Ruffled Pants

My family and I spent most of Saturday cleaning house and that evening was spent attending church services and visiting friends.  I got up this morning with a couple of small chores, but most of the day could be spent delightfully in my little sewing room and I loved every minute of it.  Except the parts I messed up on.  But that all worked out so it was a great day anyway.

Sprite and I had brought up most of the winter type fabrics from the stash closet and I ordered a few basics from my favorite online stores.  This time I bought sweatshirt fleece and interlock from Sewzanne's and mostly denim, twill and solid corduroys from Fabric.com..  I found lots of pretty stuff on sale, but had to be mindful of budget and space.  The basics will get used, or if not used, will at least be useful later when everyone has outgrown the cute prints.

I really like having my stash now where I can see it.  I pulled two Robert Kaufman 21 whale corduroys out from the stacks that I had used before in a dress for Sprite.  I like these cords because they are soft and don't make that ripping sound when you walk;  they also hold up better than other fabrics. I was envisioning pants for Divine Miss Em.  Here are the uncompleted pants.  They still need to have the elastic waistband added and top stitched, but overall they are turning out almost like I thought:

The ruffles were conceived when I realized that there wasn't enough of the polka dot to keep the legs both on-grain and full-length.  I figured out that I could shorten the legs about 5 inches and replace it with the ruffle. 

Notice the line of top stitching about 3 inches above the ruffle? That's a design feature!  Yep, it sure is!

I designed that feature when I turned over the front pieces and realized that there was a 2 inch square hunk cut out of one front legs.  Oops.  I debated pitching the whole thing and starting over but I really wanted to make these pants.  There wasn't enough fabric to re-cut that one piece, but I did have some pieces left over.  I cut off about 3 inches and re-cut those three inches from my scraps.  Then I serged the two pieces together and top stitched with one of the decorative stitches on my Singer 401.

The waistband will go on tomorrow night, then I get to figure out what top to do.  I can't decide between a pink t-shirt (probably an Ottobe Funky Sisters since I already have that pattern ready) combined with a brown velour cardigan or just use the brown velour in a peasant top.  I'm leaning toward the first option, but am taking suggestions.

Sprite declared the pants "rock star", whatever that means, and wanted to know just when DM would outgrow them so she could have them.  I guess that being "rock star" means they are okay?