Mens Shirt to Womens Short Refashion

I have a nice collection of mens shirts going right now.  I've had my sights on refashioning this crazy, calypso looking one I inherited from my children's music teacher.

Originally, I envisioned it being a skirt, but once I seam ripped the pockets off I realized that there just wasn't going to be enough usable fabric to pull that off.  I decided to go for shorts, instead.  It's been hot around here lately, so shorts are on the brain (and the bottom!)

I created my own pattern using a pair of shorts that I love.  I just did my best to trace out a front and back panel from the existing shorts.  

To make the waistband, I pulled out a pattern for pants that I love and used recently.  I cut the waistband from the pattern piece and followed the assembly instructions for that pattern to create the shorts.

Zip, zip, sew sew … and here they are finished!

I had to use the button holes and button strip as the hem on the bottom front of the pants.

I thought about cutting or hemming them off, but I like the little nod to its past life as a shirt.  That and they would have been shorter than I wanted them.

The back didn't have the finished hem with the button holes/buttons, so I had to find a way to cover up the raw edges without hemming.  I, thankfully, stumbled upon just the right amount of black binding in my stash and used that to line the entire hem.

Here is a little closer look at the front.  

 You can see one leg has the buttons in front

and the other leg has the button holes in front.

I'm going to leave the buttons on.  

I like them :)

And one closer look at the back.

I'm actually pretty stoked on these!  I was able to trace my own pattern off some existing shorts, incorporate the use of a pattern for construction tips, refashion a shirt into shorts, AND it actually fits PERFECT!!!  Shorts and pants are a little tricky for me.  I've had trouble getting the right fit all the way around.  A lot of times they come out too short, or too tight, or too high in the groin (yikes!).  These are just right.  I'm definitely holding onto my homemade pattern to use again.  It feels pretty versatile.  Depending on the fabric and the trim/notions used, you could make these into casual, athletic, or pajama shorts.  If you have a bigger man/shirt you wouldn't even have to worry about the bottom holes and buttons along the hem if you didn't want them.   You could use regular t-shirts.  They took very little time to make, too.  

"Who likes short shorts?"

"We like short shorts!"

Sticky Genius