It's been a while since I did any pattern testing so when I heard about the Fern Shorts pattern by Afternoon I had to jump in for three reasons:
- I have a soft spot for Indie pattern labels
- I'm not a big fan of shorts because I rarely find the perfect fit for my body type so I'm always looking for that 'right fit'
- I am always up for a little sewing challenge
Instructions- The instructions and illustrations for the Fern Shorts pattern is one of the best I have seen. It was beautiful yet concise. There was not a single step that was confusing or unnecessary which was very impressive. The instructions were also easy to follow.
Construction - The construction of the garment went smoothly. I used 100% African wax print cotton and did my best to pattern match to avoid any weird placements. It didn't work great for all parts but I am pleased with the overall result. This pattern definitely works better with fabrics that have medium weight especially because of the folded hem detailing which needs to stay in place.
I used size F which matched my hip measurements but was two sizes bigger than my waist measurement. However, I did not resize the pattern at all. I simply sewed a slightly larger seam allowance at the waist part compared to everywhere else and it worked out great. The fit and overall detailing of this shorts makes it a win for me! It honestly came out better than expected considering my fear and frustration with the fit of shorts on me.
Changes to pattern - Although the pattern did not call for it, I topstitched the pocket for cleaner finish as can be seen in the photo above of my initial muslin. I also shortened my shorts by about two inches for my African print version. This was a personal preference.
Things I loved about this pattern:
- The pattern has only 18 pages when printing at home (A4) which means less cutting and pasting!
- I loved the pocket detailing. In my version, I used a contrasting color as seen in the above photo to make it stand out even more.
- A side zipper! What's not to love about that?
Final Thoughts:
When I was testing this pattern, the measurements were only in the metric system. I gave feedback on having both metric and imperial systems. The final version which is out now will have both! How great is that? If you do give this pattern a try, I'd love to see it or if you have any questions, ask away!
Sylvia
The Ravel Out
XOXO
