Just my luck

Last week I ordered some patterns (4, I think) from SewingPatterns.com, when they were having a $2.99 McCall's pattern sale. With shipping they ended up being around $20 for 5 patterns... they normally go on sale at JoAnn's or Hobby Lobby for $1-$2 each, but the nearest JoAnn's is 80 miles away and the nearest Hobby Lobby is 45 miles... and I rarely have need to go to either of those towns, and it never happens during a pattern sale, so I didn't think I'd get a chance to go.

Well, yesterday my husband had a test to take in a completely different town, and he wanted me to drive there with him (it was a 1 hr 40 min drive). The test took about an hour, so what was I supposed to do with the kids while waiting? Turns out there was a Hobby Lobby just 1/2 mile away! I went there and wandered around for a while (and bought a discounted remnant of Dora the Explorer fabric for my Dora-crazy 3-year-old, and some bandanas to make some bandana pants... and saw that McCall's patterns were on sale for 99¢ each! It figures, huh? I could've saved $15-$16 if I'd just waited a week or two (I had no idea the pattern sale was coming up though, or that my husband would need to be in that town that day). My 3-year-old was acting very obnoxious though and was constantly trying to climb out of the basket, so I didn't take time to look at any more patterns (I later thought that I should've bought some back-up patterns for the ones I ordered last week and that I'm still waiting to receive in the mail... they're plus-size girls' patterns, and there are very few modest ones out there, so I'll have to be making the same patterns but trying to modify or decorate them for more variety).

Anyway, in the mail on Tuesday I got the Butterick B4972 pattern I ordered off eBay for my daughter. Too cute! I don't really like the bubble-skirt look so I think I'll make the skirt w/o that elastic casing at the bottom andf lengthen it to below-the-knee (it'll just be a normal pleated flare skirt), and I'll make the jacket... but without the lace cut-out on the back. The pattern says "Pants D are above mid-knee length"... not quite sure what that is (just above the knee?) and I wish I knew how to lengthen them into pants, as winter is coming and my daughter will need some pants. I can't find any plus-size pants patterns in a style I like...