings and facings. I love having a fun little detail on the inside and this pocket lining matches perfectly.

Above you can see a close up of my crooked welt pockets. This is a direct result of sewing late at night. I guess I was just trying to make progress and didn’t stop to check if my markings lined up. UGH so annoying! I didn’t want to shy away from sharing this mistake with y’all because I want you to know: mistakes happen! Even when you are further along in your sewing practice, mistakes happen. All you can do is roll with it. I actually made another mistake with these shorts. When I’m sewing multiples I tend to sew assembly line style. When it was time to do the closures I had all my button placements marked. I originally wanted to do a pant hook closure with these shorts to give them a cleaner look. I guess I was on a roll with the other two pairs and just kept on doing button holes when I got to these. I didn’t even think about it till I already cut open the button hole. *big sigh* I still love these shorts, I might just get frustrated every time I look at them for a while 🙂

SKIP TO THE END?
Pattern: Chi Town Chinos by Alina Design Co
Fabric: Linen from stash
Notions: Buttons and zipper from stash.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Adjustments: Cuffed hem, welt pocket, center back and side seams previously taken in on pattern.
Finishes: Serged seams
Sew it again? I am well stocked on shorts for now!

Happy Sewing!