liesl + co. soho shorts sew-along
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June 04, 2025
Hey everyone! It's Day 1 of our Liesl + Co. SoHo Shorts sew-along, and I'm super excited to dive into this project with you all. My name is Liesl, and I'm thrilled to have my good friend Rita guiding us through the process of creating these stylish shorts. Rita specifically requested that I design a pattern like this, so it feels perfect that she’s leading us through the steps today. I hope you'll enjoy learning some fantastic new sewing techniques along the way!
For those who prefer the SoHo Skirt, you can still follow along, though there are slight differences in how the pleats are formed. Don’t forget to refer to the instructions for those specific steps. Over the next five days, we’ll be breaking down the entire process step by step, making it easy and manageable.
Here’s our schedule for the week:
**Day 1:** Making the Shorts Pleats
**Day 2:** Sewing the Pockets
**Day 3:** Assembling the Shorts, Preparing the Side Seam for the Zipper, and Attaching the Waistband
**Day 4:** Inserting the Invisible Zipper
**Day 5:** Finishing the Shorts
Remember, if you want to grab a badge to share on your blog, you can find one in the post announcing the sew-along. We’ll be updating this post daily with new steps as we progress, so check back regularly if you’re following along day-by-day. Let’s get started!
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**Day 1: Making the Shorts Pleats**
Before we begin, make sure you’ve cut out all your fabric pieces and interfacing according to the pattern. Additionally, cut two 1†x 7†strips of interfacing for the zipper. These will come in handy later.
Let’s start with the pleats! Using tailor’s chalk or a water-soluble fabric-marking pen, carefully transfer the dots and fold lines from the pattern pieces to the right side of your fabric. Poke a pin through each dot on the pattern piece, gently pull open the fabric layers along the pin’s shank, and mark the fabric at the pin to transfer the dot to the right side of the fabric on both halves of the shorts front. Use a ruler and a water-soluble fabric-marking pen or tailor’s chalk to connect the marked dot to its corresponding notch, referring to the pattern piece as a guide.
Now, working from the right side of the shorts front, form the first waistline pleat by creasing the fabric along the line with the small dots nearest to the side seam, wrong sides together. Match the creased edge to the corresponding pleat line with the large dots and pin the pleat in place temporarily. Repeat this step to form the second pleat.
Once you’ve created the pleats, baste the top of the shorts with a 3/8†seam to hold the pleats in place temporarily. Remember, the pleats will overlap each other. Repeat these steps for the second shorts-front piece, but leave the center-front pleat (the single pleat line nearest the rise on each shorts front panel) open for now—this will be sewn later.
For the shorts-back pieces, repeat step 2 above to form the pleat on each side. That’s it for Day 1! Easy, right?
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**Day 2: Sewing the Pockets**
Welcome back for Day 2 of the SoHo Shorts sew-along! Today, we’re tackling the pockets, which are straightforward and shouldn’t take too long. While you’re here, don’t miss Shelley’s special tutorial on adding belt loops to the SoHo Shorts and Skirt—it’s a great way to customize your project.
Let’s get started! To make the front pockets, first pin one cut pocket bag to the upper side edge of its corresponding shorts-front piece, with right sides together and the raw edges and notches aligned. Stitch the curved pocket edge with a 1/2†seam, backstitching or lockstitching at both ends. Trim the seam allowances to 1/4†and press the pocket bag toward the seam allowances. Understitch the pocket bag 1/8–1/16†from the seam line.
Next, turn the pocket bag to the wrong side of the shorts front and press the sewn edge, rolling the seam slightly toward the wrong side so it won’t show on the finished shorts. Lay the shorts-front panel so the wrong side is facing up, and pin the cut pocket piece to the sewn pocket bag, with right sides together and matching the pocket’s curved edges. The top and side of the pocket should form a continuous line with the edges of the shorts. Pin just the pocket and pocket lining together (be careful not to pin the pocket pieces to the shorts) and stitch the curved edge of the pocket with a 1/4†seam. Finish the pocket’s seam allowances together using your preferred method.
Finally, pin the pocket to the shorts front so the top and side edges are even, and baste the pieces together with a 3/8†seam along the top and side edges. That’s it for Day 2—easy peasy! Tomorrow, we’ll get into the fun part—preparing the side seam for the zipper and assembling the waistband.
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Stay tuned for more updates as we continue the sew-along. Feel free to ask questions or share your progress in the comments below!