It's cold outside, and warm by the stove inside. Not quite the coldest day of the year, but it's getting down there where it starts feeling frigid. (I know, nothing like the northern states, but when it keeps going up and down, and is frequently a damp cold, it makes the cold feel colder) So I started cutting fabric for an experiment with the ripoff slapon gym shorts. Have a couple homemade patterns with cardboard, using the one that made a pair that I'm comfortable with. Or I should say others are comfortable with, identical to what was pretty standard wear in the 70's. Except I will not sew together the right side or the short seam at the bottom. Hem them up with a velcro strip at the waist attachment place, magnets on one edge and little steel washers on the other side for the hems that I left undone. That way I can sit on them while running the tractor with the front bunched up on the side. And when someone comes my way, one slight move just laying the front over will have them on. Much easier to slap on when working on foot as well, rather than stepping into it. Another cold or rainy night and I'll try a kilt style. That's something a pattern isn't needed for, just a square piece of cloth the right size. My patterns I made by laying an old worn out 70's gym shorts that I liked the fit of on the cardboard and drawing the shape of front and back panels, allowing extra for hem. And plenty extra on the top to wrap around the elastic. To get the elastic sewed in with the fabric gathered just right, I cut the elastic band to the right length, stretch it around my waist to find the size. Then stretch it out to match the full length of the top edge it needs to be attached to, with the fabric wrapped around it just right, and sew it together while holding it that way. That's a little tricky operation but not too hard. I'll mark it's position in several places with a felt tip pen and do it in segments to make it easier. I never get it as neat as a factory job, but I don't care. The lack of neatness shows up on the inside generally. The one thing I might run into is where the elastic may be prone to pulling the velcro apart, but we'll see, if necessary a good sized snap might help it out. Another potential problem might be the magnets sticking themselves to any metal they get close to, I may not like the idea after all, but I'll try it anyway.
edit; Doesn't look like it'll be any good, I think I'll just use some patches of velcro instead of the magnets. They want to stick to each other and everything metal too much.
edit 2; Well it sort of works, but don't like velcro either, too stiff for comfort, and it takes too much time to match it up, especially the underside. I got a notion to look for some of those little plastic snap buckles to make easier waist connection. Can't think of what might work better underneath. Metal snaps would not be stiff and scratchy, but still take fiddling time to match up. I think the kilt would be better using a plastic push together buckle and no under side to deal with. maybe some metal snaps to finish holding the side split together if desired. Once the top is fastened it'd be relatively safe for unsuspecting company, and the snaps could be finished with relative leisure, one handed perhaps.
looks like walmart has the push buckles, and maybe some of those large jacket/jean brass snaps would be possible to handle one handed, might have to order them. Those might work ok for the gym shorts, and maybe a single magnet for the underside in addition, for easy sticking in "emergency" if it could be called that.
