Iron Craft 2014 Challenge #23--Long John Shorts (Project 46)

Before

For this challenge, we were asked to be inspired by "coziness." With the onset of winter like weather here in the United States, we were tasked to make something that resembles "cozy." I was going to make something else but got behind due to a variety of other commitments.

One of the problems that I have with the winter weather is that I really LIKE it. I usually will be walking around in t-shirts when I can. I also sleep with the windows open because I am always too hot with the steam pipes and radiators blasting full strength in my apartment.

Another problem that I have is that many of the winter clothes are just too warm for me. I usually don't wear long johns because they make me sweat because they are so warm. To combat this problem, I decided to shorten a pair of long johns that I have.

So, I decided to break out my sewing machine and dusted it off. After practicing on scraps to get the tension right, I decided to attempt to shorten these long johns so they would of a similar length to my board shorts (here and here).

One of the parts that I was most anxious about was that I didn't want to have a hem. I decided to cut off the ribbed cuff from the bottom of the long johns and reattach it to the bottom of the shorts. Because this was such as stretchy fabric and since I didn't have a serger, I was a little skeptical. In the end, I just slowed down and practiced my patience.

Once the ribbed cuff was cut off, I realized that I need to tailor the outside inseam to taper it the knee where I would reattach the cuff.

After

Overall, I am very pleased with the way these turned out. I might have to start using my sewing machine more often. I do know that I need to take the machine to shop and to get a professional cleaning.