The story of five pairs of trousers, or hey sewists look at my butt!?

Hello hello.

I hope you have had an enjoyable Christmas and New Year; I had a wonderful time, seeing friends, hanging out with my husband and sewing: specifically, sewing pants.

I bought some beautiful black and white linen when I was in Auckland last Christmas (of the 2014 variety). It had been sitting in my stash making eyes at me for 12 months before I realized it wanted to be made in to trousers.

Naturally I couldn't cut straight in to my beloved linen without road-testing the pattern first.

I had picked up Burda 7250 a few months ago in a Spotlight sale and thought it would be good for a light-weight summer pant.

 - pants/trousers seems to be one of the words that my poor addled English brain can't settle on. Here in Australia they are pants, but back home pants are underwear and we call the long things that cover your legs trousers so now I oscillate between the two!?

I tested the pattern in a light-weight cotton stripe that I picked up from an op-shop for about a dollar.

I cut out a size 14 based on the finished garment measurements printed on the tissue paper, but they were too big and keep slipping off of my hips, 1 1/4 inches taken mostly from the back seam sorted me out.

I was pretty happy with these but still to scared to cut into my final fabric, so next up is a cotton-linen blend I picked up in Spotlight. It is not as drapey as the final fabric but closer than the cotton.

I love these pants, I am really happy with the pattern matching placement.

So I went to sleep a happy girl, dreaming of making striped linen pants. When I awoke, however, I was worried that the style was not quite right so I dug out Simplicity 1430 which I have made a few times and never loved the fabrics or the fit.

I pulled out some of my ''bought it cheap to test patterns' cotton and got to work. I worked out the fit issues but cutting a size 12 all over apart from the waist band which I cut in a 14.

I actually really like these pants and can see myself wearing them in the winter with some oxfords and a jumper.

So now that the pattern fits, time was time to try some similar fabric. This check fabric is again from Spotlight, a nice heavy but not-too-stiff cotton.

I am pretty happy with these pants too, I will wear them a few times before I decide if they get a permanent spot in my wardrobe.

Once again I went to sleep full of dreams of striped linen trousers. When I awoke I was back to the Burda pattern as my pant style of choice, and here are the stripy linen trouble makers.

PS now it is all done I love the stripes, but I think the red linen ones are my faves, eek.