New Jeans! A Four-Pattern Mashup in Japanese Selvedge Denim

I finally finished my jeans!!!!!! I’m so excited!

Since I tend to do batches of patterns, moving them as a group through the tracing, cutting, and sewing stages, I suppose most of my projects take awhile, but once I get to the sewing part of things, I want the garment to fly off my machine.

But this one got held up.

It wasn’t some dramatic life event that did it (thankfully), it was just the fact that I decided I would work out some of the fitting and design choices at the end, in the sewing phase, instead of deciding everything up front like I usually do.

Some fiddling with fitting can happen in the sewing portion of any project, but these had more the than the usual, and the longer they took, the more frustrated I became, which was increased by the fact that I wasn’t always sure which way I wanted to go.

My initial goal was to make some slightly flared jeans, similar to a pair I got from the thrift store.

To keep this post (and me) from running on forever, let’s tackle this in list form.

Patterns + How I Used Them:

•  Jutland Pants from Thread Theory, View 2
  • let out pants to full length (normally I shorten them by 1″) and added 2″ at the bottom for a deep hem
  • tapered in from hip to knee on outseam by 1/4″ on front and back
  • added 1/2″ at bottom to outseam and inseam on front and back tapering to nothing at the knee
  • gave all side seams 1″ seam allowances for fitting by adding 3/8″ to existing seam allowances
  • taped pocket facing behind front pant piece so that I could add patch pockets to front

• Simplicity 1020, View D, scrub pants
  • I used the front pockets as my front patch pockets
  • lined pockets with bits of an old sheet

• Morgan Boyfriend Jeans from Closet Case Patterns
  • used the curved waistband from this pattern instead of the straight waistband from the Jutland Pants since I needed something that would hug my back rather than gaping; the Morgan Jeans are a non-stretch denim pattern so this seemed like a good choice
  • I did not interface my waistband
• Ginger Jeans from Closet Case Patterns
  • I used the back pockets as a starting point for my back pockets

Fitting and Style Changes

• I let the inseams out slightly at the crotch, using a 3/8″ seam allowance and tapered back in to my 5/8″ seam allowance about 10″ down the leg; I did this because even though the pants were comfortable, there were a lot of drag lines showing that I needed more thigh room in the front and back
• I widened the flare at the outseams just a little bit more, making my seam allowance at the bottom of the outseam 5/8″ and tapering in to a 1″ seam allowance partway up the leg
• shaped the back pockets to be a little bit different; I had a lot of fun looking at Viapiana Custom Denim for inspiration–Ben’s jeans are works of art!

• I used a combination of the directions for the Jutland Pants and the Ginger Jeans.  This time I used the front fly directions for the Ginger Jeans.  The Jutland directions have always left me with a strange little fold of fabric at the bottom of the zipper, but using the Ginger directions eliminated that.  Yay!!!  That is something that has always bothered me, and now I know how to eliminate it.  It’s an important lesson for me–sometimes I need to try a different method on a pattern I am used to just following the directions on.

Fitting Changes to Make Next Time

• Add to the back inseam starting at the crotch and tapering down to nothing by a bit more; this will give me more thigh room in the back which is the one place where I still have a lot of drag lines
• Do a full seat adjustment, maybe 1/2″ to 1″ to see if that will raise the top of the back of the pants a bit; I’m trying to eliminate any hint of “Plumber’s Butt” when I sit or crouch 😉
• If making the same style, consider letting out the bottom of the inseam slightly to widen the flare; I meant to do that on this pair, but forgot and finalized the seam by finishing, trimming, and topstitching them before I remembered

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There were a lot of missteps along the way.  I tried to use the selvedge in decorative ways that didn’t really work out, had to change out the waistband, and almost covered my pockets in bandana fabric, but decided against it in the end.  My pants were a bit long as well, so instead of turning them up twice, they are turned up three times, which gives a nice weight, but is probably as thick as I could go without things looking strange.  I also forgot to interface the area where my jeans tack/button and buttonhole would go, so I put a little patch of iron-on mending tape on the inside before installing the jeans tack.  You can see that below.

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And…I may have cut through some of my buttonhole stitching.  Oops.  Time will tell if that holds up.

