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Completed: Stovepipe Ginger Jeans

Thank you all so much for the warm welcome back to my blog! Feels so good to be back! And now – at long last, the jeans post I have been promising!

I’m not sure how riveting (lol) this post will be, considering I’ve shared many versions of Ginger jeans over the jeans. But this is my newest pair, in a really wonderful denim, which I wanted to highlight since it is very different than what I’ve used in the past for this pattern.

This is the very newest version of the Ginger Jeans pattern from Closet Core Patterns. I have been making this pattern since it was released in 2014 (!!!), and it’s definitely a wardrobe staple for me. I generally prefer the skinny leg version, made with a very stretchy (25%+) bottomweight, but we are doing it different this year! I’m trying new things and branching out! What a rush!!

A little backstory first – while the Ginger jeans have been around since 2014, they have only been available up to a size 20 until last year. The pattern was re-released in 2021 to include up to a size 32 (63″ hip). This is the pattern that I use for my Sew Your Own Jeans weekend workshop and I was very excited to make a new set of samples with a new denim and that whole extended size range! I spent so much time laundering large swatches of denim and agonizing over which one to use for my future classes, and then even more time sewing 22 pairs of jeans (not quite full jeans – but with zippers and finished waistbands and a faux pocket stay). It was a lot of work and I absolutely stained the shit out of everything in my house.

I chose this denim, which is Wyatt from Robert Kaufman, because it washed and sewed so beautifully. The denim is 11.4oz and has about 20% stretch, and the cotton/poly/spandex content is remarkably similar to Cone Mills denim – at a much lower price point, and much more easily accessible as most fabric stores already carry Robert Kaufman fabrics. The lower stretch means it is really easy to figure out fabric for your next pair, as it is sort of a middle ground in terms of bottomweight stretch. If you find something more or less stretchy, it’s pretty easy to size up or down (or add/remove space from the seam allowances) depending on how much the percentage changes. And because of the polyester and spandex content, this denim has a really excellent recovery. I get about 7 or 8 wears out of my jeans before they start feeling a little loose. It’s amazing! Honestly, this is my favorite denim I’ve ever used. I was SO excited to have this for my classes! Yay Wyatt!

Unfortunately, Robert Kaufman ended up discontinuing Wyatt. Which was really lovely to find out 2 months after finishing the samples. To answer your questions – no, I’m not making new samples with a new denim, and our replacement class denim will be figured on a case-by-case basis (since Robert Kaufman also discontinued my back-up denim. I tell ya, it’s been a wild year). So I’m sorry if I just sold you on the best denim ever, just to tell you now that you can’t have it! I’m sorry! Email Robert Kaufman and ask them why the hell they discontinued it!

Anyway, enough with the denim drama lets talk about these pants! Since I was using a lower stretch denim than I normally make my Gingers with, I went up a size for this pair and made them in a size 4. My general rule of thumb for this pattern is to go up or down a size for every 5% stretch you gain or lose, starting with 15% and going up to 25% (I would not stray too much beyond those percentages). This has been the case not just for me, but across the board in my classes, fitting hundreds of students into a multitude of different sizes, denims, and ease preferences.

Using myself as an example: My measurements put me at a size 6 hip, which is the size I would sew with 15% stretch. For 20%, I can go down to a size 4. With 25%, I can make a size 2. When changing sizes – you can either cut a whole ass new pattern, or you can add the difference at the side seams (whatever the size grade measurement is – you will want to refer to your pattern. It can vary between 1/4″-1/2″ depending on your size range). Of course, you always want to try the pants on BEFORE the waistband has been attached – it’s really easy to add or remove room from the side seams.

To find your stretch percentage, you have to measure a physical piece of fabric. The amount of lycra in the fabric has absolutely no bearing on the stretch percentage – I’ve seen fabric with 5% lycra that stretches 10%, and 2% lycra that stretches 20%. You have to actually stretch and measure the fabric, and do math to figure out the percentage. There are tons of tutorials online on how to do this – here’s a good one from Cloth Habit. The Wyatt denim stretches 4″ of fabric to 4.5″ (or 5″ to 6″, or 10cm to 11.5cm). My specific math percentage may not be exact (please do not come at me in the comments with “wELL aKtShUaLLy….” I really don’t care lol), but it’s a good starting point to get the ball rolling. If you want to discuss this more in depth, please sign up for a workshop! 😇

I made the stovepipe legs for this pair. The new version of this pattern includes both rises with both legs, so that you don’t have to pattern hack, which is really nice! I used the high-rise, and added an extra 3/4″ to the rise so the waistband would cover my navel. I normally need to add a full calf adjustment to my Ginger jeans, as the calf is suuuper slim, but as the stovepipe just kind of skims down the leg in a straight line this wasn’t necessary.

Other than that, sewing stuff is the same same same. I used 2 sewing machines for construction and topstitching, and a serger to finish the raw edges (I prefer this to flat-felled seams as it is much easier to alter if needed in the future. And I alter *everything*!). I skipped out on the rivets and went with contrast bar tacks, and added a little squiggle to my back pocket, and this fun tag from Kylie and the Machine. I think they turned out really nice! I’m still trying to get used to the slightly wider legs – I’ve worn skinnies for so long, I don’t even remember what shoes look good with a straight leg! LOL! I also need to re-hem these – I left them a little long to account for extra shrinkage, but after multiple washes, they haven’t gone up much. Speaking of washing – this denim also doesn’t bleed much. I am telling you, it’s awesome stuff! I’m so mad it isn’t being manufactured anymore!

As a side note – I also knit my sweater! The pattern is the Ripple Crop Top, I made a size Small and added a few extra inches of length. I don’t remember the yarn – maybe Woolfolk Tov? Who knows? Anyway, the extra inches I added involved some MAJOR yarn chicken – to the point where I had a mere handful of yards remaining once I cast off. What a rush that was!

For those who are interested in their own guided denim journey, check out my 2023 Sew Your Own Jeans weekend workshop dates! My next two are in March at Urban Sewciety (Westfield NJ) and in April at Domesticity (Baltimore MD)! Each one still has 1 seat remaining – maybe it’s waiting for youuuu! ❤️

Tags: denim, ginger jeans, jeans, jeans workshop, robert kaufman, wyatt

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Categories completed projects - new

Completed: The Coziest Loungewear Set

8 Feb

Hi everyone and welcome back to my blog! 🎉

I haven’t posted much in the last couple of years – I moved over to Instagram as it felt more manageable, and that was a good thing. But lately Instagram has shifted into something different, and I don’t like it. I don’t care for the video format and I hate the algorithm (as opposed to showing me the accounts I actually follow!) and the whole app is just really unappealing now.

I do enjoy sharing my projects, though, and having that information accessible for future reference. So I thought I’d bring them back here to my blog! Rather than worry about algorithms and producing videos and getting followers and all the stressful shit that sucks the fun out social media, I’m gonna do what I’ve always done – my own thing! In my own space! I’m going to try to keep these short and sweet and manageable for myself (as time is my most precious resource and blog posts take a lot of time!) (update: I gave myself 20 minutes to write this post, it’s officially been an hour. Oh well!). But anyway. Welcome back!

And to be clear – I’m not jumping the Instagram ship (yet). I’ll still post on there, but I’d like my in-depth stuff to live here, on my own platform. Where there are no videos and I can type using a real keyboard HAHA.

