URBAN BUTTERFLY – Grainline Maritime Shorts (take 3!)


Grainline Maritime Shorts, Take 3. Size 4

Grainline Maritime Shorts. We didn’t take this deliberately but it’s kind cute with the butterfly wings – now I wonder if there is angel halo graffiti anywhere…!

Here we finally are in Grainline Maritime Shorts in size 4. Sorry, looking a little creased we drove around for ages – it was excessively windy! Paired with my gym shirt at the suggestion of ELH.

I couldn’t stop until I mastered these shorts (previous two pairs are posted here…). Yes, I can be a little bit obsessive. I really love these ones, I confess that I am a camouflage print fan (yup, bet you never guessed that!).

Grainline Maritime Shorts, back view

Grainline Maritime Shorts, back view. How cool – camo pockets – yes they are really there!! The sand is blowing off the beach in this shot and absolutely stinging my skin from head to toe. Ouch. These dunes have eroded due to storm action, high tides etc – hence the safety fencing.

Once again I took a massive wedge out of the back seam and waistband pieces after I tried them on (I think if more men realised how much time women spent semi-nude sewing, they would be rushing out to purchase sewing machines for their wives and girlfriends…. just sayin’). The ‘butt fit’ is pretty good I think. The only change I might make (next time) is tapering in the leg ever so slightly.

I made the buttonhole horizontal rather than vertical. I checked all my jeans, denim mini skirts etcetera (I have a rather large collection of denim) and their buttonholes were all horizontal. I think it makes sense. It provides a little bit of ease, the button has room to slide rather than pulling against the buttonhole. I also double stitched the hems – just because.

Fabric is from the stash (it’s just cotton drill – purchased for $3 and even the zip came from the stash!). My workmate explained that this camouflage colourway is referred to as ‘urban camo’ as it is concrete greys rather than jungle greens. If it wasn’t for the reflective logos on my gym singlet you wouldn’t even know I was there…

Grainline Maritime Shorts

I’m missing my butterfly wings! And I have this weird leg muscle thing going on – maybe too many lunges, burpees and squats at the gym that day…

Here’s one of the things I love about sewing. I would never have even tried a pair of short shorts on in a shop – yet I sew them, photograph them and discover that my legs are not as heinous as I thought. Maybe I am a ‘shorts’ girl after all… ELH agrees.

Nothing much to say – except I love these little fellas. Cute as.

Make ’em – I know you want to…

Pattern: Grainline Maritime Shorts.
Fabric: Cotton Drill from Spotlight, $3

Pattern details & adjustments – check out this blog post…

Now I haven’t made a dress in a while…

62 thoughts on “URBAN BUTTERFLY – Grainline Maritime Shorts (take 3!)

  1. Awesomely cute! Your legs are the legs I dream I had. I just did a bit of sewing for Alys’s Birthday gift. It was the first time I did a zipper (super duper novice here). I made cosmetic bags, I learned on Youtube, LOL. Who know’s what’s next.

  2. Love the relaxed fit you have achieved with theses shorts. You are definitely a shorts girl and you should make lots more of these for summer. If only I was a couple of decades younger…but unfortunately my days of wearing short shorts are over.

  3. can’t imagine why you thought you couldn’t pull off wearing shorts! all the pairs you made are great. i think i’ll try out this pattern next year just to mix it up with all the thurlows i’ve made!

    • I think I’ve always worn the wrong length shorts, they used to chop me off visually and make me look dowdy.
      It will be interesting to see how these compare to the Thurlows. I’m kinda tempted to go back & re-try the Thurlows now…

  4. When will I ever get used to this whole Southern Hemisphere / northern hemisphere sewing difference. It feels odd to see you there in super short summer shorts…… When I’m in a fleece and thinking coats. But it is lovely to get some sunshine through the blog reader as well as inspiration! And your photos tend to be in such dreamy locations….graffiti and all! Nice going on these shorts, they look fab x

  5. These are my favourite pair, maybe because I have a secret penchant for camo print 🙂 Great fit too.
    Funny story, I wore camo print pants to Korea and at the airport they thought I was US military! Me! ha – I look the furthest from military you could imagine, plus I was wearing them with pink – bizarre!!

  6. Looking cool! I love the print and they fit you perfectly! I’m too chicken to wear shorts at all, but these do look very comfy… Maybe you have persuaded me to give it another go! 🙂

    • They are definitely worth a try – especially if you have an ambition to make trousers or jeans as you can practice a fly front, fitting & pockets without the fabric commitment of lots of fabric!

  7. Adorable shorts, they look great! And, the sun….Oh, the sun…..I am so coming to visit you soon Lizzie. Is it okay if I bring Kitty? (ps, never apologize for having muscle!!!)

  8. Oh, Lizzy. They look absolutely great on you! They look so great, I’m almost tempted to go to the gym (naah, I get so bored there – I’ll rather go for a run, even though it doesn’t get me muscels like that…)

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