Resources

• For help in figuring out how to get the leg shape I wanted, I used a tutorial called “Creating a Flare Pant Pattern”, specifically the section entitled, “Pant Flared from the Knee”.
• Once I hit fitting problems, I consulted Pants for Any Body by Pati Palmer and Susan Pletsch (revised and expanded edition, copyright 1982).
• It was Erica Bunker’s post on her Butterick 6691 jumpsuit where she mentioned the full seat adjustment that helped clue me in to that as a possible solution for the back of my pants being lower than I wanted.  I’ve used this adjustment in the past, but had completely forgotten about it.
• The back pocket topstitching templates from Closet Case Patterns were also really helpful.  I almost always use these to find fun topstitching designs for my back jeans pockets.  Note that you need to sign up for their newsletter to get access to these.

And of course I have to mention the amazing fabric that I used for these pants.  It was a birthday present from a friend, and is Japanese Selvedge Denim in a vintage wash/color from Fashion Fabrics Club.  (The link goes to all their Japanese Selvedge Denim since I’m not sure which is the exact one I used.  It is not an affiliate link.)  It’s a nice midweight, and I LOVE it.  Fashion Fabrics Club has a lot of selvedge denim at some pretty great prices (and it sometimes goes on sale) if you are looking for some.

The fun tag I used was a gift from a classmate of mine in a class at Pintuck & Purl a few years ago.  If you look around on the internet, you can still find these tags from various sellers.

These pants feel great.  They aren’t perfect, but after all the struggle and time, they are just what I want.  I think my biggest lesson from this project is that I prefer to have my details worked out on the front end of things rather than figuring out as I go in the sewing part of the project.  I’m sure there will be projects where I’ll need to make design decisions as I go, but I think I will enjoy my projects more if I can make those choices earlier in the process.

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I am SO GLAD these are finished, and I can wear them.  I’m finally wrapping up my spring sewing, on the first official day of summer, no less.  Happy Summer Solstice!

 

 

 

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Ginger Jeans with Exposed Zippers

I’m really excited about the jeans I have to share with you today.  I love all the details I put into them!  Just like the gingham shirt from last week, jeans provide a fun chance to experiment with details.

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I made the decision to swap one of the tops (Simplicity 2255) on my 2017 Make Nine plan for some Ginger Jeans, partly because I needed some jeans, but also because I was no longer sure if that top was the right use for the precious fabric I had planned for it.

I knew that Me-Made-May was coming up, and I needed more pants, AND, last but not least, Pintuck & Purl was hosting a Jeans Sewing Master Class with Heather Lewenza of Closet Case Patterns, maker of the Ginger Jeans pattern…and, you know, I thought that warranted a new pair.  😉

I am both completely in love with these jeans and slightly annoyed by the subtle fit issues that I didn’t notice until after these were finished.  We can leave the annoyances until later–let’s talk about the fun stuff!

I knew before I even had the fabric that I wanted to use yellow exposed zippers on these (partly because I completely forgot to put them in my green pair), and I knew I could do it because I learned how when making my Refashioners 2015 jacket (worn in the picture above).  The instructions come from the Reader’s Digest Complete Guide to Sewing (1976 edition), my favorite sewing reference.

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I’ll give you a quick rundown of the other supplies I used and where they are from, in case you are curious (I’m always curious about these sorts of things.).  Also, I know there are a billion links in this post.  I love information, and I want you to have all the information I have in case it will help you.  None of these are affiliate links, although I do work part-time at Pintuck & Purl.

• Ginger Jeans pattern by Closet Case Patterns:  Pintuck & Purl
• stretch denim: Pintuck & Purl
• yellow exposed zippers:  ZipIt Zippers on Etsy (a really great shop for zippers!)
• sparkly gold fly zipper:  Pintuck & Purl
• jeans button:  Wawak
• yellow Gutermann topstitching thread and navy Gutermann construction thread:  Jo-Ann Fabrics
• red Coats topstitching thread: either Pintuck & Purl or Jo-Ann’s
• interfacing:  Jo-Ann Fabrics
• Amy Butler Daisy Chain fabric for pockets, waistband lining, and bias tape on the hem:  ?? (I can’t remember where I got this!  It’s been in my stash for a long time.)
• gold leather patch:  a gift from Elizabeth Berthoud of Sac A main

One great discovery with this pair of jeans is that my Singer Featherweight sewing machine does great with Gutermann topstitching thread.  I was ready to swear that thread off because it didn’t do well in my Elna 3005 the last time I made jeans, but this time I set up both machines so I could use my Elna for construction and my Featherweight for topstitching, and both machines did great with their respective threads.  I used the red Coats topstitching thread in the Elna and it worked great.  It’s so rare that anything disagrees with my Elna that I assumed the problem was with the thread, but I’m glad I tried the Gutermann with the other machine (admittedly, I only did this because it was the only yellow/gold topstitching thread I had on hand and I didn’t want to run out to get more).