Today I want to share with you my newest, favoritest, coziest loungewear set: The Sherpa Dream 🐑

The sherpa fabric came first, so I’ll talk about it first! This pink fuzzy delight is from Domesticity (by way of Birch Fabrics, although I think it has been discontinued now) and I’ve been eyeballing it since the first time I taught there in June 2021. It’s enormously soft and fuzzy, and 100% organic cotton (which is important for me as I tend to get really sweaty in polyester). The color is just the perfect shade of warm coral pink. At $36 a yard, it was a splurge, which is why it took me so long to finally go all in. But I did and I bought 3 yards! It filled up half a suitcase! No regrets!

I wanted to make separates – I’ve been very inspired by these fuzzy knit loungewear pieces (lol @ Skims but like… don’t hate). I used both patterns from the Closet Core Montreal Collection – the Plateau Joggers and the Mile End Sweatshirt.

I will admit that when I first saw these patterns, my immediate reaction was “Seriously? Another pair of joggers?” It feels like every single pattern company has released their own version of joggers and sweatshirts. And while I understand that this is the current fashion – I am really just tired of looking at them! A jogger is a jogger is a jogger! But my favorite thing about Closet Core is their unique details on all their patterns – and once I took a closer look at these, I was on board. I love how the joggers lack a side seam at the pocket, which makes for much less bulk. The sweatshirt has some interesting detailing – including a yoke and elbow darts – which unfortunately is lost in this crazy fabric but that’s ok! The set has nice proportions, too – the top is slightly oversized and cropped, and the pants are slim but still comfortable.

I made a size 2 in sweatshirt, and a size 4 in the joggers. Both of these are a size smaller than what my measurements suggest, but based on other reviews I read + knowing how slim I like to wear my clothes, I’m glad I sized down. The only adjustment I made was to increase the rise of the pants by 1″, which I ended up taking out because they were too high! (whoops!)

Here is the sweatshirt originally, with the v-neck and hood!

So the other thing I did when I made this set – I actually started with view C of the top; it was originally the crossover bodice with a hood. It is SUPER cute on everyone I’ve seen wear it! But, alas, this was a classic mistake of the wrong fabric + pattern pairing. The sherpa is overly warm, which is weirdly incongruent with the deep V. The deep V was also too wide for my shoulders, so it regularly gaped open and made it hard to wear the sweatshirt without a tshirt underneath. I stitched the first couple inches of the V closed, which helped, but then I had the issue of the hood being suuuuuper heavy and causing the entire top to pull toward my back as I wore it (which might not have been an issue if the shoulders weren’t so wide to begin with?). Further, the hood was so giant and thick, I couldn’t wear it with a coat or jacket – it was too bulky underneath, and the wide neckline meant that it didn’t sit right when it was pulled out, either. It was just a little too fussy and unwearable for me, so after about a month or so I changed it into a standard crew neck.

Doing this was surprisingly easy – I always think the easiest alterations are the ones to garments you’ve already made, since you know them pretty intimately inside and out! I removed the hood completely, opened the top of the kangaroo pocket, and unpicked the turned over hems of the V-neck. From there, I was able to create a vertical seam above the pocket – which is basically invisible due to the nap of the fabric. Since this started as a V-neck, I eventually ended up with a small gap at the top where the edges no longer meet. To fill this in, I added a small piece of the sherpa, wrong side facing out, like the detail on a sweatshirt. Then I finished the neckline with a fuzzy band of self fabric. All in all, the alteration took an hour or so, and resulted in a top that is INFINITELY more wearable than the original version!

And here it is after I altered it – so much more wearable!

Working with this sherpa was pretty easy, although it did require some extra steps. Since the nap runs in every single direction, I didn’t worry about it while cutting my pattern pieces. The fabric sheds like craaaaaazy, so I used my serger to finish all the edges (I kept a longer + wider stitch to help push it though, as it’s quite bulky) and kept my handheld vacuum nearby to periodically clean up (which sort of worked but also my studio is still full of pink fuzz so… there’s that). After sewing seams, I used a comb to pull the hairs out of the seams and fluff them up, same as one would do when sewing faux fur. I did try some topstitching on the top to better show the seamlines, but they are still pretty subtle, so I skipped them on the pants. My fabric is stretchy so I was able to use self fabric for my bands (with no elastic, other than in the waistband). Since the fabric is very bulky, I opted to use a matching cotton interlock knit on the pocket pieces (you can’t see the inside at all and it keeps that area nice and flat). I used the same cotton interlock to make the fabric waist tie. Oh, and while I did try to finish the eyelets that the tie feeds through – nothing would stay in place due to the nap of the fabric. So there are literally just… holes in the waistband. They seem to be stable enough lol.

It took me a couple months to complete this set – and then a couple more to get photos. I took these in my bedroom, which I love waking up in every morning! Sorry the photos are blurry – no idea why, but I’m not re-taking them LOL. Oh, and while we are talking about handmade and altered things – I made the rust linen pillowcases (fabric is from Blackbird Fabrics – it felt sinful to use such a nice garment weight fabric for PILLOWCASES but the color was just too perfect for my ~palette!), the tropical throw pillow (leftover fabric from this project!), the pinch pleat curtains (originally from Ikea; I sewed channels at the top to create the pinch pleats) and re-wired the smaller lotus lamp on the bedside table.

That’s all for now! Have a great day!

Tags: alterations, birch fabrics, closet core patterns, domesticity, loungewear, mile end sweatshirt, pink, plateau joggers, sherpa

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Categories completed projects - new

All About My New Workshop: Alter + Repair Your Garments!

11 Oct

Teaching my new workshop, Alter + Repair Your Garments, at Camp Workroom Social in 2021!

Hey all! Long time no chat 🙂

Don’t expect a return of regular blog posts (sorry! Real talk; this shit took me multiple days to write and I am exhausted lol), but I did want to pop in and talk about my new workshop that I’ve been offering this year. That’s right – I went away for a full 12 months, just to come back around and try to sell y’all some of my crap! HA HA! Wait, come back, I promise this is some interesting quality shit!

As you [probably] already know, I’ve been a sewing teacher for many years – almost a decade, actually (crazy!). I’ve been teaching my Sew Your Own Jeans workshop now for years, and it’s awesome and fun and you should totally believe all the good hype you hear about it. As much as I love making jeans, though, a new sewing skill has entered my repertoire that I just cannot get enough of and I’m dying to share it with everyone! So I created a new one-day workshop, Alter + Repair Your Garments. And today, I’m dusting off this old blog to tell you more about it! And even if you don’t care about my new workshop, I hope that you will at least enjoy the absolute avalanche of photos in this post.

One of my favorite – and most involved! – alterations to date. I took this old, ill-fitting jacket from the thrift store and completely resized + reworked it (including new lining!). Full blog post is here!

Alterations are a really sensitive subject in the sewing community. We love to say things like “Yes I sew – no I won’t hem your pants.” I’ve seen sewers literally make an entirely new garment, rather than address fit issues in a current garment. Things like seam ripping and making adjustments get a really bad rap in this inner circle. Why is that? I don’t know, but I had a similar attitude up until a few years ago. I would happily upcycle clothes – that’s how I really learned how to sew, by taking weird things from the thrift store and turning them into something even weirder (what can I say? I love weird shit). But I, like many other home sewists, didn’t touch alterations. Until recently, anyway.

