Choosing a Pattern for Shorts

I've decided to use a commercial pattern for these shorts after all:


Here's why:

• My eager volunteer, A, would like a pair of PJ-pants or sleep shorts. It's such a long time since I've made any shorts for her that I don't have a favourite pattern anywhere near right. So, I'm starting from scratch.
• PJ's are by definition nice and loose, so I don't have to worry much about subtleties of fit--a good opportunity to try out a new pattern.
• A's on holidays and had to get the measurements I asked for with a piece of string and a builder's tape measure while I was on the phone--a creative solution! But I didn't want to be asking for all the different measurements I'd need to draft up a new shorts pattern.

So, I looked through my pattern collection and came up with this one:

It's got several different styles of tops and a loose-fitting pair of pants with a waist casing . . . and it's multi-sized: sizes 10-22 . . . all in the one pattern.
So here comes a quick quide to exploring and using a commercial pattern.

First I need to check my supplies.:

• It's a multi-size pattern with several different styles, so I'll want to trace off the pattern pieces I'm plannig to use. I like to trace my patterns onto interfacing and I know I used the last of my roll for the demo skirts, so that's on the shopping list for tomorrow.
• I've got some printed cotton--quilting cotton actually--with blue stars on it. Blue stars just happens to be A's favourite, so that's an easy choice.
• I'll need twice the length of the shorts, plus a bit for the casing and hems. Quilting cotton is generally 112 cm wide and shorts need more width of fabric than simple skirts, to allow for the different shaped pattern pieces, so I think I really will need all of that. There'll be plenty of odd shaped scraps and offcuts to put back in the quilting stash, though.