Clever/Lazy Approach to Loes Hinse Oxford Zips

I trace all of my LH patterns--I use them often and like the Sweedish Tracing Paper for most patterns.  I have made many pairs of European Pants and a few less of the Oxford Pants.  My traced patterns are already shortened to fit my leg length, scooped to account for gravity of the posterior, and generally dependable to produce a pair of pants I can wear without alterations.

So--Loes recently gave directions for modifying the Oxford pants to make them from a woven.  Not much change, but a zip front accomodates the need to fit the waist over the hip without have a lot of bulk at the waist.  I have done this in the past to the cruise pant with success.To do the Cruise version, I put the European front pattern over a Cruise pattern and retraced the entire front.  When I was reading The Look publication recently, I had an "ah-hah" moment!  I came up with the following clever/lazy method for altering any LH pant pattern into a zip front!

1.  I traced the top ten (or so) nches of the European Pant front

2.  I got out my previously-traced Oxford pattern

3.  I placed the short piece of the Euro pant pattern on top of the Oxford pant front

I cut out the pattern!  Easy-Peasy!  I did not change the side seam, just the front seam down to the dot on the pattern.  On the cruise pants, I did slightly decrease the width of the front pattern piece, gave it more of a definition to the waist area.