I’ve touched on this a little on my blog – and a lot more on Instagram – but I actually do alterations for a living now. I started out as a freelance tailor, which I still do, and I also work part time in a tailor shop that is connected to a high-end clothing store. The tailor shop is stable and occasionally a bit redundant (which I honesty like), and the freelance work is… sometimes redundant, and sometimes just absolutely wild. As a freelance tailor who also lives in Nashville, the majority of my clients are musicians, mainly country and gospel artists. I work closely with my clients and their stylist to get their clothes to do whatever they want them to do. Sometimes that means proper fittings and alterations for things like red carpet events and tour outfits. Sometimes it means I’m sitting in a parking lot with my sewing machine powered by a generator, while I furiously take in something in the absolute shittiest and fastest way possible so they can film a music video. I also do a lot of adjustments to clothing in ways that aren’t traditional alterations – changing the style and fit of a garment (in a way that was not originally intended by the designer), adding or removing elements to make it wearable for performing, or to work with a stylist’s ~vision~. It’s all different and it’s all fun and I love it so much!

Proof that even small, subtle adjustments can make the world of difference! This oversized blazer just needed the sleeves shortened a bit. The piece still has that cool oversized effect, but looks a little less like I am wearing my mom’s office clothes. Instagram post here.

My new 1 day workshop, Alter + Repair Your Garments, allows students to dip their toes into the world of alterations and garment changes, with the support of someone who has quite a bit of experience under her belt (that would be me!). This class is a little different than what you might imagine when you think of doing alterations, though. Yes, we can (and we will) cover the basic stuff – hemming pants, taking up sleeves, adjusting waistlines, etc. The not as exciting bits that we like to tell people we don’t do as sewists. It’s totally valid and useful sewing and can be very handy if you think you might want to pursue a career as a tailor, or if you just want to handle your own alterations and save some cash, or in the case of some of my students – to show you the involvement in alterations, and release some of that sewist’s guilt when you realize you’d rather just continue to pay someone else to do it so you can keep your free sewing time entirely selfish and fun!

A big part of alterations, though, is a lot more exciting – the creative problem solving! This is where we take our garment sewing to the next level by changing things that might not be so obvious on the first go. Sometimes it’s a simple fix – shortening a hem, taking in excess. Sometimes it’s more involved, like replacing a zipper or a shredded panel of fabric. Sometimes it’s something really wacky, like making a new neckline or turning a dress into a top. The beautiful thing about sewing is that *most* things can be changed – I mean, it’s all sewn, after all. So go ahead and put pockets in that dress! Chop 6” off the bottom of your jeans and keep that original ratty hem! Dye your favorite sweater to a color that better suits your complexion (ok, no dyeing in this class but we can talk! We can talk!)!

Speaking of dyeing sweaters – here’s one I did! The original was a decidedly unflattering grey, so I dyed it green!

Every class is different, and the curriculum is based on whatever students choose to bring into class. This means you aren’t signing up for a class that teaches you shit you don’t care about – you’re going to bring in your own garments (ready to wear or handmade, vintage or modern, yours or someone else’s! Whatever you want to work on!), and we are going to address those pieces specifically. Some students love the opportunity to watch what everyone else is doing – it’s like extra little bonus lessons! Some students like to bring in an entire pile of clothing and try them all on, chat their way through all the changes and how to do them, and save the actual sewing for home. Some students will just bring a couple big projects, and let their class session focus on finishing them. Some students use class time as an excuse to finally tackle the pile of clothing alterations they’ve been avoiding dealing with. However you decide to treat the class is up to YOU!

A tale of alterations in 3 parts – I started with a sleeveless buttondown that I never wore, changed to a fitted cropped with sleeve ruffles, and then dyed it! Full Instagram post (minus the dyeing part because I never did post that LOL) here.

This is not a “fitting” class per se – although, most alterations do involve fit. We fit for style, for comfort, for wearability. We are not worried about getting “perfect fit” because that does not exist (and any photos you see without wrinkles? That’s due to the magic of Photoshop and standing completely still in a garment that probably isn’t very comfortable!). A fun bonus effect of this class is that this sort of fitting – on completed, wearable garments – can actually increase your understanding of fit and it’s adjustments on the future garments that you make. Fit adjustments are much more obvious on a finished garment, rather slogging through a book and trying to figure out the strange name that is supposed to describe the wrinkles you see.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is img_0920.jpeg — Here’s an example of a how subtle alterations can be used to change the proportions of a garment to better suit the wearer. This Saguaro set needed some adjustments – my bad for skipping a muslin! The pants got a huge whack off the rise, as well as volume from the side seams and length. Looks and feels much better now! Full Instagram post here.

Here’s an example of a how subtle alterations can be used to change the proportions of a garment to better suit the wearer. This Saguaro set needed some adjustments – my bad for skipping a muslin! The pants got a huge whack off the rise, as well as volume from the side seams and length. Looks and feels much better now! Full Instagram post here.

Another fairly subtle alteration – these Elizabeth Suzann pants were too big and overwhelming on me. I removed quite a bit of width and a small amount of length. They are still wide legged but more proportional to my size! Full Instagram post here.

As a tailor who works in the entertainment industry, I bring a unique point of view that you might not necessarily find in other classes. I’m not afraid to do something wild to a garment if I think it will improve it in some way. I love using elastic to sneakily take things in, and I’m a huge fan of turning mistakes into design elements. My goal for this class is to teach students how to approach this in a systematic way that makes sense and can be replicated with any garment, not just the pile you worked on in class. Of course, I want you to leave with a pile of pieces that you definitely will wear now – but I also want you to leave equipped with the knowledge and confidence to do this on your own, too!

Sneaky elastic fitting – part 1. This skirt was slightly loose at the waist, so I added an elastic facing along the top edge to invisible cinch it in, while still retaining a comfortable stretch. Full instagram posts here and here.

Sneaky elastic fitting – part 2. This skirt (from Talbots LOL) had a bias bound waistline that never fit right – it was too loose while standing, too tight while sitting. So I cut it off and sewed flat elastic along the top! Cannot even begin to tell you how much this improved the fit and comfort of this skirt. Full Instagram post here.

Sneaky elastic fitting – part 3. This Elizabeth Suzann skirt is made with a thick ribbed knit fabric, making the elastic waist feel bulky. I swapped the fabric-covered elastic for a matching flat elastic, sewn on the same way as my Talbot’s skirt. So much better! Full Instagram post here.

Alter + Repair Your Garments is perfect for any sewist who wants to improve their sewing, as well as learn a whole new range of skills. Do you have a pile of clothes in your closet that you don’t wear, but you also can’t quite figure out why? You need this class. Do you want to be able to smugly tell those acquaintances who ask you to sew for them “Actually, yes I do know how to do that type of hem – but sorry, I don’t sew for other people :]”? This is your class, baby! Have you taken my jeans class and you just really want to hang out with me again but you are good with all things denim? COME ON DOWN AND SEE ME, MY FRIEND!

