Tag: McCall's 8221

Using Sheets To Make Loungewear

Sometimes you end up with something and you think “how can I use this?” Well, that’s what happened to me and it didn’t take long for me to decide what to do. I realize that using sheets to make loungewear is the perfect combination.

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Lots Of Fabric

With full, queen and king size sheets you get a lot of fabric. Purchasing a set of sheets on sale can save you significant money while giving you yards and yards of fabric. So with that in mind, I made myself a loungewear set and a robe.

woman wearing shirt and shorts set

Easy To Cut And Sew

I figured that since the sheets are soft, they would be perfect for this purpose. These sheets I’m showing here are about 40+ years old. My mother had purchased these Ralph Lauren 100% cotton sheets in the 80’s or 90’s. The one above is a butter yellow and white stripe (imagine a button down shirt).

yellow and white striped fabric

There were some holes in the fabric from when it had been stored, but overall, it was in good condition. The holes in the sheets were marked with painters tape so I could cut around those areas. I used the flat sheet in particular for this set and I still have the fitted sheet leftover. Fraying or having loose threads when cutting out the pattern was not a problem.

Patterns Used

Butterick 6296 is used for the top and McCall’s 8221 are the shorts. I used the cuff of the flat sheet for the bottom of the shorts. Both patterns are available and easy enough for a beginner.

Back view of woman wearing yellow and white pj set

The pockets and piping were left off from the top. I didn’t have any piping available at home and really didn’t feel like trying to go out and get any. The pockets weren’t a necessity for me on the top.

The Robe

Most recently I made the robe from the same type of Ralph Lauren sheets, but these were in a lavendar and white stripe.

Lavender and white striped material

For the robe, I used a very old pattern, but it’s one of my favorites. McCall’s 4320 is available online from different sellers and it’s the pattern I used.

woman wearing robe from sheets

This is so comfortable and is warm enough without causing me to overheat. That’s very important. With using sheets to make loungewear, you get so much fabric that is generally going to be super soft.

woman wearing McCall's 4320 robe made from sheets back view

If you are looking to make something comfortable that can be wearable as the seasons change, I highly recommend using a sheet set for the job!

Here’s a link to my YouTube video on this project.

5 Quick And Easy Summer Shorts Patterns

Since many of us are in the middle of summer, I thought it would be a good time to write about making summer shorts. These 5 quick and easy summer shorts patterns are (mostly) beginner friendly. I am a person that believes that if you don’t challenge yourself a little bit, you won’t really perfect your skill and move beyond the simplest choice. I also believe that just because you’re more advanced, that doesn’t mean you can’t make a super simple pattern using your fabric scraps. So, let’s get into it.

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The Patterns

McCall’s 8221

This is one of my most favorite summer shorts patterns. They are cute and comfortable.

McCalls 8221 pattern envelope

I have made both views A and B. B is my personal favorite. They are at a comfortable length for me.

M8221 shorts View B

This pattern features inseam pockets and come in three lengths. There’s also an elastic waist. I made these in about an hour.

New Look 6055

This is a pattern where I have only made the pants but not the shorts. Since the pants were an easy project, I know the shorts have to be even easier.

New Look 6055 pattern envelope

As you can see above, there are two shorts versions. One, View E, seems to be a little bit shorter than the other, View D. Both of these have slant pockets, elastic and drawstring. As I stated, I haven’t made the shorts, I’ve only made the pants (View A). But those were easy to put together as well.

Itch-to-Stitch Sequoia Cargo Pants and Shorts

These are absolutely another favorite of my 5 quick and easy summer shorts patterns. The Sequoia is a pattern that is a bit more involved than a simple elastic waist. But don’t let that scare you!

Cargo shorts are terrific! This is a pattern that is definitely in my summer rotation when it comes to making shorts.

Itch-To-Stitch Sequoia Cargo Shorts

There are snaps, elastic and ribbed knit in the waistband as well as a front fly. She has a very good tutorial on how to assemble the waistband.

Itch-to-Stitch Sequoia Cargo shorts back

I have made this pattern twice. You can check out the Itch-To-Stitch shop here.

Colette Iris

Sadly, this pattern is out of print. But I still love it.

As you can see, this is rated as a “Beginner” pattern. If you know how to insert an invisible zipper, you can make these shorts!

Colette Iris shorts front

The only alteration I made to mine was to make them a bit longer. Here is a picture of the first pair I made (many years ago)…

These shorts were part of a suit I made with matching blazer. Seamwork (formerly Colette) has a new pattern with the same name, but these seem to be a little different. And here is the blog post from the last time I made these shorts.

Kwik Sew 3854

Here is one I completely forgot about. I actually found this one when I was pulling out patterns for the YouTube video I made on this topic.

Kwik Sew 3854 pattern envelope

Now, if you look at this and think these are too short, don’t be discouraged. I almost always end up adding a few inches to the length of my shorts. I’ve not had a problem doing this and the results have been great. This particular pattern is one that I haven’t made yet. But I do like the two different styles. I have seen this made by other sewists, and it’s a very cute look.

Conclusion

So that’s my 5 quick and easy summer shorts patterns. What patterns are on your list? There’s still plenty of summer left here. Or there’s plenty of time to get ready for summer if you are in the southern hemisphere.

McCall’s 8221 New Look 6055 Kwik Sew 3854