Modified Lander Shorts, Lark tee, and a Suki Robe

Hi guys! How are things going? We are at the start of our last week of Summer before the kids go back to school, which I totally can’t believe! The Summer has gone so quickly. I made myself a Summer Sewing Bucket List when the kids were getting out of school and I knew I wasn’t going to get to most of it– and it turns out I barely got to any of it at all. We have stayed pretty busy swimming, seeing $1 movies, going to doctor appointments for my son’s fractured hand (all healed now!), and taking a spontaneous quick trip to Michigan last week.

One of the things I really wanted to make myself this year was a pair of navy shorts. I got some lightweight twill from Imagine Gnats and decided to make a pair of Lander shorts. I was a tester for the zipper expansion for the Lander pants/shorts pattern but the construction changed after we went through testing. I really wanted to try the final zip fly method so that is what I did on this pair of shorts.

I ended up making A LOT of modifications so these shorts don’t look too much like the original pattern. A while back Kelli posted a tutorial on her blog for how to do inside front pockets on the Lander pants. I decided to do inside pockets on my shorts and mostly followed her tutorial. I switched up the pocket shape a little and did a slash entry instead of the curve. I wanted to use quilting cotton for my pocket bags so I drafted two pocket facing pieces (using the Chi Town chinos pocket facing pieces as a guide) and cut them from my main fabric so that none of the quilting cotton is visible from the outside.

My other pairs of Lander pants/shorts are a bit snug and I knew I wanted these to be loose and comfortable, so I sized up to a 12 graded to a 16 instead of the 10 graded to a 14 that I’d made before. I lowered the rise 1/2″ all around the top and then lowered the front rise another 1/2″. I prefer a contoured waistband on the Lander pants so I subbed in the waistband from the Morgan jeans.

Once I’d made all of those changes I decided that the shorts should have back welt pockets instead of patch pockets. I used the welt pocket pieces (and fabulous instructions) from the Chi Town Chinos pattern for this, too. You may be wondering, Teri, why didn’t you just make Chi Town chinos instead of modifying the Lander pattern so much? It was mostly because I wanted a waistband instead of a waistband facing on this pair. I had plans to make Chi Town chino shorts this Summer, too, but I haven’t gotten to them as of yet. I’ve decided that next year I need to start my shorts making in February so that I’ll be ready when Summer rolls around!

Anyway, I really love my modified Lander shorts. They are just the loose, comfy fit that I wanted! I have more of this twill in a bright coral color and I am eventually going to use my modified Lander pattern pieces to make a pair of wide leg, cropped pants with it. (I wanted to make those this past Spring– perhaps another thing to add to my list for next February? Ha, ha!)

Another thing that I’ve been wanting to make for a while is the v-neck version of the Lark tee. I have made the other three neckline options but I’d been dragging my feet on the v-neck. I’ve only made one v-neck tee before and it was a year ago so I was out of practice with the v-neck construction. I’ve also never been a huge fan of v-necks, probably because all of the ready to wear v-neck t-shirts I’d ever tried had been lower cut that I prefer.

Let me tell you, I am kicking myself for waiting so long to try the v-neck Lark. I raised the V by about 1/2″ on this one but I really didn’t need to do that. I shortened the band, too, but I’m pretty sure I shortened it too much because I’ve got some pulling around the neckline. The instructions for the v-neck are great. I basted the V first just to be sure I’d attached it correctly since ripping out stitches from a knit is a terrible thing to have to do. This has quickly become my favorite tee and I wear it constantly. I am definitely a v-neck convert and I can see myself ending up with a whole drawer full of v-neck Larks. (I’ve already made a second one in stripes and I wear it on the days when the white one is in the laundry!)

I used an organic cotton/spandex jersey from Blackbird fabrics for the t-shirt. I also made another basic, white, crewneck Lark tee while I was sewing this one. I love white t-shirts so much! The fabric is lightweight and great for layering or wearing on its own. Thankfully I have some leftover for when I need to replace this one from over-wear.

Enough about my shorts and t-shirt– let me finally get to the Suki robe! I had fabric leftover from my Coram top so I made this kimono using this tutorial from Helen’s Closet. It was a super quick sew and it’s perfect for wearing when I’m somewhere that is over air-conditioned.

The cotton lawn doesn’t drape like my rayon Suki but I still love how it looks. I would love to make one in a more neutral fabric– maybe basic black or chambray (or one of each!) so that I can wear it with just about everything in my closet. I am perpetually cold and always looking for a light extra layer to warm me up. And wearing a kimono makes me feel much more fancy than I actually am. Yay for that!

How is your Summer (or Winter if you’re on the other side of the world) sewing going? Are you a v-neck fan? Has your list of modifications ever spiraled out of control like mine did on these shorts? Have a great day!

~Teri