Banyan shorts - proof that I'm not all that awesome

My Banyan shorts are DONE! They are fidgeted together wrong and wonky and all sorts of funky business, but several moments of despair and three broken needles later they are done. And they are functional. And they happen to look pretty cute on Clover. They fit really comfy at the 18 month size, even after I totally wonked out the sizing with my seam allowances and zip fly issues.

There are really too many mistakes and head scratching moments to remember or list, so I'm not even going to try naming them all off. This project tested my faith in any ability on my part to put together a relatively involved piece of clothing. I felt like: giving up and throwing them in the trash at one point, crying several times, questioning my common sense and brain functionality, and possibly that I am delusional in thinking I have any business sewing anything. So maybe it's time for some easy projects to calm my nerves. 

Ha, who am I kidding? Give me an easy project and I must find a way to complicate it! Simplicity is but a canvas for customization! It seems like everything I have tried to do since we began renovating the living space here has gone pretty wrong before it's gone right, if it's gone right at all. I think having no space to work and chaos all over the place has made it hard for me to do things the right way, and to think while I work.

I really do like the color of shirting I used for these shorts. Originally I bought this to make the Bali Bliss outfit from Sewing In No Man's Land, but I couldn't get my stupid printer to print out the pattern right, and after three attempts I gave up and saved the fabric for this project. I still have quite a bit of fabric left too, so I think it might need to be made into some extra-cropped sailboat pants(shorts) for Clover. 

This is what happens when I tell my model "ok, turn around and show me your butt!". Unfortunately I didn't get a shot of her hands smacking her cheeks while she bent over.

I used a peach colored vintage button from my Mother's day stash. The combination of red/orange or persimmon and peach has really been appealing to me lately. And the brass zipper you see peeking out there is fully functional (there were some iffy moments in there the first, second, third, and fourth time I sewed it in, but we got there!). And I'm pretty sure I misunderstood the instructions and sewed the waistband in totally the wrong way, but it ended up working ok. The pleats in this pattern make me so happy. Crisp pleats. Ahhhhh.

In the end, I adore how these shorts look and would really love to make more of them in different fabrics, but I'm pretty terrified to attempt it again anytime soon unless I get some serious help. Like a sew along or something. Is that totally lame? Come Fall, I am going to be itching to make the slim leg pant version of these so I'm going to have to steel my nerves and do it again eventually.

 

Clover says she's proud of me. Or something. Maybe she's pointing and making fun of me? She does like her shorts though, and that make me feel good inside.