Shorts on the Line!

     The amazingly talented and inspirational Rachel of Imagine Gnats and some of her awesome sewing and blogging buddies are running a project/contest/fun things to do on Kollabora right now called Shorts on the Line.  All of this is basically just a way of celebrating shorts - handmade shorts! Shorts for babies, kids, teens and adults.  Short shorts, long shorts, baggy shorts, tight shorts! As not a shorts wearer myself (at least not in my adult life) I haven't really spent a lot of time thinking about all the different types of shorts that are out there, and let me tell you, this week, through the blogs and the Facebook and the Instagram, my mind is being blown!

     And it just so happens that I have recently been working on some shorts, for Annie and for the shop.  I have been hiding the 2T pair from her and from myself.  I didn't want them to get wrinkly and dirty before I had a chance to orchestrate the perfect photo shoot to really show them off and make an amazing blog post with all these new shorts.  Since ready Alida Makes' incredible ebook Style That Kid, I don't want to put any pictures of my projects out into the internet universe that aren't "perfect," that wouldn't make her proud.  But guess what?  That is ridiculous!  I don't know her, she doesn't know me.  I learned a lot from the ebook.  I'm glad I read it, but really? I do not need to be perfect. I need to learn from it.  Work at it a little at a time.  Do the best I can.  And be proud of what I've made, proud of the pictures I take, and just put it out there.  Share my excitement, share my joy.  And share how super cute Annie looks in all the pictures all the time.

    So I have been thinking about this Shorts on the Line.  And thinking about my shorts and getting them involved.

    And separately but at the same time, thinking about the fact that we are moving in two weeks (which means I should probably quit the photo shoots and online social sewing projects and blog posts, for that matter) and that where we are going, there will probably not be so much shorts wearing.  So everyday she is wearing shorts, most days multiple pairs.  But still my newest, handmade, adorable shorts stayed in hiding.

    Yesterday I had had enough!  They came out of the Fun Little Things cupboard and went on her cute little bum!  The plan was picking up Dad early from work, bringing a picnic and everything in the world that was packed in my huge bag, and heading to the new waterfront park.  And then, big time whoops, one block from Dad's office I realize, among the everything in the world packed in my bag, I may have forgotten the two actually important things… Annie's swim diaper and swim suit.  So, new plan!  Picnic in Balboa park it was.  And thank goodness, I had my camera. So photo shoot picnic in Balboa park it was!  And now I have photos to share with you!

    They are not Style That Kid perfect.  They are not at the golden hour, but it was overcast which is good.  Most of them do not have enough color contrast, the benches and fountains are all almost the same color as her shorts, and right at shorts height.  But the Koi Pond, buildings and orchids are beautiful.  And so is Annie.  And if I don't say so myself, so are the shorts.  And she really was having so much fun climbing and running, splashing and smelling the flowers.  And I loved our picnic and I loved our photo shoot.  And I love these pictures.

     Here they are, my Not-So-Girly-Girl Adventure Shorts.  Annie likes to put my sunglasses on top of her head, wrap a colored silky around her neck, strike a pose and giggle.  But she also really likes to climb and run, dig her bare feet in the dirt, chase and be chased by dogs at the park, climb up inside chicken coops and go on all kinds of dangerous and not so clean adventures.  These are her shorts.  The fabric is grey, with bright flowers, Kaffe Fassett Guinea Flower in grey.  Girly, but not so girly girl.  They are long enough to keep your legs from sticking on the slide.  They are baggy enough to bend your knees up high when climbing ladders and benches and fountains.  They are elastic waisted to stay in place while you run and spin and dance.  The perfect shorts to keep your little one happy while playing, and mom happy with how cute they look.

    The pattern has done a lot of evolving.  It started out as Go To Leggings (I think my all time favorite pattern purchase!)  It went from there, to bubble shorts, thanks to a tutorial by Monica of Adirondack Inspired on the Imagine Gnats Blog. And then the shorts lost their bubble.  I love everything I have made with the patterns and tutorials that got me here, but love these the most because I feel the creating of them was the most mine, if that sentence makes any sense.

    I have made some in other fabrics and other sizes, and they will be coming to my etsy shop when it opens back up after the move.  After our picnic and shed cleaning/playing in the backyard yesterday, this pair is officially Annie's, not just hers if they don't sell.  And I can promise you this, she will be wearing them as many times as I can wash them between now and when we leave the heat.

I know you can't really see the shorts in these last two, but I love them.
Just look at her!

"Dad!"

"Mom!"

Again, can't see the shorts, I don't care.

And one more in the finally empty shed, wet and dirty, slightly twisted, but so adorable, and the lighting is great!

And thank goodness, she has enough room to grow that we can still bust them out when the sun decides to shine in Aptos for a week in the fall, or when we go for a hike somewhere warm.  Check out all the amazing shorts on the Kollabora Shorts on the Line sew alone.  There are some crazy talented and creative people out there sewing things for themselves and the people they love!