Linen Peppermint Spring Shorts using Rit Dye

My first foray into dyeing my own fabric, and my first pair of Peppermint Spring Shorts! This is another classic sewing pattern that has been on my list for a while and finally made it to the top, just before I flew home to Australia. This pattern may be free but it’s honestly worth making a donation for - the fit is amazing and the instructions are so easy to follow. I had this lovely (formerly white) linen in my stash leftover from my Odgen Cami and my McCall’s M7946 top. After making two items in white linen, I decided it was time to try out Rit Dye and use the remaining fabric for some colourful summer shorts.

I started by dyeing the shorts using the bucket method and Rit coral dye. Aside from a lot of constant stirring, I found this method easy enough using my regular mop bucket. The challenge is to keep the fabric moving and covered by water, to ensure the dye spreads evenly. While stirring, I did a few tests using a paper towel to check the colour until I was happy with it. Just make sure you wear gloves to avoid staining your skin. I didn’t make note of exactly how long I left the fabric in the bucket, but from memory, it was somewhere around 25 minutes. The next step was to wash the fabric in the machine. The result was great and I’m impressed that the colour was so equally distributed across the fabric.

The instructions for the Peppermint Spring shorts are very simple to follow and I didn’t have any issues at all. I received my first overlocker for Christmas, and these shorts were my first project featuring beautiful overlocked seams. I really like the faced hem on the leg of the shorts, which is easy to construct and looks great. I’m also a big fan of a paper bag style waist (although maybe I have a few too many shorts in this style). I purchased my decorative drawstring and rose gold cord ends from Simply Fabrics Brixton.

I can’t wait for more warm weather so I can wear these cute and comfortable shorts again!