Look y’all, new jeans!
I always enjoy making a new pair of jeans for fall – after a summer of teaching jeans-making, I’m full of brilliant ideas and antsy to sew them. Now that I work part time as a tailor, I get my eyes on even more jeans with interesting design details that I’ve been dying to incorporate. For this pair, I thought I’d try out some features I’ve been seeing a lot lately, as well as a new (fashionable?) silhouette .
These are my tried and true jeans pattern – the Ginger Jeans from Closet Core Patterns. I’ve made this pattern enough times to have really nailed the fit down, and now I’m in that glorious phase where I just have to make tweaks and adjustments to change the style. I made multiple changes to this pattern:
- Increased the rise about about 3/4″, so it covers my belly button
- Changed the legs to bootcut, using an existing pair of flared jeans that I like as a comparison
- Swapped the pocket stay for normal hanging pocket bags
- Changed the waistband to a rectangular one-piece folded waistband, instead of two pieces with subtle shaping. The shaping is obtained by easing the waistband to the top of the jeans. This is how most RTW jeans are done, btw, and it is MUCH easier to cut, sew, and alter
I also made some small design adjustments, such as leaving off the coin pocket, slightly changing the shape of the front fly topstitching, and sewing 2 lines of topstitching across the bottom of the waistband. I also used two different topstitch thread colors, as well as a third color for the bar tacks and button hole.
Not too much to say here that I haven’t already said before about this pattern, so here’s a bunch of photos of me + my ass.
I have no idea where I originally purchased my denim – if I had to guess, it’s either from Mood Fabrics or Pintuck & Purl, as I’ve bought loads of stashed denim from those sources. Maybe it’s Cone Mills? Who knows, it’s a mystery! All I can tell you is that it’s been in my stash for years. It is a beautiful medium blue that I think will lighten up nicely as it gets washed and worn. 4″ of my denim stretches to about 4.75″, so I was able to cut my usual size 4 and make no fit or size adjustments.
I used two sewing machines to sew this – one threaded for topstitch thread, and one for standard. Although I still had to change my thread a ton, since I was using two different topstitch colors! But I do think the effect is worth it, I see this in a lot of high-end RTW and I just think it looks really nice. I used Mara 30 topstitching thread, which is pretty thick – honestly too thick for most home sewing machines. I have a Janome HD9 that I use for topstitching, which is designed to be able to handle the super thick thread with a 110 needle. In my classes, we use the thinner Mara 70, which gives the look of thick topstitching but much more easily managed by the machines.
Love that you can’t even tell the difference between the two thread colors in this eXtReMe cLoSe Up BUT I PROMISE IT IS THERE.
I used a leftover scrap of Liberty cotton to make the pocket bags, which I sort of regret because it’s way too flimsy and doesn’t stay in place that great but oh well the colors were just too good! My serging thread is green to match. Oh, and I found an old Ralph Lauren label that I was able to fold so my pants have my name in them! Fun stuff!
I love the little flare – it’s very different than anything else in my closet (well, other than the *other* pair of flares I own that I knocked off LOL). The length is definitely long for me, but in my experience denim tends to continue to shrink in length as you wash/dry it so I’m going to let these settle a bit before I cut anything off. Plus, longer hems are supposed to be in right now? I don’t know, I keep looking at everyone’s long ass pants and thinking about how much they need a good hemming haha.
This was a fun little project and a great way to ease back into sewing after a summer of barely having time to make anything for myself! If you’re keen to whip up your own jeans, I still have a few classes through the end of the year – check out my WORKSHOPS page to get the details! We won’t have time in class to go fully custom – but you’ll learn everything you need to know about making a pair of jeans from start to finish, and get lots of ideas for customization on your future pairs! Also, as a head’s up – I’m currently planning my schedule for 2024 (with the possibility of adding a new location or two), so if you have a local shop offering classes who you’d like to nominate, please let me know!
LLADYBIRD 
Awesome….are you still going to Alexandria ,VA the first weekend in December?
Yes!
Great! I live in Durham, NC and have been stalking their
site. (for some reason, I’ve tried twice, I can’t get their newsletter delivered to my inbox). Hope to see you there and for the alterations class as well! Renee
I LOVE the liberty fabric!! I have been holding onto 5 yards of Rag and Bone denim from Mood for a few years. I have never made jeans, I can only make skirts and have no serger. I am terrified that will ruin the fabric!
Sounds like you need to take a workshop so we can get your confidence levels up! 🙂 You don’t want to hoard that fabric forever – if there’s any spandex in it, it will eventually stop stretching. Also, you don’t need a serger to make jeans! Helpful for finishing seams but not absolutely necessary.
Hello Lladybird, I love reviewing your workshop schedule annually and hope I can attend one eventually. Could you consider doing a workshop in Minnesota? Here are a couple shops we have locally that teach sewing classes. I don’t have any direct contacts, but here is brief summary of what I know:
Treadle Yard Goods, Saint Paul — Oldest store on the list. Changed ownership about 5 years ago. I think of them as a high-quality fabric store. They sell traditional and indie sewing patterns, specialty fabric and notions. They offer many sewing classes on a reliable, seasonal schedule in their back room and have many experienced folks working in the shop. They recently started selling sewing machines.
