If you read part one of the de-stash challenge, you’ll know I’d just committed to bravely using fabric a perfect strange sent to me then enter the resulting garment into a competition with a $50 prize. Easy, right? Wrong!
Let’s pick up where we left off—needle poised, fabric flying, and a deadline looming…
From plaid to plan – deciding what to sew
The first step, and probably the hardest challenge, was deciding what to make with that multi-coloured plaid fabric that reminded me of a dress I wore in the 1980s. Being plus-size, there was definitely not enough to make anything that would fit me. I thought about sewing a child’s outfit, but I don’t know anyone with small children who could model a garment for the competition photos.
I wanted to do something a bit different and edgy. Something that would make a real impact.
A dream project?
It was my mother who came up with an idea that grabbed me and wouldn’t let go—men’s boxer shorts!
A few days after I received the fabric, Mum told me she’d had a recurring dream about boxer shorts. Perhaps it was a good thing she couldn’t remember the details (or at least she wouldn’t share them), only that there were boxer shorts in her dream—and they were made from the same fabric I’d been sent.
I started looking at boxer shorts patterns and realised they were totally doable. There was enough fabric, and I was confident I could make them in time for the challenge deadline.
Finding the right pattern (and a pun too good to pass up)
I didn’t have to look online for long before I found a boxer shorts pattern on 5outof4.com. It looked like a reasonably straightforward project, with only three pattern pieces. I had plenty of fabric to accommodate it. I did still consider making a child’s garment with the leftover piece but I didn’t want to risk running out of time or fabric and not being able to finish either. Boxer shorts felt like the right choice—fun, different, and yes, a bit edgy. Excuse the pun but boxer shorts fit the brief.
The pattern featured flat-felled seams—something I hadn’t done before so it was good to have a new challenge. I couldn’t wait to get started. There was just one thing holding me back…
Male model required
I needed a model for the finished garment and before I could start sewing, I needed to know what size the model would be. It would be no good making a size small only to find my model was a large!
I put the call out to friends and family to see if anyone knew someone willing to model boxer shorts.
Eventually, I had three possible options:
- A good friend offered up her son, a local police officer.
- A workmate volunteered her son.
- Another former colleague offered her husband—and even sneakily sent a shirtless photo to prove what a good model he’d make. Talk about a selling point!
The younger men were a bit too embarrassed to participate so my friend’s husband ended up being roped in as the underwear model.
Plaid precision and preparing to sew
Before I received his measurements, I prepared the fabric. I had no idea if it had been pre-washed. It felt quite soft and thin, so I assumed it had but just to be sure, I washed it again to avoid shrinkage.
I always overlock the raw cut edges so they don’t fray in the wash. The piece was already small enough without losing more fabric to fraying.
Once dry, I ironed the fabric and matched the selvedges widthways as the pattern instructed. I used pins and clips to match the plaid lines both widthways and lengthways.
My friend sent me her husband’s measurements which matched a size medium on the pattern. I laid out the pieces and pinned them carefully.
The shorts have a centre back panel like a gusset to make room for the butt. Because it’s slightly tapered, it wasn’t possible to match the plaid lines where the panel joins the back on both sides. However, matching the front lines was more important, so I checked with the owner of my local fabric shop before cutting. She said I’d done a good job, and she helped me position the fly pieces to make sure the lines would align well.
With all my pieces cut, I was excited to start sewing!
Flat felled confusion
The pattern was easy to follow but the flat-felled seams confused me at first. It felt counterintuitive to put wrong sides together. Even though I’d marked each piece with “RS” for right side, it still tripped me up, especially because both sides of the fabric looked the same! My sewing friends probably had a giggle watching me flip the pieces every which way trying to figure it out.
“Fly”-ing solo
I tackled the fly at home. I’d installed a fly in a pair of jeans before (still unfinished due to sizing issues), so I knew the basics. Actually, this fly was simpler, since it didn’t involve a zip.
Buttonhole woes, warning and one last chance
A small button and buttonhole were optional on the fly. I debated whether to include them knowing automatic buttonholes on sewing machines can be temperamental.
Back at my sewing class, I bought a small clear button and tested the buttonhole foot using a piece of scrap. My first attempt was perfect—phew!
However, just as I feared, my second practice attempt was a disaster. Still, I decided to go for it on the real garment thinking surely the machine wouldn’t mess up again.
It did.
It jammed at the top and stitched back and forth in a frenzy instead of finishing neatly.
I carefully unpicked the mess. My sewing tutor cheerfully warned me I’d only have one more shot—the fabric couldn’t take much more.
I asked the sewing centre manager for advice. She was surprised the pattern only called for a small piece of interfacing behind the buttonhole. She recommended interfacing the entire fly section—but I didn’t have time to unpick the whole thing to do that.
Instead, I used a piece of tearaway stabiliser behind the fly. Nervously, I pinned it in place, reset the buttonhole foot and pressed start.
Success! A perfect buttonhole.
Hems, seams and getting it right
Back at home the next weekend, I sewed the inseam. The instructions said to flat-fell it but it just didn’t look right. I unpicked, tried again and still wasn’t happy so I overlocked both edges, sewed a standard seam and topstitched each side flat.
The final step was hemming the legs. Thanks to the plaid, it was easy to fold a quarter inch up, then another quarter inch and stitch neatly in place.
Wrapped with care and a side of chocolate biscuits
I popped the finished boxer shorts into an overnight courier bag—along with some chocolate Tim Tam biscuits for my friend—and sent them off.
A couple of days later, I got a message: “They went straight on!” She promised to send better pics soon and thanked me for the treats.
“Did you get the joke with the Tim Tams?” I asked.
“No,” she said. “What was that about?”
I explained I was referencing that old Dan Carter ad…
Except I wasn’t. After a quick Google, I realised I’d confused my rugby players and my biscuits. The ad I was thinking of featured Carlos Spencer in his boxer shorts—and it was for Toffee Pops, not Tim Tams!
Do you remember that one? Leave a comment if you do.
The big reveal
The next evening, I received the photos. My friend’s husband was rocking the boxer shorts and they were a perfect fit. There’s not much more I can say. I’ll just let the photos speak for themselves.
Facebook fame and a few laughs
I couldn’t wait to share the photos and story to the Sewing At Home NZ Facebook page, complete with the tale of the plaid fabric, boxer shorts, and my biscuit blunder.
The post got a great response—40 reactions and loads of comments and laughs. One commenter wrote:
“Is that XXX modelling?”
Me: Haha there had to be one!
Commenter: Oh funny. I nearly spat my tea out when I opened Facebook this morning. I used to work with XXX!
Me: I worked with his wife.
Commenter: Small world!
My fabric’s new life
The young woman who received the fabric I had sent made a groovy pair of wide-leg trousers—with pleats, an elastic waistband, a tie at the front and pockets! She usually sews children’s clothing, so this was a real stretch for her.
I was thrilled. The trousers looked amazing—and they fit her beautifully.
Time to vote
Each participant in the de-stash challenge had a photo of their finished garment posted to a poll on the Sewing At Home NZ Facebook group. Members could vote for their favourite.
I voted for someone else’s entry—a bright blue kimono robe with a feather boa around the neckline and down the front. It’s the kind of fabulous garment I’d love to make for myself one day.
And the winner is …
The poll is open until 31 May. Come back for an update on 1 June.