So, with the exception of the exposed zippers, which I had to put in before doing the pockets, I followed the directions as written.  I made a size 14, View A (low rise, stovepipe legs).  The back pocket topstitching design came from a bunch of topstitching designs Heather sent out to newsletter subscribers.  It was really fun to pick one out.

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I was also inspired by my coworker Lauren to add bias trim to the hem of the my pants and a contrasting thread color on my buttonhole as well as some contrasting bartacks.  She makes cool clothes.

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So let’s talk fabric.  I chose this great stretch denim, and I really love it.  It’s very different (in a good way) from the inexpensive denim I used for my first pair.  It has a great hand and feels substantial, yet still stretchy.  What I DIDN’T do (but should have) is wear my jeans around for a few hours after basting them.  I was impatient.  I admit it.  I basted them, wore them around for a few minutes, and called them good.  And they were.  They were just right.  So, I sewed them up, and finished them off.  I washed them to get any chalk marks off and hung them up to dry (by the way, I did wash and dry the fabric in the dryer more than once before making these).  Then, I put them on and…they seemed a little looser than I remembered…and a little longer than my other two pairs.  Hm.  In my concern about not making them too tight (you know I love some ease!), I didn’t account for differences in fabric.  This stretch denim is stretchier than my other two pairs.

I also asked Heather to take a look at my jeans during a lull in the jeans class (I was around to help out on day one), and she gave me a few fitting tips that she said could remove the excess fabric in the back and my need for a belt.  Her advice was both generous and helpful, and might also apply to my gray pants with the mysterious extra fabric in the back.  She is a fitting master.  It was amazing to see her help everyone.

So, final analysis:  I LOVE these jeans.  I think they are my coolest-looking jeans to date (the green pants are sort of in their own category, I think), and I am always mystified when people don’t stop me and tell me how awesome they are.  😉

That being said, I really wish the fit was as perfect as I thought it was when I basted them together and tried them on.  They are a little looser than I want them, and I definitely have to wear a belt.  BUT…this is all part of the learning curve for making pants, right?  As much as I wish I had all pants-fitting knowledge magically deposited in my brain, that is never going to happen, and I really do remember fitting things better when it is something I’ve had to learn the hard way (Darn it!  WHY is there no silver bullet/magic potion/easy answer?  Learning and skill development actually takes WORK!  Shocking!).

If you are thinking about making jeans, the Ginger Jeans pattern is a GREAT pattern.  It was much less scary than I thought it would be and the directions plus the sew-along are really, really helpful and well done.  Heather clearly does her research.  Go for it!

Recommendations

• I just found out about @tinycarpenter_ on Instagram.  It’s a little Lego guy who uses big people tools for his carpentry work.  Fun!
• I love sewing inspiration, and I find a lot of it in catalogues from companies like J.Crew and Boden.  Often when I see clothing that I really like, I can think of a pattern that matches it.  I think of this as shopping for inspiration.
• And, um, here is a little prom dress inspiration for you (hahaha!):

Ginger Jeans Hack Inspired by Meggipeg

Today’s project has been a long time in the  making.  And the inspiration for it comes totally and completely from an amazing seamstress on the other side of the world:  meggipeg.

Ever since I saw her version of a pair of Balmain jeans made from the Jamie jeans pattern by Named, I wanted my own.  But, like a lot of projects that I knew were going to take some work, I had to psych myself up.  I didn’t own the Jamie Jeans pattern and, like most indie patterns, it wasn’t cheap.  I kept thinking about it, and almost committed to buying the pattern before realizing that with just a little more work, I could use a pattern that I already had.  And then came the perfect impetus to get going on making my dream a reality:  I had signed up for a class.  And not just any class, but a choose-your-own-sewing-adventure kind of class where you pick what you want to work on.  The time was now.

All my class projects ready to go!

I had verbally signed up for Lauren Taylor’s (a.k.a. Lladybird’s) Sewing Master Class at Pintuck & Purl way back in May, when I first heard about it.  I love seeing all the things that Lauren sews, and I knew it would be a great opportunity to work on some projects that I found intimidating.  So, along with a few other projects, I came up with my pants scheme.  It was time to finally make some super-cool pants a la meggipeg and Balmain of my own.

However…I didn’t love the idea of figuring out how to fit a new jeans pattern, especially when I also had so many other project supplies to buy, and that’s when I realized:  I could use the Ginger Jeans pattern.  All I needed to do beyond what I was already going to do was change the front pocket and add front leg seams.  I don’t hack patterns much.  But this seemed worth the time investment.  In addition to the aforementioned changes, I drew up some parallelograms for the sides of the front legs and divided up the back pocket.

