1. At the last minute, the boss was taken ill and Kate had to give the sales presentation. She was not sure of the best way to proceed, but she used the notes that the boss had prepared and followed her instincts. She managed the presentation by the seat of her pants.
2. The children had never cooked a whole meal or used the washing machine before. When their mother left in an emergency, they kept things going at the house by the seat of their pants.

Synonyms: wing it; play it by ear.