You do *not* need to be a sewing super star to take this class! I wouldn’t recommend this class to an absolute beginner – you should have a little experience under your belt, a general understanding of the basics of clothing construction, and be comfortable using a machine. But you know what the other beauty about alterations is? There’s the easy way, and there’s the “proper” way. And you get to choose the method you want to use (because those are your damn clothes and there aren’t any sewing police!)! From adventurous beginners to seasoned pros – I truly believe this is a class for everyone!

I made this tank, but didn’t like how the contrast bands were sitting. I scooped out a bit more (using a tank that I did like as a guide), added wider bands, and cropped the length. It is so much cuter now! Full Instagram post here.

Here are some things you can expect to learn in this one day workshop:

Effective seam ripping techniques for a variety of stitches, including straight stitches, serged finishes, and chainstitches
How to assess a garment’s fit and style, and how to determine what changes need to be made
How to pin fit a garment and transfer the adjustments in preparation for sewing
How to take apart a garment, look inside, and determine the best method for executing whatever adjustment needs to be made based on the construction of the original garment
Basic garment repair
How to determine whether a garment can successfully be altered or repaired,
Best practices for using trial-and-error to approach for alterations on existing garments, and how to troubleshoot any problems that may arise

Maybe you just need help getting the right hem length on your long dresses? I got you!

These poor little jeans from Revice has been through a lot! I bought a size that fit my hips, but the waist was too big and they were a solid 4″ too long. A few months later, I squatted down and ripped a hole in the butt (NOT anywhere I’d already altered!). It was at this point that I taught myself invisible mending LOL. Full Instagram post here.

A couple notes on what *not* to expect in this class – we are working on finished garments only, so no muslins and we will not cover flat pattern adjustments (that’s an entirely different class, one that your local sewing shop likely already offers!). We cannot work on specialty (or messy) materials, such as leather, sequins, or fur. Pls leave that shit at home!

Didn’t even know this was possible but, yes, you can alter handknits, too! I took this Professor Meow sweater and added darts up the back to make it more fitted. Rather than sewn on a machine, they are made the same way as one would seam a sweater. Full Instagram post here.

Altering your clothes to better suit your body, style, and comfort needs is truly the most sustainable way to sew. In this class, I hope to show you how to see flaws in garments as exciting opportunities for improvement. Whether you are buying used or new clothes that need a little tweaking, or perfecting the fit + style finish on your own handmade goods (side note: *most* of my handmade clothes go through at least one round of alterations after they are finished! This is totally normal – even with a preliminary muslin fitting, clothes are going to fit different when you wear them out and around vs standing in front of a mirror with a shell made of a stiff fabric), the possibilities are endless and exciting!

Does this count as an alteration? Old RTW jacket that I thrifted and painted on the back! Full Instagram post here.

Don’t worry – I’m still teaching my Sew Your Own Jeans workshops (got a lot more butts I need to touch!). I will be offering Alter + Repair Your Garments in tandem with the weekend dates of my Sew Your Own Jeans workshops. I’m finalizing my 2023 workshop dates right now and will be announcing them soon – stay tuned! Can’t wait until 2023? There are still a couple seats left at Domesticity (Baltimore, MD) and Papermaple Studio (New Orleans, LA)!

For more information on my Alter + Repair Your Garments workshop, check out this interview I did with Workroom Social earlier this year.

For a list of all my upcoming workshops – check out my WORKSHOPS page.

Tags: alterations, garment repairs, tailoring, workshop

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Categories completed projects - new

Completed: The Maywood Backpack

18 Jun

Wow guys, it’s been a minute, huh? I try not to neglect this space, but the fact is I only write when I feel like it… which is honestly, kind of rare. I’d rather be making stuff!

So anyway, here’s something I made recently!

This is the Maywood Toteback! Realtalk – I have PINED for this damn bag since I first saw one in the wild (I think it might have been at one of my jean workshops!). I love how it flips from a tote bag to a backpack with a push of the straps:

I think y’all know I love sewing backpacks (1 2 3), although I have to limit myself since there are only so many backpacks a person can use! (a backpack update: #1 gets used occasionally, #2 was gifted to my little brother who absolutely loves it, and #3 still is used frequently when I travel. You know, back when we were still allowed to travel haha). I justified this one since it’s a bit more refined than my standard canvas pack – the solid black waxed canvas, gold hardware, and rich leather straps just make it look so classy. And I love that I can flip it to a tote, for times when I don’t feel like carrying my shit around on my back – or, TBH, when I feel like showing off my rad back patch haha.

The pattern itself is a super simple design – it’s a basic bag with boxed corners and a zippered top, fully lined to hide all seams. The pattern includes a large front pocket (for hiding the front tote strap when using this as a backpack) and an inner pocket that is large enough to fit a laptop (my 13″ MacBook Pro fits perfectly, FYI). What really makes it shine is the high-quality materials, especially those leather straps!

I knew I needed more than 2 giant pockets for this bag – and while it’s a slim size (you can fit a surprising amount in there, but it is arguably smaller than your standard backpack), I didn’t want to overload it with so many pockets that I stuff the whole thing too full to zip closed (typical Lauren – if there is space, I will find a way to fill it). But I did want a small pocket to throw my wallet in – and, based on past backpack experience, I wanted it to be zippered so nothing would fall out.

I ended up adding a little patch pocket that closes with a zipper, using the pattern pieces + instructions from the Addictive Free Canvas Tote from Niizo. Niizo is hands-down my favorite pattern + kit maker for bags, I always find their techniques to be so clever! I’ve made the tote before so I was familiar with the steps to insert this pocket. I like that it’s a patch pocket (so I could rip it off with no issues if I ended up deciding that I didn’t want the pocket!), and it has the zippered closure that I require. It’s the perfect size to hold my wallet, which is basically what it is intended for. I also added a little loop to the side seam, which I use to hang my keys or AirPods (using a carabiner clip) so they are easily accessible, but also secure while not taking up precious pocket real estate.

I actually sewed this pocket twice – my first go wasn’t quite perfect, and there were a few mistakes that just looked glaringly bad enough that I feel it was worthy of a re-do. I made this bag while on set for a big photoshoot (it is allowed where I live, please don’t @ me), and we were done with all our sewing… so I figured I had all the time in the world to get it right. I recut my pocket pieces from muslin, and while using the rotary cutter I glanced away for a fucking second and ended up somehow slicing through the tip of my left pointer finger. To make a very long and boring story short, I got 7 stitches the next day and also lost about 1/4 of my nail as the blade cut right through the nail bed. I’ve never had to get stitches before – hell, I’ve never had a sewing accident that warranted going to the walk-in clinic! – and let me tell you… that shit SUCKED. There was about a week and a half that I had very limited use of that finger which resulted in me not being able to type or knit without pain. Thankfully, it’s completely healed up at this point and my nail is slowly starting to grow back.

I guess the moral of this story is – 1. Pay attention when you are using your rotary cutter! and 2. Sometimes re-doing a pocket is the worst decision you can make that day LOL

Anyway, it turned out all right in the end! I’m glad I added the pocket, although I wish I’d just kept the first version (as well as part of my finger haha). I used medium weight muslin and a metal zipper and I think it fits in with the rest of the bag nicely. Also, you can see here how much stuff fits in the bag! My laptop, charger, Kindle, notebook, pen pouch, and wallet are all hanging out in there. I also typically bring my knitting bag (which is full of a sweater at this point). It holds a lot!

