Maritime in the Maritimes

Greetings from the Maritimes! And the Maritime shorts! Last week I was visiting Nova Scotia, and of course had to bring my new shorts along for the trip - 

Yes, these are the Maritime shorts from Grainline, and they are great. This pattern is a real winner - no significant alterations, very good results.

Fabric: Midnight blue twill with a bit of stretch.

Pattern adjustments: Cut the size 10 and graded down to an 8 along the side seams from the bottom of the pocket to the hem - much easier than grading up from the hip. The standard advice for trouser (and shorts) sizing is to use your hip measurement, and adjust the waist as needed, but I found this route to be MUCH easier - and far fewer pieces to alter. I added two inches to the hem, but then used a larger hem allowance, so these guys are about 1 1/2" longer than the pattern. I also added 1" to the top, since I have muffin top paranoia, but I think I could have gone with the original. 

Sewing epiphany: As you can see, the left pocket meets the side seam in a smooth, practically invisible join - if I weren't pointing to it, you would not know it was there.

However, on the left side, there is a tiny wrinkle in the pocket facing, and the pocket lining (yes, I did use white, I ran out of fabric) pops out. The pocket facing/lining is wider than the top layer of fabric! This is purely a construction mishap (see amazing pocket results, above). I've noticed this a couple of times before, but finally put two and two together, and from now on when I baste my pocket to the side seams, I will check for this preventable mistake and take action! I guess I just needed to see both the good and the bad in one place to figure this one out.

Basically, these shorts are just what I needed. Casual, but nice enough to wear on adventures in the real world. And if, like me, you are not very curvy in the waist/hip area, this pattern is just a dream come true. I'm cool with drafting my own pants/trousers/jeans, but it is so nice to find a pattern that works with just a few minor tweaks. 

Happy Sunday!