fat quarter shorts

I love these shorts, I mean LOVE them. I drafted the pattern from a pair we picked up at Value Village last summer and I've already scaled it down so that Milo has his own pattern (and a sewn pair too - I just need to get him to sit still for some photos). Not that they are super unique, but the bias tape edges curving up at the side seams remind me of the shorts I wore as a kid, and I'm a sucker for nostalgia. But the really great part is that I only need a fat quarter's worth of fabric to make them. It's such a small piece of fabric that I end up making more daring choices when I purchase them - which explains how I ended up with the fabric above. I wasn't sure if Sadie would go for it but when I held the square of fabric up she was smitten. The bias tape is the chocolate jersey I've been using which is a nice, soft edge to the heavier cotton. I only put elastic on the back so that the front lays flat, but that's only for Sadie's "girl" version (Milo's pattern uses elastic all the way around the waist). I've got an Amy Butler fat quarter and some gingham bias tape lined up for Sadie's second pair.

Not that she needs more shorts. I'll admit it - sewing clothes for my kids is mostly an anti-laundry tactic. An avid washerwoman I am not.