Last year summer in Wellington was a non-starter. I barely made a summer wardrobe, and didn’t get to wear the few pieces I did make. This year Wellington is making up for lost sunshine with a vengeance. It’s been SUNNY and STICKY. Mr D & I have been spending lots of time outside, gardening and going for walks, which means lots of shorts & T-shirts.
Luckily I found the perfect shorts fabric over winter. Isn’t it wonderful when you find a fabric and it tells you exactly what it wants to be? Down to the last detail! So often I know what I want to make, but can’t find the right fabric, or find gorgeous fabric, and have a good general idea of what it should be, but figuring out the design details takes more time than making the actual thing…
Last winter Made Marion Craft got in this fabulous linen blend with a little triangular pattern in yellow & black:
It immediately said two things to me: shorts, and Smaug.
Smaug?
Yep!
Think of the original cover design for The Hobbit, with the Misty Mountains in the background?
The triangles remind me of the both the mountains, and of the repeating lines of trees in the cover design. Turned upside down, they become dragon scales.
So, Smaug Shorts! Dragon scale outers, with Misty Mountains in the pockets, and a golden yellow ‘hoard’ for all the inner finishing details:
And some really fun pattern matching:
Perfect for summer walks:
Plus a bit of rock climbing on a cool/weird rock pile sculpture on the Wellington coast which we call the ‘Dinosaur Eggs’.
The T-shirt is just a quickie that I made up to test a free T-shirt pattern (not recommended, so no link). The fabric amuses me because it looks like bar codes. I wonder what I’d come up as if you scanned me!
There wasn’t enough fabric for matching sleeves, but I’m kind of liking the contrast look of the white ones.
I absolutely love these shorts and have been wearing them as often as they come out of the wash. I think I might need to make another pair. Luckily I have more fabric. The next pair might be Misty Mountains up and Smaug in the pockets…
Oh I love your shorts too. If it were a ‘Rate The Shorts’ blog, I would give them 10 out of 10. Love the pattern, the colours and the cut and they suit you so well.
Here’s hoping the weather stays summery in Wellington so you get to wear them lots.
I identify so much with your mental journey– from triangles, to mountains/scales, to “ooh, look, the gold is the hoard”, to being pleased to pose on dragons’ eggs! I often do the same thing when I sew, and consider it one of the unexpected benefits of making my own clothes. When I put on a garment that has a story, even if only known to me, it feels special.
(Second try to post this, hopefully it goes through!)
Cute, cute shorts! And the perfect confluence of dragon-ness in this post! All your outdoor spots look just lovely.
Your t-shirt fabric amuses me also. Perhaps you would scan as a friendly dragon? 😉
Interesting that your dragon naming came from the Hobbit- a Western source. When I first saw the fabric, I though of course- triangles. In Japanese culture a repeated triangle motif is associated with scales and dragons!
These shorts are beautiful and I love the story! What pattern did you use? It’s very flattering.
Thank you! The pattern is one of my own 🙂 It’s not yet available through Scroop Patterns, but it will be.
Cute! I’m glad you’re enjoying the summer. So great to get to wear the creations you imagine wearing.