Made by Me Files/OOTD: Burda Style Magazine 02/2013 Pleated Shorts #129.

I will go ahead and write about the ootd first and then follow-up with more on the "made by me" second.

Day: Wednesday, July 18, 2013.

Where:  Wal-Mart, Kroger, and Steak & Shake (mmm, Steak & Shake).

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I love love love this outfit.  I was not sure how the shorts would end up fitting or feeling since there was no real way of knowing until the shorts were completely sewn, but once I had completed them, I knew I had something pretty special.  They are a touch too big (esp. in the waist), but the slouchy look lends itself to both the fabric and the style.  More on that in the "made by me" portion.

The tee is from Zara and a very soft cotton/modal mix, which draped well and felt nice against my skin on the ridiculously hot and humid day that it was.  The wedge sandals have served me well these past years, and all the pairs I own never feel too tight or too high, and not once have I regretted either buying them or wearing them out and about.

Cool Factor: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  Yep, I gave this outfit a high score.  I think the combo of unicorn foil-printed slouchy tee, retro yet modern handmade denim-look shorts, arrow-shaped necklace, metallic clutch, and wedge sandals look cool, no matter what circle I run in...even if it is just the "take my girl to Wal-Mart to get some sandals" kind of circle.  ;-)

Anecdote from the day:  We went to Wal-Mart to buy CW's some shoes (she has outgrown her other pairs), Kroger for groceries (made my family in GA some cheesy grits with sausage and shrimp), and Steak and Shake for a shake (yummy peanut butter banana flavor). 

Really, I could go anywhere and do anything, but if the day were topped off by a trip to Steak and Shake, it would be a fine day.  Love love love Steak and Shake.

The shorts are based on a pattern found in the February 2013 Burda Style Magazine.  This magazine has a lot of patterns stuffed inside the center and based on what I have made from them before, they are drafted well, and look great once sewn up.  The only rub is that you have to trace them from a sheet of paper that looks like this.  Once you find the pieces you need to trace, it gets better, but it is definitely a time consuming process and definitely not for the faint of heart.

I traced off a size 42, which is what I have done in the past with them to some success.  Barring some extra length in the front crotch curve, the first pattern I made was spot on for fit.  This pair of shorts fits decently, but is very much too big at the waist, which is obvious in the above photo.  The size 42 on the measurement chart says that it is meant for a waist of about 31", so my 28.5" waist is more suited for a size 40.

The pattern is also meant to fit a touch closer on the bottom portion of the shorts, based on the photo in the magazine, but that bit I like, even if it doesn't resemble the original "look."  I think the swingy almost skirt-like a-line shaping is pretty and suits my frame.  I will be cutting this pair of shorts again, with a smaller waist, in a flowy fabric so I can replicate this interesting silhouette.

I do have plans to cut the 40 in the future, just to at least give it a try and see if the smaller size will fit my body more like it fits on the model in the magazine.  I will probably try it with a stretch twill fabric I own, that way if there are any fit issues, some of them can be erased with the ease built into the stretch fabric.  (And if there aren't any issues, and I was meant to cut the smaller size in the first place, I will have learned something new about pattern sizing in general!)

Oh, the pocket details are such fun, and beautifully drafted.  They are not only useful, but look very pretty.  I could see trimming them in a contrast material if the right fabric/embellishment/thread found its way into my fabric stash.

This view shoes that the hips are a touch too big.  My hips and bottom, while large, are not quite this large, and by the end of the day, especially with the way linen/rayon fabric wears, there was a bit of sag overall in the shorts.

That isn't to say the shape from behind didn't look okay, I just know that the extra fabric may have added a bit of fullness where there is none.  ;-)  But again, and I keep repeating it because it is true, I definitely want to replicate this, but in a different fabric, one that is a bit more flowy, so the skirt effect of these shorts can look more intentional and less, "oh, she cut those too big."

The side zip and button are on display above, and I am sure some of you very advanced sewers will just look at it and gasp at the clumsy application I did, but I am sure proud of myself for getting them in there.  I want to believe that one day that all my zips and button closures will look super tidy and neat, but I am not quite there yet.  I can only get there by continuing to attempt them, the best that I can, again, and again, and again.  LOL.  And again.

Since I knew that I would need some help in creating these shorts because Burda instructions are iffy at best, I went to a few fellow blogs and/or pattern review sites to help me understand how to create these.  These ladies may have no idea who I am, but I definitely grateful to them for putting their work out there for me to inspect.

1. Loved how "whatkatiedoes" styled the shorts.  Had to borrow some of her cute ideas.

2. Kathryn made these shorts in two different colors.  Love her styling of them, as well.

3. Love these winter/fall version, and I appreciate knowing they will look good lengthened a bit in the inseam.

4. Grays08 wrote a fantastic review on the pattern over at sewingpatternreview.com.  I referred to her review constantly during the process of making the shorts.

Okay, that's it for today.  :-)  Have any of you out there attempted a Burda magazine pattern?  I love the challenge, and the results seem to be worth the effort.