Welcome to the first day of the Berry Bubble Shorts Sew Along! If you haven’t already, first check out our welcome post for details of our sponsors and prizes. Then let’s get started sewing!
The first thing you want to do is mark your pleats on your front and back pieces on both your main and lining fabric.
There are many ways to do this. I lay my fabric over my pattern piece and make a mark where both lines of the pleats start with a fabric pen or tailor’s chalk and continue down to the bottom of the mark. (Check the PDF instructions for alternative ways of marking your pleats). Repeat for all of your pleat markings.
Next, fold your shorts right side together, lining up your pleat marks and pin.
Sew down your marking. Repeat with your other pleats.
From the wrong side of your fabric, press the fold of your pleat away from the side seam.
Repeat for all of your pleats for both the lining and main fabric.
Next, we are going to mark our buttonholes on the front yoke. (If you are using snaps, follow the instructions in the PDF pattern). To mark my buttonholes, I lay the pattern piece on the front yoke and fold it over until the pattern mark is visible. Then, using my fabric pen, I mark all four.
With right sides together, place your two front yoke pieces together and sew up one short side, pivot at the top, sew across the top, pivot, and sew back down the other short side with a 1/2″ seam allowance. Leave the bottom curved edge unsewn. Snip off both top corners, being careful not to get too close to your stitching.
Turn your front yoke right side out, poke out your top corners, and press. Sew a basting stitch with a 1/4″ seam allowance across the bottom curve edge to keep everything aligned when attaching it later.
Sew all four of your buttonholes according to how your sewing machine instructs.
Fold your side yoke wrong sides together and sew 3/4″ from the folded edge. Press. Repeat for the other side yoke and set aside.
Tomorrow we are going to work on adding bias tape to the pockets, so if you are making your own, follow the tutorial here: https://rebecca-page.com/product/diy-bias-binding-bias-tape-tutorial
See you tomorrow for Day 2!