Rite of Spring Shorts

Quite simply, these shorts are amazing. I am not sure I will ever wear them again (a little too short for what I'm used to!), but boy are they comfortable and the design is just superb. It is the second Papercut pattern I have tried (the Rigel Bomber was my first), and once again, I am delighted with the result.

I used a little leftover cotton sateen that I had recently turned into a long shirt dress. The piping was some lilac shirting, because it was the best matching homemade bias binding this lazy girl had on hand.

These shorts came together beautifully. I love their seamlines and the way the piping highlights this feature (try to ignore the slightly mismatched grid lines if you can!). I also love the way the back hem is curved and interfaced so that it sits out in a very flattering manner. The sizing was pretty spot on. The fit is near perfect on me. I would just like to remove a little bit of excess fabric in the front crotch area if I made these again. I'm also wondering if I could add pockets along those curved side seams. I can see these shorts looking fabulous made up in wool for winter and worn over dark tights.

For me, I had a little difficulty in finding the right top to match. At first, I tried my go-to work shirt, made up in a silk/cotton voile called Smudged (from Tessuti Fabrics). But this didn't quite work.

So then I tried something else. I cut several inches off the hem of an old black T-shirt, turning it into a cropped top. I think this looks a little better, but I feel rather overexposed. Adding the jacket helped a bit, but really, the only way I feel truly comfortable with my amount of bare leg in these shorts is to crop the photos, which obviously isn't possible in real life!