Knit and Bolt, Northeast Minneapolis I think this store owner has been operating for possibly 5-7 years. They have indie sewing patterns and small fabric selection, knitting and crocheting supplies and a small number of classes. I think their sewing space is small, but they seem to be offering more retreat/events lately and are going offsite for these, so perhaps that would be an option.
Lakes Makerie, South Minneapolis The newest and coolest kid in town. Their class schedule seems very irregular but they have lots of cool fabric, indie patterns and offer unique classes in their sewing studio. I’m not sure how big the classroom space is.
Textile Center of MN — Minneapolis near University of MN and St. Paul Not a store, but they do offer guest artist classes regularly so they would be worth considering. They have larger classroom space than any of the fabric stores and offer many classes in a wide variety of textile arts. I believe the application to do classes and workshops is more formalized and can be found on their website.
I hope this list is somewhat useful and if you score a workshop with any of these folks, please let me know. Thanks, Lori Gingerich-Boberg
Oh wow, thank you for this detailed comment! This is super helpful and I’ll look into these shops and see if any are a good fit. I’d love to come to Minnesota – I’ve just never known of any places to teach, that’s the only reason it’s never ended up on my list!
They look great. How about Toronto. Maybe Fabric Spark.
https://fabricspark.com/collections/workshops
I’d love to go to Toronto!
Those look AMAZING! And thank the good Lord almighty that skinny jeans are OUT. Ugh. Worst silhouette ever. One single extra pound and you look like a golf ball on a tee. Amen for bootcut jeans – you balance out nicely my friend. 🙂
LMAO I love skinny jeans, been wearing them since before they were in style! (it was one of the ways I learned how to use a sewing machines – I was de-flareing my flares to make them skinny back in the late 90s lol). But I know a lot of people weren’t keen on the skinnies so I’m glad there are more options now!
Hey Jeans Queen! Any reason you didn’t use a twin needle for your top stitching? Thread thickness maybe? I’ve never used a double needle before but the one time I made jeans and had two lines of topstitching I struggled to keep them parallel! So I now own a twin needle. It’s ‘maturing’ in my sewing room, ready for the day I’m brave enough to use it.
Twin needles are never used for jeans topstitching – mainly because it does not create a strong stitching line (and the whole point of the double lines is for additional strength), but also, you can’t really turn curves with them (this is important at the fly). There are industrial machines that sew with two needles but they don’t operate how a twin needle does, as in they don’t share a bobbin. I hope that makes sense! Getting the two lines parallel takes practice, but it’s totally doable. You can get special feet for your machine to help keep them lines more perfect, but it’s also attainable without special equipment – I just eyeball mine at this point.
Beautiful jeans—love the details. I so enjoyed your recent jeans workshop in Alexandria. I made a second pair immediately after your class! Hope to attend Alter & Repair when Stitch Sew Shop opens registration.
Thank you! Hooray for your second pair, I bet they went a lot faster the next go round 🙂 Hopefully I’ll see you at Alter + Repair!
Beautiful jeans. You are such an inspiration. I plan to make it down to Tennesee to take one of your classes next summer.
Thank you! Unfortunately I rarely teach in Tennessee, but it’s possible something could happen next year if I’m able to find a suitable space.
I always love your jeans posts 😍 This colour denim is gorgeous btw
Thank you!
Love this! Your jeans posts are great and inspirational. You’ve given me some ideas to try on my next pair.
Thank you!
Could you share a couple more details about cutting a waistband as a rectangle? This is blowing my mind a bit! I love your tip for sewing waistbands, btw, from this post: https://lladybird.com/2018/01/08/jeans-workshops-for-2018/ and use it on all types, and recently used it to sew on the collar of a Gallery Shirt – BEST COLLAR EVER!!! You’re the bomb Lauren!
It’s the same as a two piece waistband, except cut as one piece that is folded in half lengthwise. It gets eased it in the same way a normal waistband is eased in (stretching it across the back but not the front), all of the construction is the same except there is no seam across the top to sew.
I’ll definitely try this, thank you!
i love that you are re-editing your pants to be hip with the kids. i feel that so hard.
i am so thankful that your blog is still going!!! please never stop, even if you update infrequently! i am on my 6th rendition of the thurlow trousers and if your sewalong (from over 10 years ago now!) ever disapears from the internet, i might actually die. i have to reference it every time.
Hey Lauren,
As always, great jeans…I admire your skills! I know it’s Hell hot here in the summer, but do we have a “snowball’s” chance to get you into Arizona? The heat isn’t so bad, it’s dry and you just become a creature if the night if you need to step out.
The Bernina Connection in Phoenix is a wonderful shop with wonderful people!
Hi! I’ve not had any luck with shops in AZ who are willing to host me. I recently posted my 2024 workshop schedule, which you can see on my workshops page or the most recent post.
Hello, Lauren!
How do you manege to prevent legs from twisting?
I followed Closet Core Patterns directions and they came up even more twisted! Both right seams twisting to the front, urgh!
I’d ask in one of your courses, but I live in Europe, so…