The Alice and Olivia pant

After the disappointment that was the Alice + Olivia pant there was nothing for it but to take my purse on a shopping trip and do my bit in the fight against the recession.

"yes, you can help me. Do you by chance have a pair of pants, in cotton drill, with front and back welt pockets and a centre front fly, with shield, in a size 15 or 16?"

And they did! Harrah! With top stitching! Double harruh!

Still, the words "let it go" do not come easily to me. This is not the last you will hear of the Alice and Olivia 64 step pant. It reminds me of that classic moment in Bridget Jones' Diary. "I will not be defeated by a bad man and a stick insect. Instead I choose Chaka Khan, and vodka." 

Here's the plan folks. I will take that SOB of a pattern and grade it back up to a 16. Now for the trick: I will then magically lose the 4 in the 64 and make a 6 step pant. I will eliminate all pockets. I will eliminate the fly, and cut the centre front facing on a fold. I will put an invisible zipper in the side and wack on a facing.  An afternoon's work redrafting. An afternoon's work cutting. And an afternoon's work sewing. Done.  If I'm feeling adventurous I might put a mock welt pocket in the back. Just a stip of fabric with a loop and a button going nowhere. But then "mock" is practically my middle name so it feels appropriate.

So anyway, here are the pants. I just had to show you the back welt pockets before they go. I know what you're thinking, you're thinking they don't look too bad, just a little snug through the booty. You have no idea how much I had to suck it in through the front though, which is probably just as well.