Hello there, sewist friends! What was your most challenging sewing project? I think there’s a bit of apprehension surrounding difficult things, whether for sewing patterns or otherwise. I certainly get it. We don’t want to waste time or resources on a flop. We don’t want others to see us fail. The most important lesson I’ve learned from sewing is that it’s okay to fail. I’ve discovered that I often learn more through my failures than through my successes.
This is an ominous start to a blog trying to convince you to sew up a pair of jeans, isn’t it? (laugh with me, please. :p) My main point is that many out there don’t think they can’t sew up or fit a pair of jeans, so they don’t try. Sure, that prevents having to face a shortcoming, but it also prevents growth. Life without growth is not fulfilling. Besides, I know these people (perhaps you?) are capable of doing hard things. How do I know this? Because they started sewing. They tried sewing with knits (or wovens). They tried sewing with a serger. They tried fitting a pattern, and so on. At some point all of these things were hard. But they got easier because they kept trying, and failing, and learning from their failures. Eventually they got it.
So, with that, eh, pep talk? let’s talk about the pattern and what I learned.
The Pattern
For my first attempt at a pair of jeans, I went with the Bravado Jeans Do It Better Yourself Club (or, DIBY Club). I won the pattern in DIBY’s 24 days of giveaways on Instagram in December. (Psst If you want a chance to win a copy of the pattern, you should head over to their IG. Or, if you’d rather just buy it, it’s currently on special for $5.99.)
Pattern Options:
Mid and High Rise
Floor Length Bootcut or Cuffed Flood
Optional Coin Pocket and Belt Loops
Add-on option for Flared Leg (slim and wide)
Sizing:
Waist 24-59.75″
Full Hip 34-67″
Thigh 18.5-35″
Calf 12-21″
Inseam 28.5″
That’s right, they even give the thigh and calf measurements! This can prevent the necessity to make fit adjustments after the fact for thin/full thighs and calves. I appreciate patterns that give all of the fit information up front. Major props to DIBY for that!
Fabric Recommendation:
Medium weight, stable fabrics with a minimum of 30% stretch and good recovery. Examples are:
8-13oz Stretch Denim
Heavy Weight Denim Twill
Corduroy
Ponte
The fabric has prevented many from trying this pattern. Denim with 30% stretch can be difficult to find. (Especially after another company released a jeans pattern and somehow sold out every online retailer.) If you’re itching to try the pattern and can’t find denim, I recommend looking at ponte, scuba, or other similar bottom weight fabrics. The minimum recommended stretch is 30% but 50% will certainly work.
My Version
As mentioned earlier, I won a copy of this pattern. Due to my personal style I opted to purchase the flare add-on pack. I used the wide flare option for this pair. Other options chosen from the original pattern were the high rise and coin pocket. I used a sueded scuba from Surge Fabrics. It’s a bottom weight with 50% horizontal and 20% vertical stretch. While I am short, I chose to not shorten the inseam because I will wear these with boots that have a small heel.
Construction
Let’s start with the fabric. This fabric does have a nap. Make sure you cut all of the pieces going in the same direction. It’s also not entirely forgiving in terms of pin marks. It’s entirely possible I used pins and sewing needles that were too big. I’m self-taught and still learning. To prevent marks showing on the outside, baste inside the seam allowance and use wonder tape instead of pinning the pockets on. This fabric was a bit difficult to press. I didn’t want to risk melting it or crushing the pile so I used a low iron setting. What saved me was using clappers to press the seam. If you’re not familiar with clappers, they’re basically a chunk of solid hard maple. The weight can press seams flat without the use of harsh heat.
I wanted to do a quick fit check before I devoted a lot of time to sewing and topstitching all of these seams. To do that, I basted the pieces together, minus the waistband. It gave me enough of an idea to see that I had graded correctly and no further fit adjustments would be needed. I also used this opportunity to adjust the size and placement of the pockets. (Note: I need to work on the size/placement a bit more.)
I appreciate that the pattern provides different methods for finishing the seams, such as flat felled, finished together and pressed open. There’s a diagram that shows where to use each method if you want your pair to look more like RTW. The other thing I appreciate is that, as long as you don’t use the flat felled finish for seams, it’s possible to let out/take in the seams later on if there’s a size change. The more I sew, the more I appreciate having clothes that can transition with weight fluctuations.
Tips
- When checking the fit, it’s ok if your fly won’t stay closed before you attach the waistband. It does not mean the pants are too tight. The waistband does a lot of work.
- Wonder Tape is your friend! Use it for inserting the zipper and attaching the pockets.
- Use a jean-a-ma-jig when sewing over bulky seams.
- Hammer the bulky seams. Yes, it does make a huge difference.
- Purchase rivets with a long post.
- Use a stretch stitch when sewing the yoke. I used the chainstitch on my coverstitch machine for attaching and topstitching the yoke. I popped too many stitches when I tried them on. (whew! that’s a lot of stitches.)
Criticisms
Look, no pattern is perfect. Let’s not pretend they exist. I have 2 regarding this pattern. One is the recommended method for topstitching the zipper fly. The instructions have you stitching blind from the backside, with the topstitiching thread in the bobbin. After attempting this method (it’s not pretty, btw) I did some research and found out that most domestic machines can’t handle the topstitching thread in bobbin. I talked to the owner about the possibility of adding a stitching template and she seemed receptive to the idea, I hope to see that added in the future. In the meantime, I most definitely suggest using a template (or making one) and stitching from the top.
My other frustration was with the waistband. I followed the instructions and my waistband ended up having a 2″ negative ease. Holy muffin top, Batman! That was simply too small for me and my squishy sides. I went rogue and cut the waistband to the length of the opening. I did use a woven interfacing to help prevent it from stretching out.
Lessons Learned/To Try Next Time
- There should be a bit of negative ease in the waistband. I think mine ended up being the same as my waist measurement. It sags ever so slightly.
- Add height to the rise. The pants are a true high rise as drafted. I’ve become accustomed to ultra high rise, which sits above the belly button.
- Use a shorter zip. The zip ends at my crotch. The recommended length may work once I add height to the rise.
- Use stretch fabric for pockets (such as power net or other stable knits). I’m undecided on if this is necessary but would like to try it out.
- Install side rivets far enough away from the side seam so that the pants can be taken in. If nothing else, the rivets can be removed and replaced.
- Widen flare to fit over shaft of boots. (I have this problem with RTW as well.)
- Lengthen the leg another 1-2″
That’s it! If you notice, I have no tips on topstitching. I don’t feel like I learned enough to give helpful tips for a successful finish. That’s something I’ll be focusing on with my next pair!
I hope I didn’t scare you off with all of this. They were a challenging sew for me but I learned a lot. I wanted to pass on my experience in case it could help others in their attempt. Let’s learn together!
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