Denim Shorts - Trying Something New

 Trying to switch up my sewing a little bit and tackle a new challenge.  I went on a brief but furious quilting frenzy recently and churned out four quilts in a couple of months (none of them intricate or exceptional, but good enough for me to say I made quilts!) 

I've made bags galore, some of which I've posted here. I've made doll clothes (ditto.). I've sewed costumes, dresses, and blouses.  Then - seeking a new challenge - I decided to sew JEANS!

I started with denim shorts, so I could learn some of the techniques on a smaller project.  Basically it's all the same thing, except for the length, after all.

Didn't do in seam pockets, I'll save that technique for another project. 

For this project I used my beloved Kenmore 1760 which is about the most rugged machine I have.  And it even did the decorative stitching on the back pockets.

The only thing this machine can't do well is a buttonhole, and I had some trouble with this (long story, I'll skip it for now). I got the job done, after several passes and it looks kind of chewed up but it is what it is.

The main new thing I learned was how to sew in a fly.  The directions with my pattern didn't explain this well, and I even had trouble after looking up several tutorials.  I am practically dyslexic when it comes to Right and Left especially when my instructions sometimes said to do something "on the right side" meaning right versus wrong as opposed to right versus left.  

After ripping it out several times when it didn't come out "right" (meaning correct) I finally figured it out for myself but I STILL don't think I got it right because my lap is on the wrong side.  Sigh...

There was a little struggle sewing down the belt loops at the end - very last step and I almost lost it!  But when I folded up a scrap piece of denim and sewed across that and onto the end of the belt loop it worked perfectly.  Yes, I had to go back and pick out the stitches on the leader fabric, but that wasn't too bad for the result I got. 

And there it is - not perfect, but okay I guess.  I could call this a "muslin" in the sense that it was a practice project.  I may or may not graduate into making a full pair of jeans right away, but at least I know I have learned how to do the most difficult construction techniques and I know my Kenmore can handle it.