So, a little more about the kit I used! I got the whole ass kit from Pintuck & Purl (I think Maggie special ordered it for me, ha!), which includes everything – fabric, hardware, leather, and the pattern. All the pieces are pre-cut and marked, which means you can jump right into making! I’m boring as shit and I wanted a 100% black bag, but there are other color options (including a contrasting front pocket) if you don’t want to embrace your inner Goth. I also got the tool kit, for hammering in all the hardware. The outer fabric is waxed canvas, the lining is a heavy cotton duck. Both materials are structured enough to stand on their own without the use of interfacing. All of the leather is hammered on – no sewing (so no worries about whether or not your machine can handle it!). The handles are backed with leather supports, so the whole thing feels sturdy even when you’ve got it overloaded to max heaviness.

I’ve been carrying mine around daily for about 3 weeks now and it has been perfectly suited for my needs!

In other news, I hope you enjoyed my artsy photos that were definitely not taken in my back yard haha.

Tags: backpack, completed, klum house, maywood totepack

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Categories completed projects - new

Completed: Tongue-Tied Sweater

26 Feb

It’s been a minute since I shared a knitting project! I actually *have* been knitting – I always have at least 1 project on my needles at any given time (usually two – one for the couch, and a smaller/simpler one for the road!), and I always keep my Ravelry account updated! But for whatever reason, I never feel super compelled to share them on my blog. Anyway, here’s one today!

This is the Tongue Tied sweater by Poison Grrls. I actually chose the yarn before the sweater pattern – a very uncharacteristic knitting move for me (usually I have my pattern selected before I start shopping for yarn). To be completely honest – I wasn’t in the mindset for planning a new sweater when all this happened, as I was still steadily working my way through my last sweater (see! There’s one I knit and never shared here lmao). But this yarn caught my eye at Pintuck & Purl and once I got my hands on it, it was all I could think about.

The yarn is CashLuxe Spark by Sweet Georgia Yarns, a gloriously soft and cushiony fingering-weight yarn with this incredibly rich color and the cutest subtle sparkle! I’m not a super duper yarn snob (I love natural fibers, blah blah, but I don’t typically buy *really* expensive yarn. Although. That may now change haha) but I really, really, really wanted this yarn on my body. I initially considered socks – I mean, who doesn’t want to wrap their toes in cashmere? – but at $38/skein, that was a little rich even for my blood. So obviously it made sense to buy two skeins and turn it into a sweater, because that’s totally fiscally responsible.

I started this sweater right after I finished my last one, toward the end of December last year. It knitted up really fast – partially because, well, it’s a tiny fucking sweater, but also I just really enjoyed every part of the process. I LOVED touching that yarn, so so much. I actually would have finished this quite a bit sooner, except once I got to the point of picking up the sleeves I let it sit dormant for a couple of weeks while I worked on other stuff.

Not a lot to say about this pattern, but here are some notes:
– I knit the size Small, based on my bust measurement. My gauge called for size 2 needles (body) and 1 needles (ribbing).
– This is a really fitted sweater! I mean, I knew that going in – but trying it on, yeah, it’s basically painted on. Aggressively blocking the entire thing really well helped a lot, and now it skims my body perfectly.
– Because it was so tight, I did have some issues with getting a stretchy enough bind off (I actually had to re-do my bind off at the bottom AND the neckline twice!). I ended up using size 3 needles and a super stretchy bind off. With the neckline, that was mainly my fault for being an idiot. I thought I’d be super clever and do a fold-over neckband, but quickly discovered (while unsuccessfully trying to pull it over my head) that those don’t stretch at all. LMAO.
– Mod-wise, I added 1″ of length to the body, since I wanted to be able to wear this with high-waisted jeans (it’s pretty short!).
– If you think you see a yarn tail in the back, you’re right. I haven’t woven it in yet. I don’t know why.

I loved knitting this pattern! It was easy to follow, simple to knit (but not boring), and the proportions are just lovely. I’ve already got a few more Poison Grrls patterns in my radar for my next sweater. I love Amy’s aesthetic and I love that she uses fingering weight yarn – perfect for our mild winters!

Oh, I also made my pants, too! These are more Dawn Jeans, made in Robert Kaufman non-stretch corduroy from Pintuck & Purl! (I picked it out the same time I was fantasizing about that yarn haha). Not much to say about these that I haven’t already said – I made my normal size, this time with the wide legs and the cropped length. The cropped length isn’t actually that cropped – I ended up having to take off another 3″ or so (but I also have a 28″ inseam sooo take that as you will). I’m also not super thrilled about how the back fits, but I believe that’s just what you get with wide leg pants. The wrinkles are there because there is too much fabric at the inner thigh (the issue I had with my Calvin Klein jeans), but for true wide-leg pants you really don’t want to remove width there. Whatever, I’m not the one looking at my own butt so I don’t care.

So anyway, that’s my new sweater! Fun to knit, fun to wear, and the sparkles make me happy 🙂 Oh! And I still have some of this yarn leftover – so you better believe I’ll be making a tiny pair of socks 🙂 If anyone has suggestions for short-cuff sock patterns – preferably one with bobbles (I don’t know why but I’m feeling like I want bobbles on these), let me know!

Tags: cashluxe, completed, corduroy, dawn jeans, fingering weight, knitting, megan nielsen, pants, pintuck and purl, poison grrls, robert kaufman, sweater, yarn

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Categories completed projects - new

Completed: Rayon Crepe Magnolia Dress

4 Feb

LMAO for some reason I’ve been sitting on these photos since Thanksgiving, no idea why I’ve been dragging my feet to post this! Anyway, better late than never!

This is the Magnolia dress from Deer & Doe, this time in View A with the plunging neckline, long sleeves, and a very mini length (ok, so that’s not view A exactly, but let me live). I’ve made this dress before and wore it a few times this last year, and I was interested to try it again with some modifications.

My original Magnolia dress skews quite a bit more romantic than how I normally dress (and while I’m not quite ready to let it go yet, I will admit that it doesn’t get a whole lot of wear), but I loved the pattern and I wanted to try it with a more modern twist. One thing I have noticed with my OG dress is the bust is just a bit more generous than my actual body. As I mentioned, I sewed a different view, sized down to a 34 at the bust (keeping the 38 at the waist / hip) and made a quick muslin to assess the fit. Here are the changes I made:
– Took an additional 1/4″ out of the CB along the fold for my narrow back
– Removed a 1/2″ wedge from the front neckline because it was gaping (same as this method, except obviously on the front. Also, oh my god I miss that dresssss)
– Reduced the upper bust by about 1/4″ by shaving it off the princess seams to the bust point (I wanted to wear this dress without a bra and my breasts tend to be a little more bottom-heavy)
– Removed an additional 1/4″ off the side seam

Sounds like a lot, but it was just tiny tweaks! I wanted the dress to be fitted, but still skim over my body (rather than just be tight). Shortening the neckline to bring in the gaping was definitely the biggest thing; I knew I wasn’t going to wear a bra with this dress and I wanted to be CONFIDENT that there was no danger of accidental nip-slips. I’m not going to go into detail the weird gymnastics I performed in my studio to really test this theory, but believe me… the ladies aren’t going anywhere.

