More on pants

I have emailed and heard back from both Karen at Wild Ginger and Joyce Murphy. It seemed to be fair to me to let them know I was going to do an Ordinary-Woman's test of their pants patterns and also to see if they would be willing to comment. I highly expect that there will be some operator error in my execution of this project, and if I don't get the instructions right it won't be the first time, and that really isn't the pattern's fault, so publishing their feedback to me seems both fair and useful.

That said I am going to be absolutely honest in my assessment of the different methods. I have about 40 years of pant sewing failures behind me and getting this right is important.

I have also decided that I will make up each pattern initially as per pattern, without me mixing in any of my own ideas as to what alterations I need to be doing before hand - in other words no flat pattern alternations except as suggested by the method as appropriate pre-construction steps. I am thinking of Pivot and Slide here.

There is a distinct possibility (see 40 years of failure above) that one of the problems I have had is that I don't know what I am doing, so I will let the patterns as they are have the first say.

I do have an opinion as to the style of pant I am looking for though and I think it is fair to impose that on the project. What I want to make is based on what I can't find in the stores and this means:

• No weird extra bulk added by novelty waistbands, loops and pockets on my rear end. No explanation needed.
• A side zipper. Fly fronts are a man's tailoring detail and necessary if you are a man. Why would a woman add all those extra layers, not to mention something with plastic teeth and twill tape involved, to the one area of her body where she already has her own extra? Am I ever going to look like a man in pants? No. So why the fly?
• No side pockets. See above. If I have pockets in pants what am I going to put in them? A cell phone, car keys, lipstick and and a bank card. Add all that in and what do I have? More bulk.I put pockets in jackets that are looser and less attaching of objects and bulk to my body.
• Pleats. Mine always pouf out when I sit down. I don't need that either, they may be back in style, but I believe this to be temporary.

Now what do I want apart from a side zipper? Fashionable leg shape but fitted through the hips and not too baggy at all in the thighs (so many pants I have made look like PJ pants) and a thin waistband at my waistline. Lowered waistlines are on their way out and I couldn't be happier.

This stomach did not need to be bisected.

Oh and darts front and back, one or maybe two each side.

Did I miss anything out?