SBCC Gina Shorts & Grainline Maritime Shorts

I inadvertently took most of the summer off from sewing and instead I've read about 16 books so far.  I have no regrets! I did manage to make three pair of shorts: two Maritimes and one Gina short, which is the new pattern from SBCC.  I always wonder how similar patterns compare to each other, so I thought it might be helpful to describe them for you.

The green shorts are the Maritime pattern and the teal shorts are the Gina pattern.  The Maritime shorts have a bit looser or flared fit throughout the leg.

A big difference between the patterns is the dart in the back of the Gina pattern.  The Maritime has no dart, which results in the Gina short having a curvier fit throughout the back than the Maritime.

I think the Maritime short makes your booty look a little flatter while the Gina short makes it look a curvier.  We all want different things!

The Maritime shorts have pocket bags while the Gina pockets are topstitched on with no pocket bags.

I made the Maritime shorts first, and I found the instructions for sewing the fly and zipper extremely easy to follow.  The Gina instructions list the steps in a different order, and since I made the Maritime shorts first the Gina fly instructions felt out of order to me and resulted in what I feel is a less desirable looking fly.  Also, the Gina fly facing is about an inch shorter then the Maritime facing, which exposes the zipper at the bottom. If you are new to sewing pant zippers and fly facings, I would choose the Maritime pattern first.  The Gina doesn't give instructions for finishing your zipper pieces, and you'll want those if you're new.

I also have to be completely transparent and say that I had a lot of energy when I was sewing the Maritime shorts at the beginning of the summer, and was completely lazy when I was sewing the Ginas.  L-A-Z-Y.  I think you can tell by my workmanship but I'm not planning on wearing my pants inside out so it's my secret!

The Gina shorts have a cuff at the bottom while the Maritime shorts are just turned under and stitched.

I like them both for different reasons, and they aren't so similar that you have to choose one over the other.  Both shorts are made with twill from Style Maker fabrics.  I think the fabric is part of the summer sale so hurry over!

Grainline Maritime Shorts

My pant making process continues! As long as I get a little bit better each time I make a pair I'm considering the make a success.

Everywhere I turn people are raving about this pattern so I had to try it. It doesn't disappoint! The size 6 fits with no alterations which is the thing that always makes me the most nervous when I start thinking about sewing any type of pant. 

The Grainline tutorial for sewing the fly is amazing.  It makes it so easy! I'm proud of how my fly turned out on this one. Sorry you'll have to turn your head sideways. 

I chose a Ralph Lauren denim from Mood and it is extremely stiff.  I'm hoping if I wash the shorts a thousand times they will loosen up a bit.  Choosing fabric is hard. 

I don't know why pants are so hard for me to gear up for mentally.  I jump into everything else with both feet but jeans give me pause.  I think they seem intimidating to think about, but this pair was truly easy!  I'm not sure how often I will wear these but practice makes perfect.