I bought my rayon crepe from Stone Mountain & Daughter Fabrics, back in March last year. I loved the autumnal colors and that beautiful drape! I took home 3 yards, and used nearly every last inch of it, despite this dress being a mini. Those sleeves took up a lot of fabric!

Construction-wise, I didn’t make too many changes to the dress beyond what the instructions call for. I did opt to self-line the entire top – the instructions just have you self-line the bodice, which I think is fine but why not the back? By doing this, I was able to eliminate all the bias facings, and have a completely clean finish. I also self-faced the waistband pieces, again, for a clean finish but this time on the inside. This is just personal preference; I don’t like exposed waistband seams in dresses and for the most part, I always face them. I don’t have any photos of this, so you’ll need to use your imagination.

To keep that neckline intact and immune to stretching out, I used strips of twill tape to stabilize the edges (here is a similar method to what I used). One thing I irrationally hate in clothing is weird gapey necklines that don’t stay close to the body, so I will do whatever it takes to keep that shit in check. Especially with a low-cut top like this, and again, especially since I ain’t wearing a bra with it! Anyway, the twill tape means that edge is nice and stable.

Unfortunately, I do think I was a little overzealous with my neckline tweaking – I shortened the twill tape too much, because now the center front of the waistband rides up. It’s noticeable for sure, but it also looks intentional so we’ll just say that was the case.

Surprisingly, the sleeves were the correct length for me without any adjustments (I think having a gathered elastic edge makes things a bit more forgiving). And I believe I did shorten the skirt length further, but I couldn’t tell you by how much (sorry). It is pretty short, though I love it! I feel so sassy and groovy and a little floaty when I wear this dress.

Anyway, that’s all for this make! Short and sweet (both the dress and the blog post lol). I’d love to make this again in a solid color in the future, but for now, I love the fun print!

Tags: completed, deer and doe, magnolia dress, minidress, rayon, rayon crepe, sleeves, stone mountain & daughter fabrics

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Categories completed projects - new

Completed: Vogue 2442 Calvin Klein Jeans

7 Jan

Alright y’all, I’m back with one more jeans post – the ~Designer Jeans~ Edition!

Thanks to Vogue 2442, I was able to make my own pair of Calvin Klein jeans 😀

Before we get too far into the post, though, I just want to acknowledge how absolutely stupid this envelope cover is. You can barely see any of the details of the jeans (although the butt close-up is helpful, and to be completely transparent here, it’s a nice butt), and I don’t know why that woman is holding her leg up like that because you definitely can’t do it in these jeans. Nothing about this cover art (or lack thereof) makes me want to try this pattern, but nevertheless, I persevered. For science.

Anyway, here are mine!

I went down a little rabbit hole last fall while looking at vintage jeans. I reaaaaaally wanted some vintage Calvin Kleins, if only for the brag factor, but my budget currently doesn’t allow me to spend hundreds of dollars on someone’s used jeans (RIP, the vintage market). I considered sewing them, but recalled looking up vintage CK patterns years ago and they were going for obscene wads of money. Just out of curiosity, I checked again – and was surprised to see that there are plenty to choose from for $10-$20. Calvin Klein licensed his name to Vogue patterns a bunch throughout the 80s and 90s, occasionally offering a jeans pattern. There were loads of mom jeans to choose from (including a truly horrifying Vogue 2851, I mean, come on) but I went with the OG, the Vogue 2442 from 1980. In the effort of being as science-y as possible, I re-measured myself and chose the size that closely matched my measurements – in this case, the 8.

It took me a while to find a suitable denim to make these up – I wanted something non-stretch (as the pattern calls for – this was before stretch denim was really a thing!), but not too heavy, and a lighter wash. A bunch of the stuff I was coming up with ended up being way too lightweight, or had too much stretch, so this project ended up being shelved for longer than I would have liked.

As you can see, I did end up finding a great denim – from Art Gallery Fabrics, of all places! I’ll admit that Art Gallery Fabrics wouldn’t be my first thought when it comes to denim, but they’ve been expanding their denim gallery and I was curious to see what the offerings entailed. There is a great selection of lightweight (4.5oz, like what you’d use to make a button-down top or a sundress) denims, both printed and dyed various colors. The heavier denims clock in at 10oz (which is the lighter end of a pants-weight denim, and my personal preference), and come in a smaller selection of colors, nonstretch only.

After playing with some swatches, I chose the Crosshatch Textured Denim, in the Bubbling Brook colorway. My other choice was the Solid Textured Denim in Bluebottle Field, but that was sold out, so hopefully I can try it out in the future!

Anyway, about the Crosshatch Textured Denim! First off, you probably noticed that my jeans don’t exactly have a crosshatched design on them – that’s because you are looking at the wrong side of the fabric, baby! I actually don’t mind the crosshatch look, but upon receiving the fabric I fell in LURVE with the less contrasty wrong side of the fabric, so that’s what I went with on my jeans! My sewing project, my rules! The denim was pretty stiff and definitely not soft upon first receiving; but did get really soft and supple after just one wash. Be warned that it frays a lot, though – you’ll want to make sure you finish your seams (whether serging, or zigzaging, or even binding them) because otherwise the inside of your garment will get real hairy, real fast. If that bothers you, I mean. You do you.

Other than the fraying part, this denim was easy to work with. I recently got an Oliso Steam Iron (yes, the little iron that stands up when you stop touching it and yes it never ever stops being hilarious, no matter how much I use it) and this was my first real project to use it on. It doesn’t get quite as melt-your-hands-off-hot as my industrial gravity feed iron does (granted, this is cotton, so it doesn’t really need to be beaten into submission haha), but it heats up quickly, delivers a satisfying steam burst, doesn’t auto shut off every 2 minutes, oh, and IT STANDS ON IT’S OWN LITTLE FEET. My only regret in life is that I can’t find my stick-on googly eyes, because this iron needs eyeballs. Ok moving on.

So, more about the pattern itself! Like I said, I went with the size 8, which was based on my current measurements. I did not make any prior fitting adjustments or a muslin before cutting my fabric – I just went for it! I wanted to see what would happen! (this might be my new motto for 2020). Fit-wise, this was almost perfect right out of the envelope. I did end up making a few minor tweaks before I attached the waistband – because I am extra, and I like fiddling with things! – but if I hadn’t done anything at all these still would have absolutely been wearable.

Adjustments I made:
– Removed 1/2″ from the inner thighs, keeping the crotch length intact
– Scooped 1/8″ from the front crotch curve
– 5/8″ wedge at the center back yoke + waistband
– Cut 5″ total off the hem (I have a 28″ inseam, y’all lmao)

Sorry I didn’t take before photos, but these were all minor tweaks that didn’t translate very well in a photograph. Also, when I’m fitting, I don’t want to stop to take a bunch of weird ass selfies. Sorry, not sorry! Looking at these photos, I see I could have removed a little more from the inner thighs (as evidenced by the horizontal wrinkles pointing directly at my butt), but I can assure you this is a big improvement from the start, and I actually think they look worse in the photos than in real life! But, you know, it’s good enough. I spent far too much of my past sewing days overfitting myself to the point of frustration (and sometimes, actual discomfort). Nowadays, when I feel like I’m done fiddling with it, I just stop. As long as it’s not actually uncomfortable, I think it’s good enough! It has been very liberating and I encourage y’all to consider the same outlook 🙂

The instructions on this pattern certainly were interesting! As someone who’s made loads and loads (and loads) of jeans, these were a little more based on the home-sewer, rather than how RTW jeans are made (granted, I don’t have access to vintage jeans at this time, but the 1980s isn’t exactly the same type of vintage as, say, the 40s, and generally the construction methods back then were more similar to how they are now, i.e., serging seam allowances and such). As this is an older pattern, it wasn’t common for the average home sewist to have a serger – so the instructions include turning under edges, or finishing seams with a zigzag or overcast stitch. Interestingly, there is NO interfacing called for in this pattern (I interfaced the fly facing + outer waistband, out of habit and because I know that gets the me the result I like), but they do have you add twill tape to the top and bottom edges of the curved waistband to keep it from stretching out (that was a no from me, dawg). The other weird thing I noticed was that they have you double topstitch the side seams, and not the inseam. I also skipped that part (I prefer a stronger inseam, thnx) and did it my own way. However, I did follow the instructions for the most part.

