'Tis the season...

...for shorts! It's been so warm recently that the kids have been getting through all 3 pairs of their shorts faster than I can wash them. That means that the sewing machine (along with the washing machine) has been busy.

Made out of an old skirt made unwearable by a hole, I cut the pieces out near the bottom, so I didn't even have to do any hemming.

These were for Anna - the top pair made with normal elastic in a casing, the bottom pair made with the delightful Fold Over Elastic. Good stuff.

You can make them out of the basic cotton or denim, or repurpose an old T-shirt or even an old adult skirt (which is what I did for Abigail's shorts, top). Repurposing means less junk lying around, extend life and usefulness, and less cash outlay. All good stuff.

I like Noah's pair, but I realize now that he really doesn't have much in the way of shirts that match. Not that that has ever stopped him before.
Ellie's are jersey with fold over elastic.
Dan's top pair are made with bottomweight fabric from my stash and the bottom pair are made with leftovers from the Lily Pants (more fold over elastic here).
Yes, that is Eleanor's nose in Daniel's backside. I have no idea why she would do this.
Yes, he really does love mud.

So you know, shorts are a very easy, very inexpensive thing to make yourself. Really. Once you've done it a time or two, you can put together a pair in under an hour. (That's pretty quick when you factor in diaper changes and emergency lifts out of the tree house.)

Lily Pants

So, a while back, my friend showed me a pair of pants on Etsy and asked if I could make something similar. I was up for a challenge, so I thought I'd give it a try.

Here's what I came up with - The Lily Pants.

I promise, they're really not lopsided - getting a good photo was really difficult!

I'm really excited because this has been my first "commission" project, and definitely one of my first "designs".

Made of tobacco-colored linen with an elastic waist and purple rosettes at the gather for some extra pretty.
I'm rather pleased with how they turned out, and even Toby suggested I make some for our own girls. Don't be surprised if they turn up in my own Etsy store!