While we are in the midst of winter here in Virginia (though not much traditional winter weather), I still wanted to recount the sewing projects I completed during the warmer months of this past year. This summer, I knew I wanted to sew a pair of durable, yet comfortable linen shorts. The Palisade Pants from Papercut Patterns seemed to be the perfect pattern to turn to for my ideal pair of shorts.
The Palisade Pants, which can be made into a pair of long trousers or shorts, was a pattern I had purchased a while ago but had always been too intimidated to start. Motivated by a need for a good pair of shorts, I was finally inspired to try this pattern out. It wasn’t as difficult as I imagined, even as an advanced beginner.
Papercut Patterns is a popular indie sewing pattern brand from New Zealand, known for their chic and artful styles. The Palisade Pants is the second pattern I’ve made from Papercut, with their Array Top being the first one I had ever tried from the brand.
The Palisade shorts consist of quite a few pattern pieces due to the more artful features, such as unique cross-over pockets on the side panels, and an elasticated waistband with a flat front detail and faux fly. The actual construction was not as complicated as I thought it would be, but did initially take me a bit of time to work through.
In fact, I actually ended up sewing three pairs of these shorts. Technically, one was a muslin toile test sew. The second pair was a size too tight in the waist and hips, and I hadn’t left enough elastic for the waistband either. The second pair of shorts will be a present for my cousin of mine, who is more petite than I am.
By the third try, I’d figured out my mistakes, went up a size, and remembered to leave enough elastic for the waistband. The third time was definitely a charm, I ended up sewing a size XS (which is now a NZ size 2- Papercut Patterns changed to a numbered sizing system) instead of the initial XXS. The final shorts fit absolutely perfectly, and are still quite relaxed and comfortable.
The process of sewing these was actually very quick after I’d learned and worked through the steps. There weren’t too many challenging techniques that I encountered here, but I enjoyed the more unique methods of sewing. For me, the most difficult part was ensuring the waistband was pieced together correctly and there was enough elastic to fit my waist.
A fair warning that there is a lot of topstitching involved, which is kind of assumed for pants. I probably sewed, seam ripped, and re-sewed every section that required topstitching at least three or four times, which really slowed down my timing on this project. I’ll never enjoy topstitching, but it really does make a difference and I got more practice in!
The double cross-over pockets are what drew me to this pants pattern. Not only do they look extremely chic, they are also so functional as deep, sturdy pockets thanks to the smart design and inner interfacings.
The flat front and faux fly are also very nice details that subtly give these basic shorts a unique, elevated look. I feel like these details disguise a very comfy pair of shorts as “real” pants.
While it took me a while to finish these shorts, I don’t regret the time I spent on them and am so pleased with the outcome. I will definitely sew a few more pairs of shorts in the future and hopefully more quickly now that I’m more familiar with the instructions. The Palisade shorts makes for a chic wardrobe staple, and I’m really excited to make the long pants version too!
Pattern: Papercut Patterns Palisade Pants, $14.57 USD (PDF), $21.85 (Printed).
Fabric: Kaufman Essex Yarn Dyed Linen Blend in Flax, Fabric.com
Size made: XS/ NZ size 2, made as shorts.
