I rose to Ruthie’s challenge to sew five garments during the Olympics. My last three are finished now. These are all wardrobe basics, linen trousers.
This one I made out of the khaki linen I bought in Myrtille.
Its for someone on a reduction programme. I wanted to be able to get to the side seams if they needed taking in a smidge, but she wanted pockets. So, a last minute design alteration – a pocket opening made in a similar way to the simplest of sleeve openings. A facing strip is laid on the RS and two rows of stitching made, meeting at a point. 
Then its slashed and turned through to the wrong side, and one edge neatened. That’s the side seam edge at the bottom. The facing strip will be inside the pocket on the other side.
A pocket shaped piece is set behind this and top stitched round. Its a simple solution which is ok in casual pants. They have a part elasticated waistband, and a tie belt similar to the navy pair.
Next off the assembly line was a beige pair for me.
I used one of my go-to patterns for this. I drafted this originally with slightly shaped side seams and wide legs, but changed it to an inseam only, to be a bit more casual and loose fitting. To do this I experimented with inserting the side front piece and pocket turn back into a V shaped cut out at the side . This worked fine, so I used exactly the same pattern on the fuschia pair.
The other notable thing about this pattern is that the curved waistband is cut so that the seam at the zip overlap end is set back.
The advantage is not having a bulky seam end where you put in the buttonhole – its a much neater finish. I have four pattern pieces for this band, which is seamed at the centre back. 
Its cut very precisely – and goes together really quickly.
here’s the fuschia pair, still unpressed!
This is how the pocket pieces fit into the sides.
And the way the waistband seam is set back onto the WS.
The fuchsia trousers are super, very clever!