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Kudzu Cargos - A Pattern by Charming Doodle for Willow & Co

The Kudzu Cargos - A Willow & Co Pattern

Hi friends!! Welcome to another Glamping Day!

Today I'm sharing my thoughts on the Kudzu Cargos, a pattern designed by Charming Doodle for Willow & Co. It is a unisex pattern that can be made in pants or shorts length, skinny or straight version and LOADS of colorblocking, decorative seaming, and pockets options. When I say LOADS, I mean loads!

The Kudzu Cargos - A Willow & Co Pattern

I chose to make the straight version with the diagonal seam in the front and the back pockets, also with the diagonal seam to mimic the front. This was my first time using a topstitching needle and wow, I am hooked! I am so thrilled with how these shorts turned out.
Also, I didn't have topstitching thread so I simply double threaded the needle and voila! Topstitching with oomph! I also used my backup machine for the inside construction then used my better machine for the topstitching since I knew I could rely on it for the most even stitches for the topstitching. This made for MUCH faster construction since I wasn't constantly switching and re-threading needles (That's a lot of stitch talk!)

The Kudzu Cargos - A Willow & Co Pattern

And can we talk about comfort!? The pattern is designed with a rib knit waistband for easy pull on/off and it's soooo comfy for kids! And seriously, not only is it comfy it just looks cool.

The Kudzu Cargos - A Willow & Co Pattern

The pattern also includes instructions for adding elastic to the knit waistband if needed for a better fit. (How cool is that!?) The ribbing I used however is very thick and strong and there was no need for the elastic this time, but I love the size customization that offers.

The Kudzu Cargos - A Willow & Co Pattern

I sewed a size 4 with about an inch more length, but shortened the ribbing a bit for my skinny little man. The waistband fit is PERFECTION.

Here's where I tell you my secret mistake. The pattern is designed for woven fabrics with s-t-r-e-t-c-h. Before I cut into the fabric I checked for stretchiness and thought it would have enough, it is a turquoise mid weight twill from Joann and I couldn't remember the exact fabric content. Turns out it has veeery little stretch. Not nearly enough for this pattern! So here's the solution. You CAN make this pattern in a non-stretch woven, IF you add 4 cm ease! I did not do this YET. For this pair, I simply let out all the seams as much as possible (which gave me 2 cm) and while they fit, they JUST fit. He certainly will not be able to wear them for any long period of time. I love them SO much and I have enough of this fabric for one more pair, I'll be making him a pair with comfortable ease just as soon as I can squeeze it in! These shorts are such a huge piece to this collection, I can't let him not have a pair for the long haul. :)

The Kudzu Cargos - A Willow & Co Pattern

So my overall summary of this pattern is: LOVE IT. You really do need it. It works GREAT for both boys and girls! Here is an absolutely adorable version that happens to be my fave I've seen so far and I'll be copying for my little girl as well :)

Just be sure to check the size chart and measure your child CAREFULLY and make sure your fabric has the amount of stretch recommended! Just speaking from experience here...

Off into the sunset!

The Kudzu Cargos - A Willow & Co Pattern

The Kudzu Cargos - A Willow & Co Pattern

The Kudzu Cargos - A Willow & Co Pattern

The Kudzu Cargos - A Willow & Co Pattern

Thanks for visiting with us today, come back tomorrow for more Glamping Fun!

Outfit Details:
Size Sewn: 4
Changes made: Added 1 inch to the length, adjusted waistband to fit, used a non-stretch twill (add 4 cm ease!)
Fabric: Medium weight twill from Joann Stores
Shirt: Made by me - to be blogged soon!


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16 comments

  1. What a great pair of shorts - even for some time :) Love your top stitching!

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    1. Thank you Jenya, I have to admit I was a bit proud of the topstitching ;)

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  2. That is an awesome pair of shorts Heidi! Two machines running side by side sounds very professional ;)

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    1. Thank you Renee!! When you don't have a serger, you gotta make do with what you've got, lol ;)

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  3. These look awesome! I was a little sad that the glamping collection seemed targeted more for girls (I have 4 boys), but these look so great! I think I'll have to try them out!

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    1. Thank you!! These are fantastic for boys and I have another W&C pattern for boys coming up on Thursday! :)

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  4. What an awesome pair of shorts! Love them. Totally impressed by the topstitching. Perfection!

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    1. Thanks Olga! I'm pretty excited about the topstitching! And pretty happy that double thread works just as good as expensive topstitching thread :)

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  5. These are sooooo good, Heidi! Just perfect and I love the color. Sad he won't be able wear them long but think they will look adorable on O when she is bigger!

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    1. Thank you April!! I'm pretty much obsessed with all shades of this color lately :) Yes, O will definitely be wearing them! Thankfully the color works well for both of them!

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  6. So so awesome. Looks AMAZING!! And a topstitching needle? Please tell me more!

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    1. I'm so happy you like them!!! I can't believe you've never tried a topstitching needle???!!! Shows how much I know, I just grabbed it on a whim one time, thinking "I probably need this" LOL. It's right there on the wall with all the other needles at Joann :) It has a larger hole for thread, I actually tried topstitching these first with a regular needle and the thread got all bunchy and crazy and then I switched to the topstitching needle and voila! Perfect stitches!!!

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  7. Amazing shorts! Your stitching looks perfect! And that top is just too cool. Great job!

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    1. Thank you! I need to get that top blogged, I love it SO much, but the boy loves it even more which makes me super super happy!! :)

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  8. These are great! I just used a topstitching needle for the first time on O's jeans and it was awesome! Too bad about the fit :( at least he has a little sister to pass them down to right?

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    1. Thanks!! RIGHT?!?! I was so completely amazed by the topstitching needle, it crazy how much of a difference it makes. And yes, little sister will totally be wearing these, asap! :)

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