Fall Shorts that don't Fall Short

Today I finished the second personal sewing project I have completed from scratch since I got more serious about sewing. I made a pair of shorts using McCall's 3132. They came out pretty well, but I had some difficulty with the ridiculous, fray crazy fabric I chose to work with, and I had to bring the hips in a lot to make them fit. Interestingly, this pattern is supposed to be for "low-rise" shorts. I wouldn't quite call these shorts low rise....maybe I just made them too small. But still, if the crotch hung any lower...
Anyway, here they are:

I'm pretty pleased with these, and I think that if I tried the pattern again with a less annoying fabric and knowing that the hips are too wide, I could make some very well fitted shorts. Here is a back view:

Note the Tina Turner stance. Whatever. I am not a pattern model. But, if I were a pattern model....

That's how all the chicks on Burda Style stand...all pigeon toed. I guess it makes your thighs look thinner. Anyway, I have a nice plaid I am thinking I will make some golfy looking shorts with. That's a technical sewing term. Golfy. I need to get back to the little dresses for a little while...we have 11 or so, and plan to send two dozen to Africa with our neighbor in September. In order to speed assembly, I purchased a roll of bias strip at the thrift store yesterday. Damned if that $10 Kenmore machine didn't come with a foot that folds tape and stitches it to your project in one step. I will be practicing with that, and then I will really be able to crank out some cute little dresses. I'm not even going to get started talking about the ruffler and pleater. 

    In other news here on the farm, I have some sad news...we lost our neighbor and friend this morning to cancer. He fought long and hard, and was a great Western Cackalacky character, who had all sorts of charming stories and farm advice to share with us during our first two years here. He will be missed. 

    Summer is winding down here for us- technically speaking, anyway. My husband returns to work in a week, and then I will be on my own by day with a giggle monster. I know we will have a lot of fun, and that it will be supremely exhausting. I am looking forward to fall, the cooler weather, the farm stand pumpkins and squash, and the fall holidays. I know, I know. It's not even the middle of August. Okay, so the fall crap is just wishful thinking. It'll be here soon enough, and I know better than to wish any time away. That's it for now. Tomorrow I will be making peach jam and some baby food to set by for the coming months. The baby is five months old already! I will post pics of the canning and food goodies as we process them. 'Til then....