You should know that I feel guilty about not sewing more often for my boys – so when I see a pattern that they would actually like (and that I actually want to make), I grab it up! The Long Board shorts pattern from Make It Perfect was no exception. These looked like comfortable shorts that even my 10 year old would wear!!!
So I grabbed the pattern as soon as I could. There are two sizes to the pattern – I opted for the “big” (6-10) since my boys fit in that age range. They do have a “small” available as well for sizes 0-5! The pattern hung on my peg board, just waiting because I had to wait patiently for Lucy’s Crab Shack by Sweetwater to be released. Taylor wanted “Hawaiian” shorts and their Aloha print would be exactly right for his long board shorts.
Once I had the fabric in hand, I got to work tracing the pattern onto freezer paper. The pattern sheets are heavy white paper which makes tracing them SO much easier. It only took about 30 minutes to get everything traced and ready to cut. I found the pattern fabric requirements to be generous but I was happy to have some of this navy blue left over to go in my stash (which is heavy on aquas and light on darker blues.) I opted to go up to a size 7 but keep the length of the short at a size 6. The shorts are plenty long and the fit is generous enough that he’ll be able to wear them for a good amount of time. (And since we can usually still wear shorts until about Thanksgiving, that is a good thing.)
The hardest part in making these shorts was finding ribbed knit for the waistband. I have plenty of regular interlock on hand, and because you add elastic to the waistband, I considered using it instead….but I just really wanted that ribbed look at the waist (even if it’s covered by a shirt!) I considered hacking apart a very large waistband from a thrift store or Walmart but decided to drive down to Joann’s first….and they had ribbed knit. I bought 1/3 yard – which is actually enough for 4 waistband for my boys.
Anyway, back to the making of the shorts. The pattern was really easy to follow and well written. All the pieces worked together just like they are supposed to and there was no guessing as to what to do next. The shorts also went together very quickly – I’d say about an hour the first time and even faster the second – which makes me much more likely to make them again. My favorite detail is the angled pockets on the front. Although I think the knee patches are fun also (and practical because my boys do wear their knees out first!) I was pleased when I finish. Even my husband said they are good shorts.
The real test would be if Taylor liked them….and he more than likes them, he LOVES them. He wore them 4 days straight before I made him pick something else to wear so I could wash them! And best of all, when my ten year old boy saw them, he liked them and requested a pair of his own…only without Hawaiian fabric. 
The Long Board shorts from Make It Perfect gets my highest recommendation! Haley has even requested a pair. And I think made in girly fabric and cut just a couple inches shorter so it’s at the knee (with no knee patch) they will be perfect for her also! I’m also thinking that next summer I can use them for swim shorts (if I can find the right fabric!) Anyway I hope to get a few more made before school starts. How do you think they’d be in grey corduroy for school?
-Melanie
