I’ve got thick thighs. They’re muscular from carrying around lazy pugs, hauling babies up stairs, and… a they’re little chubby due to my love of ice cream and chocolate and poutine. When I was younger, I used to be very thin, but age has but a few extra pounds on me. I don’t really mind, but one thing that is a little annoying is when you’re wearing a skirt or dress on a hot summer day and your sweaty thighs rub against one another as you’re walking… The dreaded thigh chafe.
I tried making lace bands, but they just rolled up or fell down. I tried powders and creams, but those didn’t last. So, I made some 1990’s style bike shorts… and finally found something that works!
These are your basic fitted bike short. They have no side seam, and the pattern consists of only two pieces: The Shorts Piece and a Gusset. I added a gusset so you can wear these a la carte if you wish.
It hasn’t been terribly hot here this summer (not complaining), but I’ve still been getting a lot of wear out of these. They’re great for under too-short skirts and dresses, or for wearing to bed with a tank top! I’ll be honest… I sometimes just wear them all day because, let’s face it, they’re kind of cute.
I’ve added a size to this pattern: XXL. I personally find the sizing to be generous, especially if you sew these out of a good, 4-way stretch fabric.
These shorts don’t require much… just some stretchy knit fabric (cotton/lycra is ideal), some wide stretch lace, a little fold over elastic for the waist (though I’m sure you could also make a casing and use regular elastic), and some thread. I’ve already made myself 3 pairs of these!
This pattern will be available for FREE for the month of July on Craftsy. After July it will no longer be free, so download it while you can!
PS. Today is my birthday!
PPS. I named these after Hilda the curvy pin-up.
