During 2017, I really wanted to try making some trousers, or at least dip my toe into  trouser-fitting waters. I closed the year with Closet Case Patterns Morgan jeans (yet to be blogged), which definitely got me in there, but the first opportunity that came along and got me started was a call for testers in September from the lovely Diane at Blue Dot Patterns.

The Coffeehouse pants/trousers are a very straightforward pair of cropped wide-leg trousers that are best made in a light-medium weight fabric. In my opinion, they’re a perfect pair of trousers for a beginner, because they get you familiar with all the basics of putting a pair together without introducing too many fancy design details. The added bonus is that I really like them! In all honesty I wasn’t expecting to, since trousers are notoriously hard to find even in ready-to-wear, and I’ve never been too successful with “floaty” trousers. The chances of my finding a decent-fitting pair right away were slim, but it worked! In the pics I’m wearing them with both a regular-length Kyoto tee and a cropped Astoria sweater to show the effect of both types of top.

Since the design is quite simple, I decided to make my wearable muslin in a lurid orange crepe I got from LA Finch Fabrics last year for the grand sum of $1 a yard. It comes out a little more muted in the pics, but, believe me, it’s pretty bright! I had no idea what I was going to do with it but I figured I could use it for muslins if nothing else at that price. However, it’s perfect for these! It’s just dark and thick enough that it’s not transparent, but still light and breezy enough to swish around in, à la Gloria Swanson. Just don’t look tooo closely at some of the stitching. I didn’t finish these quite as well as I would a non-muslin pair – but I’ve been wearing them out nevertheless!

The pants are straight-legged and have (joy) an elasticated waist, which makes them so forgiving to fit. There’s a fair bit of ease built into the hip, and so I went for a 14 at the waist, graded down to a 12 at the hip. This worked out well for me. When it comes to length with cropped trousers, it’s a bit of a “how long is a piece of string” free-for-all, since one person’s cropped is another person’s culottes. I’ve noticed the just-above-the-ankle length is very au courant, and actually suits me rather well, not being bestowed with gazelle-like ankles and calves. So I left them at the recommended hem allowance of 5/8″ turned twice. For the record, I have shorter legs and a longer torso, so you will want to check the length, but it’s a simple affair. All the necessary finished measurements are given in the pattern, so do take a look.

Now that the pattern is released, I definitely want to make another pair, perhaps in something slightly heavier. The only adjustment I will make is to add around an inch to the crotch rise, but this is a common adjustment for me. As far as I know there were no further changes to the final pattern after this version, but if this isn’t correct, I’ll make an edit and mention it in the comments. The pattern is on sale right now over at Blue Dot Patterns, so if it’s piqued your interest, now’s the time.