Homemade "Silver Tab Levi's"

Homemade "Silver Tab Levi's"
Originally uploaded by Sheepish.

This is another of this week's creations. We got a nice chunk of army green corduroy fabric the other day, and I had the bright idea of making my husband some pants. He's pretty rough on his jeans and really needs some more. The trouble with that is that he has rugby thighs that don't fit your standard French pants. His favorites are his Silver Tab Levi's, but I've never seen them sold here, and even at their regular price in the US, they're a bit expensive. So, what was my idea? I'll just trace them and make him a pair.

Yeah, it's just that easy. Not once did it occur to me that that may not be the least complicated way to make a pair of men's pants. I think I was actually almost done with them before the fear set in. You know, the point where you actually think, "What if these don't even fit, and I've just wasted a bunch of fabric?"

But, apparently, I learned my tracing skills quite well back in the third grade, because they are exactly right. They have a few beginner's quirks (this is my first real pair of pants), but they fit him nicely, and he loves them. The only thing still missing are the belt loops. I didn't have time to finish that part before having to whip through our kitchen/sewing room to clean before some friends popped by.

I'm thinking I may actually have to do a little tutorial on this procedure, because it was actually a lot easier than it seems, and I'm very surprised at the results (though, like I said, it never occurred to me beforehand that they shouldn't turn out well). Someone else may want to learn how to do this with their favorite pants, and it'll probably help me work out the kinks, too.

Can you see my hubbie's having a little GQ moment, here? Got to love him all barefoot and in the kitchen like that. All I have to do now is get him knocked up.