Monster Thurlows

My denim Thurlow shorts were coming along well. This was the last project I had to sew of the big batch I'd cut out in June. I was going to test the fit of the Renfrew with these shorts and wanted to finish them so I could change the thread on the serger.
I managed to find a 4" zipper (I picked up five or six at the MCC last time I was there) and even tho' it was green, I liked it. I fluffed the zipper facing, having cut out the piece the wrong way, but I simply cut out a piece of the lining fabric and attached it to the first one. No problem.

I forgot to take a picture of the zipper facing before the waistband was attached.

 I sewed the side seams and finished the hem but when I pressed them, something melted on my iron. 

 

 

 

 

 I bought the denim at Fabricland a few years ago. It was labelled as cotton with a small percentage of lycra but I haven't liked how the denim Hollyburn I also made from this fabric is after a few washings. It seems to have developed some pilling,  something I have never had happen with denim before. That, and this incident with the iron, makes me wonder what about the true fibre content.
 
Then it came to putting on the waistband. The first time I tried, neither side fit. I made certain I had the cut them out the right way after having screwed up the zipper facing, so I was confused. I didn't have enough fabric to cut out another set of each, and I was saving my last bit of Vikings for something else. I decided I would just put them on with the lining facing out -you know, add visual interest with the sea monsters dancing around my waist and all that. But they didn't fit that way either. There was some...language... while I wondered if Loki was taking an inappropriate amount of interest in my sewing room.

Which one of you is Loki?

 The third time I pinned the waistband, denim side out, it fit -almost.

By this point I was losing patience so I serged off the excess and called it good enough.

 When it was time to fit the waist. I pinned the front and pulled in the back, then machine basted it in place. 

That seems kind of much.

I couldn't see the back very well, so I went to consult The Geek. (Side Note: I cut these out in June according to my measurements but I have lost quite a bit of weight since my surgery; a lot of it is muscle mass. I had no idea, however, that my quadriceps, hamstrings, hip flexors, and gluteals had atrophied so much. In other words, I've lost my bum.)

Once The Geek stopped laughing about my droopy drawers, she pulled the waist in a little more and we decided I should take in the lower back seam a bit.

 So I did. I think that is another 1.5 centimeters, tho' I can't remember for certain.

 These aren't sitting on my hips properly, but the front isn't too bad (I'm still pretty much the same size there, other than some...um...remodelling of the topography of my lower belly which doesn't affect my fitting).

The back is better but still less than optimal.

The side seam is no longer vertical and the waistband stands away from my body too much.

Conclusion: I pulled out the second row of machine basting and have put the shorts away for now.It is almost too cool for shorts anyway; I will revisit them in the spring. Hopefully by then my @$$ will have decided what it is going to do with itself.

I am undecided if I will try to make any trousers this winter unless I can find a really easy pattern. I do not feel like going thru' the hassle of fitting if this condition is only temporary. If it is, I will definitely use the Thurlow pattern, with a few modifications (I will make a mock fly instead of the fly extension/fly facing combination - I find them rather bulky) and cut them a few sizes smaller in the back, a backside version of an FBA.

I hate it when I spend time on something and don't have a finished garment at the end, or even learn anything useful. (~sigh~)