The pattern includes a back pocket topstitching design, front pocket stays (pocket lining is also from Art Gallery Fabrics, fyi!), and a two-piece curved waistband. The pants are fitted at the waist, hips and thighs, and then the leg goes straight down (which is not what the line drawing suggests; they look a little more tapered on the envelope). Since my denim is such a light color, I opted for a pale brown topstitching thread (my beloved Gutterman Mara 70), rather than gold or copper. I alter a lot of jeans for clients and one thing I’ve noticed is that most jeans use brown thread, not gold or copper! My rivets and buttons are from the Garment District (I think these rivets might actually be for bags, but whatever, I like them); I had 1 extra rivet so I attached it to one corner of the back pocket. I saw this on a pair of jeans the stylist I work with was wearing, and while I normally hate rivets on back pockets, I thought it was kinda cute.

My only issue with this pattern is the two-piece curved waistband. Since it’s in two pieces, that means there a seam at the center back – great for fitting, but it also means a lot of bulk at the center back when the inner and outer waistband are sewn together (and then later, a belt loop is sewn on top of that). I also admit that I was running on fumes by the time the waistband facing was attached, so it’s not my best work. But, it’s on the inside, so who cares!

Overall, I enjoyed making this pattern and I think the finished jeans turned out great! I love the high waist (better for wearing crop tops with!), and the straight legs are a big style departure from my usual look. I love the lighter wash and subtle texture of the AGF denim, and I love love LOVE how soft it is! I don’t feel like I even really need to break these in, which is wonderful! If you’ve been looking for a good non-stretch, not-too-heavy denim, definitely check out what Art Gallery Fabrics has to offer!

** This post was sponsored by Oliso. All fabrics were provided by Art Gallery Fabrics. As always – all thoughts, opinions, and weird ideas are my own! **

Tags: art gallery fabrics, calvin klein, completed, denim, jeans, pants, vogue 2442, vogue patterns

Comments 52 Comments
Categories completed projects - new

Completed: Black Dawn Jeans

11 Dec

Hello everyone and welcome to my third installment of Operation-Jeans-Drawer!

This time, I’m sharing the Dawn jeans by Megan Nielsen. This is another great jeans pattern that, again, has some major differences from the other 2 that I previously shared. I don’t like to say that I have a “favorite” jeans pattern – since they are all so good and serve different purposes! – but right now, I gotta say, this is the one that is getting sewn the most in my studio these days. I shared the first pair I made at last year, and they still get lots of wear (they’ve truly broken in beautifully). I’ve actually made the shorts several times this summer, but this is only the second time I’m sharing the pattern here on this blog.

So, again, I can’t really compare these jeans to the Ginger or the Claryville since they are very different – but I’ll tell you what their key features are:
BODY TYPE: I don’t think these are necessarily designed for a specific body shape? I will say that they fit me pretty well straight out of the envelope. I did not make a muslin, just cut according to my measurements on the envelope.
FIT: These are slim-fitting, rigid jeans with a high, high waist! Like, the rise will completely cover your belly button (I love it!). If this is not your jam then this definitely is not the pattern for you lol. They aren’t a true “mom” jean – the legs and hips are a little more slim fitting than that – but they do have that suuuuper high rise. I should also add – the standard size pattern comes in sizes 0-20, and there is also a Curve range that includes sizes 14-30! Yay!
FABRIC: You want rigid denim for these! No stretch whatsoever! The good news is it means you don’t have to interface anything except maybe the fly facing (yup, I don’t interface my waistband! Not even at the button hole! Fight me!). The not as good news means that these are not gonna be the most comfy jeans you ever wear. I don’t mean to say that they are uncomfortable… I just mean, you can’t do, like, yoga in them (I can, and have, done yoga in my Ginger jeans lmao). I would not say the jeans are tight so much as they are restrictive. I hope that makes sense. Think pencil skirt vs circle skirt. I love them and I wear them all the time but I will be damned if I wear these on a 5 hour cross country flight, you know what I mean? Also, there is no law saying you can’t make these with stretch denim (def size down tho) but why? Just use a stretch pattern, save this one for those cool rigid denims, twills, and corduroys that you don’t know what to do with!

So, with that out of the way – here’s my newest pair! I wanted some black jeans because I made black shorts for the summer (also with the Dawn pattern) and I got a surprising amount of wear out of them. This fabric is a rigid denim from Darrell Thomas Textiles, which I bought when I was there this summer for a Jeans Workshop. When I say “rigid,” I mainly mean denim with no added stretch. A little bit of mechanical stretch is good. I have learned that I don’t like the suuuuper rigid denim that does not stretch at all; I find them hard to move in (granted, most of my moving involves a lot of squatting and crawling around the floor so maybe that doesn’t apply to you lol). Anyway, this is a nice denim and no I don’t know the weight! I felt it, it felt good, I bought 2 yards.

My only grief with this style of jean is the time that it takes to properly break in. Ugh! Like I said in my previous post, washing them a lot up front does help quite a bit. But you do still have to wear them around and get the wrinkles to soften up and have the denim mold to you body. One of these days I’ll woman up and sit in a bathtub full of warm water with the jeans on and let them dry that way. I’m not brave enough quite yet to try that tho lol. Please don’t be scared of my talk about the breaking in… it’s really not that bad, and it is ABSOLUTELY worth it. But if you make these jeans and they are super uncomfortable… that’s why! Give them some time (and WEAR THEM!) and they will soften up quite a bit.

Anyway, this denim wasn’t too bad as it was already pretty soft. I washed it three times before I cut it (I always do this with new denim) and that helped a lot. As you can see in these photos – it does relax out (compare these to the Dawn Jeans in my first post and you’ll see what I mean. They are the same size, those were just more fresh!). What you’re seeing is a pair of non-stretch jeans that I wore for probably a week without washing. They don’t bag out so much as they just relax. Yes, there are wrinkles under my butt but they are there to help me move. Otherwise I don’t think I’d be able to sit in these things haha.

