This time of year my head is saying one thing (“Spring is here! Bring on the warm weather duds!”), but my body is saying another (“Brrrr, I’m freezing!”). To appease these dueling forces, I’ve worked out a solution that I hope will make both voices happy: City Gym Shorts in Lana Cotta Canberra!

City Gym Shorts in Lana Cotta Canberra | Purl Soho

Our tried and true City Gym Shorts are just the style to make my head feel like it’s dressing for the season, and Lanecardate’s beautiful felted wool is cozy enough to keep my body warm. Together they are a spring wardrobe dream team!

City Gym Shorts in Lana Cotta Canberra | Purl Soho

Matching the laid-back style of the City Gym Shorts with the sophisticated Lana Cotta demanded a few adjustments to the original pattern. First, I added a lining layer: in Robert Kaufman’s super soft Cambridge Lawn for women and in Liberty of London’s lovely Tana Lawn for kids. And second, for a more refined look I finished the binding with a clean, hand-sewn edge.

You’ll find the original City Gym Shorts pattern here, and all the pattern updates below. Happy spring! – Corinne

Materials

Kids

City Gym Shorts in Lana Cotta Canberra | Purl Soho

  • Outer Fabric: ¼ (¼, ½, ½, ½, ½, ½) yard of Lanecardate’s Lana Cotta Canberra. I used Bromide (Blue).
  • Lining: ½ ( ½, ¾, ¾, ¾, ¾, ¾) yard of Liberty of London’s Tana Lawn. I used a Classic print called Betsy, Blue.
  • 2 (2, 2, 2 ½, 2 ½, 2 ½, 3) yards of Purls Soho’s Liberty Bias Tape. I used Betsy, Blue.
  • 1 yard Braided Elastic – 1 inch, White
  • A 110-yard spool of Gutermann’s 100% Cotton Thread. I used color 7310.
  • A free Kids’ City Gym Shorts Template, printed, prepared and cut out in the appropriate size

Women

City Gym Shorts in Lana Cotta Canberra | Purl Soho

Sizes

Kids

To fit ages 2 (3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9, 10, 11) with finished waist sizes 19 (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25) inches in circumference, unstretched

Women

To fit hip sizes 33-34 (35-37, 38-40, 41-43, 44-46) inches in circumference with around 2 inches of ease.

Notes

  • The right side of the wool is the side with the small “V” pattern (as opposed to the side with the ridges).
  • The recommended care of Lanecardate’s Lana Cotta Canberra is dry clean only.

Pattern

Follow the pattern as written in the original City Gym Shorts post, with the following exceptions…

Cut

Do not cut the fabrics as described in the original pattern. Instead, follow these instructions:

Fabric

From both the Lining and Outer Fabric, use the pattern pieces to pin and cut…

  • Two Short Fronts
  • Two Short Backs

The two Front and two Back pieces from the same fabric should be mirror images of each other. To be sure to cut them with the proper orientation, cut one with the right side of the fabric facing up and one with the wrong side of the fabric facing up, or you can fold the fabric with the right or wrong sides facing each other and cut through both layers at once.

From the Lining Fabric only, also cut…

One piece for the Waistband:
For Kids, it should measure 4 ¾ by 23 (24 ¼, 26 ¾, 28 ¾, 30 ¾, 32 ½, 33 ½) inches. For Women, it should measure 4 ¾ by 36 ¼ (38 ½, 41 ¾, 45 ½, 48) inches.

Bias Tape

For Kids, cut the Bias Tape into two 30 (33, 36, 39, 42, 45, 48)- inch pieces.
For Women, cut the Bias Tape into two 48 (50, 53, 56, 60)- inch pieces.

Elastic

For Kids, trim the Elastic to 19 ½ (20 ½, 21 ½, 22 ½, 23 ½, 24 ½, 25 ½) inches.
For Women, trim the Elastic to 30 (32, 35, 39, 43) inches.

Piece the Front and Back Pieces

Lining

Piece the Front and Back pieces of the Lining Fabric as described in the original pattern: Using the Lining pieces, sew the two Front pieces together; sew the two Back pieces together; then sew the Shorts Front and Shorts Back pieces together along the short crotch ends.

This is now the Shorts Lining.

Outer Fabric

Repeat with the Front and Back pieces in the Outer Fabric, except do not finish the seam allowances as described. Instead, press the seams open.

These are now the Outer Shorts.

Attach the Outer Shorts and Shorts Lining

City Gym Shorts in Lana Cotta Canberra | Purl Soho

With wrong sides facing, tuck the Shorts Lining into the Outer Shorts, lining up all edges and seam lines. Smooth out all wrinkles and pin in place along all the edges.

Sew around the side and bottom edges of the Short (but not the top waist edges) with a long basting edgestitch (about 1/8 inch from the raw edge), making sure to pick up both layers of fabric as you sew.

Attach the Binding

You can attach the binding with a machine stitch as described in the original pattern (though you do not need to make the Bias Tape as described, simply use the two trimmed pieces of the pre-made Bias Tape); or you can finish the binded edge with a slip stitch (as I did here) for an invisible seam. Here’s how…

City Gym Shorts in Lana Cotta Canberra | Purl Soho

Open the fold on one long side of one of the Bias Tape strips. With right sides facing, pin the open fold of the Bias Tape around the edges of the Shorts, lining up the raw edge of the Bias Tape to the raw edge of the Shorts. Start at the top corner of one Front side, work around the bottom hemline and then up the Back side, or vice versa.

Machine sew the Bias Tape to the Shorts with a ¼-inch seam allowance.

Now turn the Shorts so that the wrong sides are facing out. Fold the Bias Tape around the raw edge, and using pins or binding clips, secure the folded Bias Tape to the wrong side of the Shorts.

Sew the Bias Tape to the wrong side of the Shorts using a slip stitch. For detailed instructions on how to do this please visit our Slip Stitch Tutorial!

Repeat on the other side of the Shorts with the other Bias Tape strip.

Sew the Side Edges

Pin one Front side of the Shorts to one Back side as described in the original pattern.

If you used a machine stitch to attach the Bias Tape, sew the Front and Back sides together as described.

If you used a slip stitch to attach the Bias Tape, make the following change…

City Gym Shorts in Lana Cotta Canberra | Purl Soho

Stitch the Front and Back pieces together “in the ditch” of the seam connecting the Bias Tape to the Shorts.

Repeat on the other side.

Finish

Finish the Shorts as described in the original pattern.

City Gym Shorts in Lana Cotta Canberra | Purl Soho

Update 2024: You can explore our current collection of beautiful fabrics and supplies on our page of Sewing Tools + Notions!