Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making harem pants

Ruggy had one word for me when he caught an unexpected eyeful of these pants:

NO.

I responded in the only way I could: I began to croon "The Girl From Ipanema" (Frank Sinatra version), and gave him a nice, leisurely sway of my viscose clad hips, rotating sloooooooowly around for the full 360 view....

At which point he really started hollering: STOP IT NO STOP NOW I'M GOING TO ASSOCIATE THAT SONG WITH THOSE THINGS

He really likes that song. Not so much the pants. These pants are not the droid for Ruggy. Actually, I'm not a fan of the look of this shape either. But the first time I made a pair of harem pants and tried them on, the feel of them was like...the heavens opened up and started singing. Or maybe it was just the musical kids at rehearsals, since I only wore them in Texas, when I was away for work, far from Ruggy's pained eyes. I reserve my Ruggy Repellant for when miles separate us, kind of like a consolation prize, I guess. See: here; and here.

Joyously, the only thing separating us at the moment is our odd hours at the gym. When his workout time rolled around, I took the opportunity to don these and shoot them by myself, because I love my man, and I know which ensembles are better done solo. Alas! His workout was truncated, and upon my return, he was greeted with an image that apparently seared his retinas.

Sound drastic? Y'all, he REALLY loathes them. And listen, it goes both ways, there are plenty of items in his closet that make me want to go postal. I am thinking in particular of a dusty mauve, hole ridden, oversized T shirt that gives him a...pallor..like all the lifeblood has been replaced with antifreeze. Not a good look. But we bear each other's eccentricities.

This little eccentricity started out as an off-the-shoulder peasant dress. Those colorful side panels were center front and center back of a voluminous, gathered alien swath that looked like it was trying to swallow me whole. (Maybe it still does... but at least the mouth of it is only getting as far as my hips.) Would that I had photographic evidence of said dress. It might make Ruggy feel better about the pants. Basically, I succumbed to a trend which does not look good on me, realized my mistake, and then turned to another trend that does not look good on me as the solution.

When things went south with this Mood Sewing Network make, I couldn't bear giving up on this paneled beauty. (I'm shocked it's still on the site, considering the price and the print!) WARNING: NONSENSICAL EXPLANATION AHEAD. To "save" it, I laid the dress out flat, dissected the raglan off-the-shoulder sleeves, cut it open at the side seams, and made a new, longer seam from hem to top, creating a trapezoid shape. Then I googled "make harem pants" for an approximate shape, and sewed them back together. It's basically a trapezoid with a wide curve on the bottom edge, from leghole to leghole. I used the original, truncated shoulder elastic casing for the waist. Yessssss, again, pictures would help. But when I get on a stubborn roll, I just keep the freight train rolling. 

I think that a lot of my garments get finished because I'm far too stubborn to take No for an answer. Ironic that Ruggy's answer to these are exactly that.

I tell you what though: they are SOOOOOO comfortable. I don't care if the final product gives me junk on both sides of my trunk!!! But, these might be reserved for Girls Night and Rehearsal Wear.

I'm okay wth that. I LIKE specialty clothing.

these extra special pant were made using my mood sewing network fabric allowance. ruggy does not join me in thanking mood this time around.