Merona Copycat Red Fitted Pants

Saying "I love Target" is an understatement. I could live in Target if only they would let me. I love them for accessories, shoes, groceries, furniture, home decor, household supplies, beauty products, the in store Starbucks and probably most for clothing! So during a routine trip through the women's clearance section I spotted a pair of tapered ankle pants. I bought the pants without even trying them on because of a time constraint but when I got home and tried them on I fell in LOVE! They fit perfectly and were so comfy. I wore them the next week to work and felt great all day.I decided that the pants were so great I wanted them in red, but alas Target didn't carry them in red. That's when I decided I would trace the pair I had and make myself a red pair. However when I looked at the pants I realized that the back leg wrapped around to the front of the leg and would make them hard to trace (for me at least). So I headed back to Target to see if I could find a second pair that I could deconstruct and trace. Luckily I found a second pair for $8.38, even less than I paid for the first pair. I convinced myself I could pay that much for a pattern and I could probably sew the pants back together once done. So I snatched them up, took one leg apart and traced the waistband, front and back leg piece onto my red fabric. I did eliminate the front and back welt pockets.I also love these pants because they added a pop of color to my classic B&W themed Travel Wardrobe Contest submission. They look great with both M6844 cardigan and NL6735 duster. Please check out my entry and vote for me! Voting starts March 5th!I think they turned out GREAT!Pattern: Self Drafted pants based on a pair of Merona pantsPattern Description: Fitted side zip ankle pantsSizing: Custom (Size 10)Difficulty: 2/beginnerFabric Used: Red ponte from a local fabric storeDoes it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope? They did look like the pair I was trying to recreate.Were the instructions easy to follow? There weren't any I just put them together as I put any pair of pants together. Inside seam, crotch seam, side seam, waistband, zipper then hem.Likes: I like that I now feel confident enough to recreate RTW pieces that I love. I am understanding garment construction more.Dislikes: Nothing except for my lack of fabric knowledge. I needed a thicker/stiffer fabric for these pants. This medium weight ponte works but a heavy weight ponte (or a stretch gaberdine - which is what the salesman recommended, but I had to have red and they didn't have red) would probably have worked better.Pattern alterations or any design changes made: Next time I will add about 1/2" more for a seam allowance to allow for a less stretchy fabric.Would I sew it again? Yes, I plan to make another pair in a blue stretch gaberdine I bought per the salesman's recommendation.Would I recommend it to others? I would definitely recommend trying to recreate your favorite RTW pieces so that you can get exactly what you want!Conclusion: I'm very proud of myself for trying to recreate something I love and I think they came out great. I will definitely make a second, and likely a third, pair!Total Cost: $8.731.5 yds of Ponte  @ $4.99/yd = $ 7.48Zipper                                         =     1.25