1 Draw a 25.5cm x 40.6cm rectangle onto tracing paper. Then draw three vertical lines from the left – 7.6cm, 20.3cm, and 33cm. On both of the two short sides, mark 10cm from the bottom. On the bottom base of the rectangle, from the left side, mark 5cm and 35.5cm. On the 7.6cm vertical line, mark the top edge. On the 20.3cm vertical line, make a mark 2.5cm from the top, on the 33cm vertical line, mark 5cm from the top.

2 Connect the dots, as shown on the diagram. Don’t worry too much about the curves – you just want to make sure that the pointed ends (the 10cm marks on the sides) are at right angles so they match up nicely. Cut out the shape and label it ‘Bloomers – cut 2’. Fold your fabric in half, right sides facing, and cut out two bloomer pieces.

3 With right sides facing, pin one leg piece and sew the in-seam with a 9mm seam allowance. Finish the raw edges with a zigzag or overlock stitch, then repeat for the other leg piece. Press the seam allowance toward the same side for both legs.

4 Turn one leg right side out and insert into the other leg that has the wrong side facing out, matching up the curve of the rise. The legs should be facing right sides together. Sew along the curve with a 9mm seam allowance. To reduce bulk, the in seam seam allowance for each leg should be pointing in opposite directions. Finish the raw edges with a zigzag or overlock stitch, then press.

5 To create the waistband, fold the top edge toward the wrong side by 5mm, and press. Fold another 1.2cm toward the wrong side, and press. Edgestitch, leaving an opening of about 3.8cm at the back centre seam. When folding and pressing to create the waistband casing, you may find that some parts are curved in such a way that makes it trickier to keep the seam allowance the same width throughout and might require a slight stretching of the fabric as you press.

6 To create the elastic casings for the legs, fold the bottom edge of one leg opening toward the wrong side by 5mm, and press. Fold another 9mm toward the wrong side, and press. Edgestitch, leaving an opening of about 3.8cm on the in-seam side. Repeat for the other leg opening.

7 Thread 40.6cm of 9mm wide elastic through the waistband casing, using a small bodkin for one end. Attach a safety pin at the other end to avoid losing the elastic inside the casing. Check that it isn’t twisted or stretched, then overlap the ends by 1.2cm and sew together with zigzag stitch. Stitch the opening closed or fold a piece of ribbon with wrong sides together, insert it into the opening so that it looks like a tag, and stitch closed. It’s a good idea to stretch the casing as you sew, since the elastic will cause the casing to gather and bunch up.

8 Cut 40.6cm of 2.5mm elastic in half, yielding two 20.3cm pieces. Thread one length of elastic through each leg casing, following the same guidelines as the waistband – check for smoothness within the casing and stitch the ends together. The thinner 2.5mm elastic may be difficult to overlap, so simply line them up side-by-side or on top of each other if possible and sew with a zigzag stitch a few times. Stitch the in-seam openings closed, stretching the casing as you sew.

Find more beautiful garments and accessories to sew in Sewing Happiness by Sanae Ishida £14.99, Sasquatch Books). Visit www.thegmcgroup.com