Summer Preppy with McCall's 3348

Aloha!  First off I just want to say thank you all so much for all your encouragement with Freckles.  I really loved reading all the comments left where you also shared your own experiences with your dogs, kitties, and pets.  I also appreciate all the kind comments regarding the last outfit and my style in general.  I love to come up with outfits, that's for sure.  I am really happy Project Runway is back on now.  I like how it gets me to think outside the box, no matter what the contestants come up with.  Can you imagine getting to go into a candy store and having a $500.00 budget?  I would much rather work with candy than old car parts, which is what they used in one of the seasons past.  However, I would have been sick to my stomach if I was a contestant.  I really don't think I could have resisted eating most of my construction material.  Seriously, I have such a sweet tooth!

This past week and a half, I have had fun making another summer outfit out of fabric from my stash.  I used a heavy weight white cotton twill for the shorts (from Fabric.com), a navy and white striped cotton/spandex knit (from The Fabric Fairy), and an athletic mesh knit (from Gorgeous Fabrics) to create this look.  Up first are the shorts made from McCall's 3348.  This is an out of print pattern, I believe, for misses low rise pants.  I first made these after the birth of my first son, which was 13 years ago now.  I remember I liked how the crotch curve fit, but I also remembered they were really low waisted.  I don't like super low waists because I am constantly pulling them up and I hate to wear a belt.  So this time around I added 5/8" to the top of the pants to raise the waist.  However, when I tried them on, the back was still way too low for my liking.  I had to get creative.  I added a wedge of fabric to the back, much like denim jeans.  I borrowed this wedge, the back pocket, and the curved waistband from Vogue 1204.  Here are two pictures of how the pants look with the wedge, pocket, and curved waistband added:

Pre-construction

Post-construction

In reality, you will never see this "design feature" when I wear the shorts, because I don't ever intend to wear them with a shirt tucked in.  These shorts also have a fly and front pockets.  My sewing machine had a hard time handling the weight of the fabric when I made the buttonhole, so it came out a little messy.  Again, it's not something that will be noticed when I wear the shorts.

I am really happy with the fit and comfort of these shorts.  If I hadn't taken the time to fix the rise and add back pockets I don't think they would have made it into my closet.

For the top, I used Jalie 2805 as a base again, but I scooped out the neckline to my liking and added the athletic mesh to finish the neckline, arms, and hem.  I really like the dark coral with the navy and white stripe.

And here is the completed ensemble:

I am in the middle of another soccer tournament with my youngest son.  This outfit will be just right for the game tomorrow.  Aloha Everyone!