 

Adding a seam to the front leg.

Changing the front pocket shape.

I had plans to add zippers to the front of my jeans as well, similar to Papercut Patterns’ Starboard Jeans, but these didn’t make it into the final pants (because I forgot to put them in before doing the pockets).  Oh, well!  I also contemplated zippers at the bottom of the jeans, but decided against those before beginning.

Ooops!  I forgot the zippers!

I didn’t get a lot done on these in the class, because this was the third of my several projects (not all of which will show up on the blog–sorry), but preparing for the class forced me to make the necessary pattern changes beforehand.  It got me going on the pants and I managed to cut out the pattern and get started during class.

Just in case you’re wondering about supplies, I’d love to share.  Here’s where everything came from:

• Ginger Jeans pattern by Closet Case Patterns and fancy zipper:  Pintuck & Purl
• J. Crew olive green stretch twill/canvas:  ImagineGnats
• Pellon midweight interfacing, jeans button by Dritz, Gutermann thread (topstitching and regular), bias tape:  Jo-ann Fabrics
• pocketing (vintage sheet): thrifted

I love this vintage sheet as pocket material!

I did one or two things differently on the construction side of these than on my first pair of Ginger Jeans.  This time around, I interfaced my waistband (good idea!) and used true topstitching thread (so-so).  I do think I’ll interface the waistband in the future, but I might try a different alternative for the topstitching thread.  Maybe I’ll use upholstery or button/craft thread, or maybe I just need a bigger needle and different tension on my machine.  I had a lot of thread nests with the topstitching thread and it just wasn’t my favorite overall.

Time for less talk and more pictures, right?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The pants themselves?  I LOVE them!!!!!  So far I’ve worn them about five days out of the last two weeks.  Yep!  I hope I’m not the only one that calculates how many people I’ll see more than once in a week so I can rewear outfits!  But even if I am–oh, well!

I love these pants so much.  The ease is great, the fit is great, the stretch is great, and the fabric is great.  It was definitely worth the effort to make these.  Thanks for the idea, meggipeg!  I hope you take my emulation of you as a compliment.  I’m always impressed with your style.

I even made a flannel shirt to go with it!  Stay tuned for more details on that…

Recommendations

• I really love these Carhartt’s socks.  This isn’t an affiliate link or anything (I don’t do those currently.), just some socks I like.  I like the colors, and they keep my feet warm without making them sweaty, which means I can wear my Converse All-Stars or moccasin booties without getting numb toes when the weather is cold.
• Robert Kaufman fabric.  I love Robert Kaufman fabric (in fact, I have some of their Mammoth Plaid that I just made into the flannel shirt of my dreams).  The fabric is moderately priced and great quality–and they have so many options.
• The Imagine Gnats online shop.  I have a really hard time getting myself to buy fabric online, always preferring to see it in person first, but I have to recommend this shop.  The customer service is great and so is the curated fabric selection.  I’ve probably ordered twice from here and I have to give owner Rachel Gander props for the extra little sticker and piece of candy she put in my orders and for ending what has felt like an age-long search for the perfect olive green stretch twill.
• And because candy corn is one of my favorite fall treats, here is a video that shows how candy corn is made:

Ginger Jeans Dreams Realized! Or…I Made Jeans!!!

I didn’t think it could be done.  Could I ever make jeans?  I doubted myself and procrastinated for ages.  Until finally, I used my old sewing trick that has served me so well:  just do the first step.

This is great for life outside of sewing as well, but I mainly use it to get myself moving on “scary” projects.  Even if the first step only takes one minute, once I do it, I can be done for that day.  Next time, take the next step.

Eventually I tend to get caught up in the process and things move along.  That’s what happened with these jeans.  It took me forever to trace the pattern, and forever to cut them, and forever to get to sewing them, but at the point of sewing, I took the first step…and then the second…and then worked on them for a whole day!  By that point, things were getting exciting, and I couldn’t wait to work on them again.  After another day of sewing, I had them done!  They are the most comfortable jeans I think I have ever worn.  And they fit!

Aside from jeans-making being new to me (and therefore intimidating), pants in general intimidate me in the area of fit.  The few times I have made/attempted to make pants or shorts, I can tell something is off, but I don’t know how to fix it.  There were two things, I think, that really saved this pants attempt.  One was that the drafting on these is different from what I have encountered in the Big 4 patterns that I have tried.  In those, I always feel like the front is too high and the back is too low.  This jeans pattern didn’t feel that way at all.  The second thing that saved this project was all the excellent fitting advice that Heather (the designer) offers both in the instructions and in the sew-along on her blog, Closet Case Files.

