This summer has been pretty crazy and there has been precious little sewing. My hubby and I have sold the home that served us well over the last 30 years and have moved into a small lake house that will be undergoing a large renovation.
Because of this all of my sewing machines and fabric were packed away. After we had been in the house about two weeks, my husband decided I needed to have access to my sewing things and he put my sewing table together. Partly for me and partly so I would not keep finding jobs for him, I am sure.
When the opportunity came up to do this swim tour, it was time to jump back in. I am in desperate need of shorts so this seemed perfect. Today I am going to share Gracious Threads Swim & Surf Shorts.
I need to tell you all that I have never been successful sewing any kind of pant without major alterations to the pattern. So I made a muslin first. To my delight the fit was spot on! I have sewn other Gracious Threads patterns for the kids and the fit on those has always been great as well.
I found a fun board short fabric from the Fabric Fairy. I have ordered from there before and have never been disappointed. I will wear mine for kayaking and paddle boarding, but not actually for swimming.
I am more comfortable in a slightly longer length and that is why I opted for the run length. This is the mid length. There are options for a shorter swim length with a liner included or a longer surf length.
The pattern is designed in layers making it easy to print just the size you need. If you need to blend sizes this is also easy to accomplish by printing just what you will need to blend. My hip fit perfectly into the size that I used and my waist was only slightly smaller. I really am happy with the rise in these shorts. The back does not expose anything that I don’t want it to. 
I knew with the elastic that would be easy to adjust. I made my muslin with two rows of elastic and my good pair with the three rows as directed.
I left out the drawstring. I have never been a fan of them. They feel very bulky around my waist and are generally uncomfortable for me. With the three or even the two rows of elastic the drawstring is not necessary for a good fit. I simply adjusted the elastic to fit.
I had to include a picture of my muslin. It is such a good fit and the fun summer fabric that I pulled from my stash make it perfect for the dog days of summer. With the pattern designed for a woven fabric, I can see more of these in my future. Not only are they great for swim or run, they will be perfect for working in the yard or garden on those very warm summer days. Thanks Jess for a great pattern.
Happy Sewing, Donna
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