I’ve been wanting to try a pair of wheelchair-friendly shorts for a long time now, and the current hot spell felt like the perfect opportunity. I recently purchased Simplicity S3020 adaptive jeans pattern, so I thought that I would adapt that and reduce the length of the legs to make the shorts.
Obviously, in such high temperatures, denim is the last fabric I would want to be reaching for, so jeans were definitely out of the running. Thankfully, Minerva very kindly sent me some really beautiful organic cotton poplin called Peacock Plumes as my Ambassador fabric this month. It’s perfect for making shorts as it’s beautifully breathable and at 140gsm not too heavy; it’s soft whilst still maintaining a good amount of structure.
The beautiful monochrome peacock feather print is really stunning, and I love it so much I’m already planning on ordering some to make a sun dress for next year.
The cotton poplin is such an easy fabric to work with; it launders really well and presses like a dream. It’s also a good enough weight to be opaque, so it doesn’t need lining.
Hubby said it was very easy to cut out with the rotary cutter, and it was definitely very cooperative on the sewing machine. I used a universal 80/12 needle and finished the seams on my overlocker.
You might be wondering what makes S3020 into an adaptive pattern, well firstly it’s cut for a seated figure (so has a raised back and lower front). There is plenty of room through the hips and thighs to accommodate seated spread and the crotch curve is angled for a seated pelvis. I was a little sceptical with this being a unisex pattern that it would fit me but I needn’t have been as it’s very comfortable. There are no back pockets and the front fly is just for aesthetics. There are zipper options on both of the side seams to make dressing and access easier. If you are making a full-length version then there is also the option for a zipper on the leg to aid accessing a stoma bag or prosthetic. As I wasn’t making jeans I chose to omit the belt hoops and additional jeans detailing as I felt they weren’t necessary. I cut the legs off just above the knees and decided to use a narrow hem for comfort. I thought a larger hem might rub on my thighs.
The waistband came quite high up (which I really loved) and after wearing the shorts several times, I think I would keep this height as it suits my apple shape and feels really secure. What didn’t feel amazingly secure though, were the zips. These are perfectly fine when you’re sitting still, but if I needed to reach down for anything I found they came open quite easily. Maybe this is because I used standard zips and not jeans ones but I definitely feel that I need some kind of locking mechanism to stop this from happening. I’m loathed to use a button fastening at the top as this defeats the accessibility for me, as my fingertips are numb and I struggle with opening buttons.
Overall, I’m very happy with my shorts but I will tweak the design if I make them again. I think this is a pattern that can easily be adapted to make a range of trouser or shorts designs in woven fabrics. It’s lovely to finally feel recognised by pattern makers and have adaptive patterns available. Well done Simpicity.
Wheelchair Considerations
1) The pattern is designed for a seated figure and cut accordingly so won’t work so successfully if you are ambulatory a lot. (You’ll have a very baggy bottom and funny knees!)
2) I found the zip fastenings on each side really useful for dressing and for access for injections etc but they were a nuisance when I leant forwards or downwards as they came undone. I’m trying to find a fix for this for next time I make them.
3) The pattern has a good height at both the front and back waist so feels really secure and comfortable.
4) If you are neurodivergent or find seams uncomfortable then you would be better opting for fell seams, french or Hong Kong rather than just overlocking them as I did.
(Image description: there are six images taken from different angles showing Yvonne sat in her wheelchair in her garden. She is wearing shorts that have been specially designed for a wheelchair user. The shorts are black and white with a Peacock feather design and she is wearing a black T-shirt).
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