So, let’s talk process a bit (Technical Talk Ensuing.  Skim this part if you just want pictures.).

I chose to make this first pair of jeans out of an inexpensive denim in case I had a lot of problems.  I got my denim at Jo-Ann Fabrics on sale.  I noticed that many others had used denim from Jo-Ann’s with success, and so I decided to give it a try.  I also got some interfacing there.

I found some rainbow topstitching thread in my stash.  (I wish I knew where it came from so I could get more, but I have no idea.  It may not even be real topstitching thread.)  I used navy thread from my stash for the non-topstitching parts, and some really old thread for the basting.  I’ve decided that basting is an excellent use for old thread.  I have lots of hand-me-down thread and I know you’re not *supposed* to use it, but I do.  I can’t let it go to waste.  Basting seems the perfect use, because if it breaks, it doesn’t really matter.

The fabric for my pockets is some very old Amy Butler fabric that I had in my stash.  My husband saw it and said, “Oh!  You’re making your pockets out of diaper bag!”  Back when I had my first baby, one of my best friends made me a diaper bag with this fabric.  Time to put the scraps to a new use!

Now on to the jeans.  I made View A in a size 14.  View A has a low rise with stovepipe legs–similar to what I wear on a daily basis.

Because I’m new to fitting pants, I just cut the size that fit my measurements without any initial adjustments.  I assembled the front of the pants completely.  Then I basted the back of the pants with the exception of the pockets, which I pinned on.  After that I basted the sides together, all before assembling the waistband.

My main issue came at the back.  The back waist gaped.  Heather explained very clearly what I needed to do, and so I made a few darts in the yoke, tried the pants on again, and then took out just a bit more until they felt right.  Then I sewed everything minus the waistband together.

After that, I assembled the waistband and basted it on.  It also gaped, so I followed Heather’s directions and put a few darts in.  On my first try, I sewed the darts in opposite to how they were supposed to go!  Argh!!  I contemplated just recutting the whole thing, but I ripped out the darts and resewed them in the end.

Once I got that right, I sewed it all up and went after the back pockets.  I started to get nervous when I sewed them on because I was nearly out of topstitching thread.  I managed to finish the pockets with just a little bit left.  Success!

When I put these pants on for the first time…oh, it was wonderful!  They were so comfortable and fit so well.  I had done it thanks to help from Heather Lou!  What an amazing thing to make your own jeans!

If and when I make these again, here is what I would do differently.

• I would interface the waistband.  I thought I wanted one that would stretch but, I think because I chose a cheaper denim, mine tends to stretch out.
• I would also consider basting the jeans the slightest bit tighter.  These are so comfortable, but the denim doesn’t have the greatest recovery despite the spandex content.
•  Lastly, I’m curious about how to do a midrise version, something Heather explains on her blog.  I’d like to try that.

If you are considering making jeans, I highly recommend this pattern.  It gave me enough confidence to move forward and to want to try making more pants so I can learn how to fit other styles to my body as well.  Heather also has a jeans making e-book and published a blog post on basic pants fitting that you might find helpful.

Success!!

Update:  I’m linking this post up with Allie J.’s blog for her series called “The Social Sew”.  Each month she puts out a sewing theme and you can link up your recent projects that fit within the theme.  Since this month is ‘Me Made Basics‘, I thought these jeans would be a great fit.  You can also check out what everyone else has made.  It’s a great way to find new sewing blogs!

Recommendations:

• I just found out that one of my favorite podcasts, Thread Cult, is back up and running.  I thought perhaps it had been abandoned, but it turns out it was only on hiatus.  This podcast is “for the sewing, fashion and textile obsessed”.
• I’m fascinated by the Instagram account of Tara Curtis @t_jaye.  She makes these fabulous geometric designs that remind me of quilts, but she does it by weaving strips of fabric.  If you love pattern and design, I think you’ll like her work.  She also has a website.
• Have you ever looked at Cooking Light magazine?  I like their recipes because they are healthy AND they taste good!  Several of their recipes have become family favorites.  You may be able to read Cooking Light at your library (ours lends out magazines) or check out their recipes via their website.
• Here is an important lesson on compound words.  (Preview this before showing it to your kids–there’s nothing bad, just a few surprising parts that could scare little ones.)