trend on a budget

I don't know about you, but I get really excited when fashion trends for girls actually look GIRLIE! I'm trying to raise my girls to be feminine and lovely, but the whole of the fashion world out there is making that really difficult! There is such a push to make little girls look like big girls and to make big girls look like women! That just makes me growl! I do not want my girls to walk around in potato sacks, but at the same hour I cannot in good conscience let them dress like the stars of popular child and tween shows.

Anyway, I am so excited that these are "in" this year! Bloomer shorts (I've seen them with ties on the legs, mostly).

That brings me to issue number 2! Budget!!!! We can't afford to go out and buy sweet, feminine, yet stylish clothing for our girls from the department store. So, as they say, necessity is the mother of invention. My oldest is growing like a weed and it is impossible to find modest shorts for an 11 year old without breaking the bank! Unless, you sew like I do.

I had been given some chambray fabric, which is perfect for this style. Have I mentioned I love free fabric???? That is the best way to keep sewing! Let your friends know that you'll take any unwanted fabric off of their hands! (Unless you live in a certain area of Missouri where I have lots of friends....They all sew!! No extra fabric there.) So, I had free fabric, great! Then I always get my patterns from JoAnn's when they are 99 cents. NEVER, EVER, AT ANY OTHER TIME DO I PURCHASE PATTERNS. You may as well be buying store bought clothes once you pay full price for a pattern and fabric! Pardon the rant, I will continue now. I had already used this pattern before, so I consider it already paid for. Which equals====free pattern. Good tally so far, free and free! I refuse to figure out how much a quarter of a spool of thread costs. If you are that analytical, you can figure it out.

So I started with a plain, elastic waist shorts pattern. I would tell you I followed directions, but I never do, so I won't. You may follow the directions! I left the bottom 3 inches of the sides open so I could add the ties. Then I gathered the bottoms, centered the ties with the inseam, and sewed them on. I top stitched the whole thing, hoping it would look a little more pro. heehee.

the gorgeous model with her new shorts

So, I think they turned out really cute! More importantly, she thinks they are awesome!
Victory for Mom!!!! And they were basically free. The only problem is that the other two are begging for me to make them a pair!
se la vie.
Check out our mission blog!
http://sotxandeanboendeavors.wordpress.com/