Whether you’re making them to pair with The Emilia Bra, or you’re just having trouble finding excellent exercise apparel, The Erinus Shorts are the perfect way to personalize and update your workout wardrobe. Their high waist means comfort and wearability, while their paneled design busts color palette options wide open. Keep them reserved and simple, or add a pop of color and personality with one of our printed tricots!
Fabrics & materials used:
- 1/2 yard Black Heavy Compression Double Knit w/ Max-Dri Wicking and Micro Air Technology
- 1/2 yard Warm Floral UV Protective Compression Tricot with Aloe Vera Microcapsules
- 1/4 yard Black Power Mesh
- MDF017 – The Erinus Shorts Sewing Pattern (free download below!)
Pattern includes a 1/2″ seam allowance unless otherwise stated.
Begin by sewing your side panel to the front and back panels. The curve of the side will point toward the back of the shorts, like you see above.
If you’re serger-less like me, a zig-zag stitch will work best. I chose to go with French seams for this, which isn’t 100% necessary since tricots don’t typically fray. However, if you decide to go the same route, I recommend adding an 1/8″ or so to your seam allowance just to be safe.
Attach each of your pant legs to each other by matching up the front rises and back rises respectively.
Insert the gusset to attach the front and back of your garment at the inseam. Your project should start looking like shorts now! Here is where you can try them on and check your fit; your shorts may be a little lose around the waist before you add your waistband, but be sure they’re not baggy or too long.
Lastly, add your waistband and hem the bottom of your shorts, again using a zig-zag stitch. As an optional detail, I gave the waistband a mesh overlay to match the Emilia bra that I made for my coworker!
Will you be trying these out? I’d love to hear which fabrics you’ll be using. Tell me in the comments!
20 comments
Printed out the pattern yesterday and made a muslin using my serger. They went together quick. Can’t wait for my Mood fabric to arrive
That’s awesome! Let us know how your final project turns out! 🙂
I love this pattern. I can’t wait to try it out!! Thank you.
Thank you for reading!! Let us know how yours come out 🙂
Can’t wait to try this! FYI – on the pattern pieces, the legend(?) shows that since 16/18 is a solid line on [Side Back, Front, Side Panel, and Waistband] pieces. I just counted in to which line to follow and highlighted it.
I made three pairs of these out of a cotton/spandex blend to wear under skirts & dresses as chafing prevention. I finished the waistband and hems with folder elastic in a contrasting color and they’re so pretty and breezy!
Is there a tutorial on this? I would love to see one.
Hi Reniqua, the tutorial instructions are in the blog post above! 🙂
If only I’d seen this pattern BEFORE I designed my own bicycle shorts pattern! I’m definitely going to try it on my next pair of merino interlock knit bike shorts.
Thank you again for you lovely patterns. Can not wait to wear these items !!!
Has anyone added a chamois to make padded bike shorts out of this pattern? Any tips on doing that?
Hi Connie, I’ve sewn in tens of chamois (including cutting out about half of them, LOL!). I get mine from old cycling shorts I know I like. You can buy chamois from Aero Tech Designs too. First, I safety pin in the chamois (one pin in front, one in back) and try on the shorts. I sit on the bike and decide whether to move the chamois a bit forward or rearward, re-pinning as needed. Next, I pin the center seam with another two safety pins to keep the chamois centered left to right. Next, I pin the whole perimeter using about a million pins, ha ha!. I do this with the shorts inside out and stretched over my bent knee holding each leg in position, for each pin in turn, alternating symmetrically left and right and trying not to stretch the shorts fabric much. I position the first four pins, one each at the chamois’ edges near my center seam safety pins (so as not to distort things), then add more pins in between those, and in between those, etc until I’m confident I won’t be sewing wrinkles into my shorts. Wrinkles are my biggest problem! So I’m willing to spend time re-pinning if needed. Then I sew the perimeter using a wide 3-step zigzag. I start and end at the left side inseam (though my shorts pattern doesn’t use an inseam), overlapping a few stiches at the end. After I developed this involved method, I found videos showing how the factories might be doing it: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=how+to+sew+chamois But I still don’t trust myself not to sew in wrinkles if I did it that way… Good luck!
I’m a first-time athletic wear sewer, and while the french seams certainly look nice from the inside, I’m getting a little lumpiness/bulk in the back (between the side and back panel) underneath the butt area when I put them on. This is something common I see on a lot of women’s pants, especially tight ones, but I’m wondering WHY it happens. Would topstitching these seams (with a zig-zag, of course), help? Or is this inevitable? They don’t feel too tight or uncomfortable, they just look a little imperfect. Thank you in advance!
Hi, Lauren! Yes, you could definitely stitch them down with a zig-zag stitch. Another thing I’ve discovered since making this post a few years ago is an absolute love for the overlock stitch. If your machine has it, it’s stitch #8 on the Mood machine, if you’re able to zoom in on the product picture then you could skip French seams altogether! An overlock stitch can be used with a regular seam, which reduces bulk, and you can also use it to stitch down the seam allowance. 🙂 I hope this helps!
Is there a side pocket hack available?
Hi, Leslie! Not for this pattern specifically, but you could probably make a pocket similarly to how I made one here. 🙂
Thank you perfect I appreciate the tutorial on that. Unfortunately I already sewed that seam together BUT I will definitely incorporate it the next go around. Thanks again!
Thank you Courtney. i have just made three pairs of these for my teenage daughters. The fit is perfect. I used a cotton spandex knit, light weight with good recovery. I sewed the on my overlocker and finished the hem with my coverstitch.
Brilliant!
I just love it
Does anyone know how to eliminate the front seam? I’ve been trying but it seems like there’s a step I’m missing because when I try it on, there’s extra fabric right at the front. I put together right and left side (overlapping the seam allowance), measured the crotch gap between left and right, took it out from the sides, recovered the waist measurement and redesigned the waist line… But it just doesn’t work… I’d love if anybody could bring some light please 🙂