The Woodsia Shorts – Free Sewing Pattern

Whether you have a pair for work, play or travel, no wardrobe is complete without a great pair of shorts! The Woodsia Cargo Shorts were made for practicality. Throw them on then load up the pockets with all your stuff!  These shorts will keep you looking put together while also keeping you cool and comfy when you’re out and about. Add your own flair by changing up the fabric and pocket details.  Dress them up or down, the possibilities are endless!

Fabric & materials used:

• 2 yards of  Steven Alan Medal Bronze Stretch Japanese Cotton Twill
• 1 spool of 509 Beige 250m Gutermann Sew All Thread
• 1 yard of 2″ Black Elastic
• 1 Quilt Sew Ruler
• 1 3-in-1 Mark & Trace Chalk – 7 Piece
• 1 Dritz Tapered Awl
• MDF069 – Woodsia Shorts Sewing Pattern (Free download below)

All seam allowances are 1/2″ unless otherwise stated. See chart below for sizing specifications. Note, this specific pattern is available up to a size 30.

Start by cutting out all of your pattern pieces according to their instructions. Make sure to mark any notches, use the awl to mark the pocket and flap placements.

Using your awl marks as a guide, line up the front welt piece with the front pocket placement. Right sides of the fabric touching.  Pin in place.

Next, following your guide, stitch 2 parallel lines to connect the Front Pocket Welt piece to the Front Shorts piece.  Be sure to back-tack and make sure the seams are very even, otherwise, when flipped the pocket will be skewed.

Using your scissors, make a cut in the center of the two seams you made, but with small triangles reaching the very end of the lines you just stitched (See above)

Next, flip the Welt piece through the opening, fold back and press. The piece should look like this when viewing the front:

The welt pocket is coming together!

Next, it’s time to add the Pocket Bag to the front of the shorts. Using your awl marks as a guide, create a rectangle using the chalk marker to clearly mark the opening on the pocket bag.

Then, cut an opening in the center of the rectangle, just like the one we made for the welt pocket. Be sure to make the same triangular cuts at the ends of the opening to meet the corners of the rectangle.

Now, pull the welt lips through the opening of the pocket bag.

Once you have pulled the fabric through the opening, fold back the raw edges to make it look nice and clean. Press and pin to keep in place.

Next, flip the piece right side up, topstitch just outside the ends of the pocket and in the seam line of the top and bottom of the pocket.

This is how it should look when done top-stitching.

This is how the finished back should look.

Next, we will work on the Pocket Flaps. Start by sewing two pieces, with right sides of the fabric together, around the sides and bottom. Follow up by clipping the corners and center bottom of the seam allowance. This will make it easier to define the points in the flaps when flipped right side out.

Flip the piece right side out and press.

Now, with the piece flipped right side out, fold in the open top of the flap and press.

Top stitch the piece all the way around to close.

Next, it’s time to work on the Back Pockets! The steps for achieving this will be very similar to the ones we used to do the front pockets. Using your awl marks as your guide, line up the back pocket bag with the marks on your Back Shorts piece, the right sides of the fabric touching. I like to mark the rectangle where with the chalk marker so that my lines are clean and even. Sew the top and bottom lines of the marked rectangle, again, making sure that the lines finish evenly and back-tacking the ends so that the corners are reinforced.

Once again, using your scissors, make a cut in the center of the two seams you made, but with small triangles reaching the very end of the lines you just stitched.

Now, flip the whole pocket bag through the opening

Fold the top and bottom of the pocket bag in to create the welt and press.

Top stitch the pocket opening, then flip and press the edges of the pocket bag in.

Pin, then sew around the pocket bag to close.  I chose to finish my pocket by hand instead of on the machine.

This is how the completed back pocket should look on the inside.

Add the flaps to all your pockets before putting the larger pieces together. It will make attaching them so much easier.

Sew the center back of your shorts together. Since I don’t have a serger at my disposal I used french seams to make the inside of my garment look clean and finished.

Attach your two front pant panels at the front rise.

 

Fold the faux fly facings to one side and top-stitch into place, like below.

Fold the faux fly facings to one side and top-stitch into place, like above.

Attach the Front Waistband pieces to each other on the top then attach the Front Waistband to the front of the shorts.

Flip the band closed and press. Finish with a top stitch. (I cut my waistband slightly longer than needed. I clipped it to the same width as the shorts after)

Create a nice finish on the bottom of the front pocket bag by folding in the hem  and then stitching over it. Only close the bottom as the side will be sewn into the side seam.

Now, using your notches as a guide, fold and press your back waistband down to create a channel for the elastic.  Stitch the waistband closed.

Feed your elastic through the channel, then, holding both ends firmly, stretch the elastic to evenly distribute the fabric over it. Stay stitch the ends to keep the elastic in place.

I attached the front and back of the shorts at the sides but left the inseam open. Doing this will give you more access to the side and will make it easier to attach the side pocket.

Using your notches as a guide,  close the box pleat on the Side Pocket-piece, press, then stitch a line on the top and bottom to keep in place.

Next, press all sides to create a hem around the pocket, then top stitch. You will then place your Side Pocket piece onto the shorts and sew on top of the seam lines you just created as your guide.

Finally, attach the flap over the side pocket and then sew the inseam closed. Hem the pants and now they are complete!

 

I made these shorts two ways, one with flaps on the pockets and one without. The choice is yours!