Size-wise, I made a straight 4 but ended up letting the hips out a little. I think my hips are more in the size 6 range now, which makes sense (when I originally made these, the size 4 was fine but since then I have gained weight and also had to let my original ones out lol). I also reduced the height of the yoke by 1″ because it was too tall for me – I just ended up with a 1″ fold right in the middle when I put them on, so I cut it off the top. Finally, I also adjusted the pocket bags on this pattern. They are CRAZY deep. Like… I understand wanting deep pockets (I guess, I dunno, I don’t really use my front pockets) but with pants this tight they are absolutely fucking useless. I just cut the bottom curve off so now they are straight. Mainly it was really annoying trying to push them back into place after using the bathroom, and not being able to reach the bottom. They were THAT deep. Absolutely useless.

I kept these pretty simple, with black topstitching thread, black rivets and buttons (matte black from Blackbird Fabrics and I love them!), and a black leather back patch. One of the back pockets actually has a design topstitched in it (yes it’s the TCB lightning bolt, thanks for noticing) but it’s quite subtle. I am hoping that over time, as the jeans are washed and started to fade and crinkle, the design will be more noticable. We shall see! Oh, and you can’t really read the tag in the back pocket, but it says “You Can’t Buy This” Ha!

Forgot to say – this is the slim leg version, with the short inseam (and yes they are actually hemmed in these photos haha). This pants pattern comes with 4 different leg versions – skinny, straight, wide, and shorts – but I’ve only tried this one and the shorts. I have plans to make a pair of cropped wide-legs out of some corduroy, but we’ll see when I actually get around to it (not anytime soon now that I can’t leave the house without socks on haha).

Anyway, that’s it for this post, as well as for this series of “Lauren Talks About Her Favorite Jeans Patterns While She Also Revamps Her Pants Selection”! I have one more pair of jeans/pattern to share, but I need to sew them first (it’s been a busy month!). Hoping to get that accomplished before the end of the year, we’ll see!

Have you sewn jeans yet? What’s your favorite pattern?

Tags: completed, darrell thomas textiles, dawn jeans, denim, jeans, megan nielsen, you can't buy this

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Categories completed projects - new

Completed: Claryville Jeans

2 Dec

I’m back with another jeans post! Two down, one more to go!

This week, I want to focus on the Claryville Jeans, a pattern from Workroom Social.

The Claryville Jeans are a new release from Workroom Social, but hardly a new pattern – Jennifer has been working on it for at least a couple of years at this point! I actually sewed an earlier version of the pattern (before it was finalized), but I do like the small updates of the new one better! It was cool to be able to “work” with Jennifer on this pattern – I put that in quotes because she definitely did ALL of the work – I didn’t even test the pattern – but I offered lots and lots of opinions, both from an instructor perspective and as someone who has sewn a lot of jeans! Overall, I think the finished pattern is absolutely fabulous and I’m really proud of Jennifer for all the work she put into it to make it so great!

Anytime I mention this jeans pattern, the very first question I get (like, every single time lol) is “How does it compare to the Ginger Jeans pattern?” The short answer: It doesn’t. They are very different patterns, made to work with different types of denim, and fit in a different way on different bodies. You can’t really compare them, I’m sorry. What I can tell you is some of the key features of this pattern (this is all in the official description of the pattern, btw, which most companies should be including anyway!):
– BODY TYPE: This pattern is designed to fit a pear or hourglass shape; i.e., one with a large hip-to-waist ratio. If you are more straight/square, it probably won’t work for you without some adjustments.
– FIT: This is a mid-rise fit (right below the bellybutton), with a close fit through the hip and thigh, with a bit of extra room for the calf. It is a true jeans pattern, not necessarily “skinnies” or “jeggins” like the Gingers tend to veer toward.
– FABRIC: The Claryville uses denim with a very low stretch (I have heard rumors of people using non-stretch fabric to make this with great results, although I haven’t tried it myself), unlike the Gingers, which are stretch. You *can* make these in a stretch (just size down!), but the pattern is designed for low to no stretch.

Construction-wise, these go together like any other pair of jeans (although I will give a big shoutout to the 3/4″ side and inseam allowances which make fit tweaking SO MUCH EASIER!). The fly is constructed with multiple pieces (rather than a fold back fly like the Gingers), which definitely intimidates the shit out of my students when they first start the class, but honestly, it’s really easy and fun to do! TBH, I find it quite fool-proof and I think the instructions given are **far** easier than any other multi-piece fly instructions I’ve come across.

My favorite parts about this pattern are the small back yoke (so flattering!), the giant back pockets (there are 3 sizes to choose from, depending on the size of your butt! These are the small pockets), and the extra calf room (lord knows I need it). I also like that it uses a low-stretch fabric; it certainly is not as melt-on-the-couch comfortable as a good stretch denim, but they are quite nice regardless after a solid break-in. My pro tip for quickly breaking in your jeans: Wash them a LOT! I basically throw my jeans in the wash/dryer every single time something goes in there. After 5-10 washes they soften up considerably.

Fit-wise, these are great for me right out of the envelope. I made a size 2, with no adjustments other than length (these are 31″ inseam and mine is like… 28″ lol). The waistband is straight, and is supposed to be eased into the top of the pants which will naturally create a curve. In my workshops, we baste the inner waistband on first and check the fit, which is easy to adjust if you tend to get waistband gape.

I know someone is going to ask me about the denim I used, and here’s my answer: I know nothing about it! It’s from Workroom Social, the same denim that we use in the Jeans Intensive classes. I think it’s Japanese. There, now you know everything I know!

I kept these pretty simple as far as embellishments go, and used red for the bartacks and zipper, to match my pocket lining. The pocket lining is just a fat quarter, which is my FAVORITE fabric to use for pocket lining. It is sturdy, it is colorful, it is inexpensive and easy to source – what’s not to love? One thing I see a lot of students bring to class is cotton lawn (Liberty is especially popular for this) – my biggest advice is DO NOT DO THIS. Cotton lawn is very lightweight and not really suitable for a pocket bag. You will rip your pockets far before your jeans show even an inkling of wear. I cannot stress this enough.

My favorite part, though, is the back pockets! I had a stroke of a good idea earlier this year and decided to give them my initials 🙂 It is subtle for sure – and really fun to hear people make the connection!

To do this, I drew the lines with chalk and a ruler, and stitched over them with topstitching thread. Easy!

I also snuck a little L on the coin pocket bartack, because why not?

Ok that’s all for these jeans! If you want to learn how to make the Claryville Jeans with me next year, you can sign up here at Workroom Social! Please be aware that my classes are in March, July, and November. There is a May class, but I am not instructing it 🙂 Just FYI!

Tags: claryville jeans, completed, denim, jeans, pants, workroom social

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Categories completed projects - new

Completed: Ginger Jeans, With A Heart On

25 Nov

Fun fact: I am wearing this same outfit as I type this blog post. Don’t be fooled, though, I took these photos months ago! I don’t know what my deal is, but for whatever reason I’ve become the sort of “blogger” (I am putting this in quotes because I think I’ve maybe written 6 posts this entire year lol) who takes photos and then… hoards them? Whatever.

Anyway, here’s a new pair of jeans to share! I think I’ve made enough pairs of Ginger Jeans to probably warrant never needing to post them again – students always ask me how many I think I’ve made, and the answer is I actually don’t know! I’ve lost count! – but I feel weirdly guilty about all the blog neglect this year, so I’m posting for the sake of posting something and keeping the ol’ stomping ground alive.

Also my hair looks really good in these photos, so there’s that. Gotta take those small victories wherever you find them!

Even though I’ve made tons of jeans, I recently reached a point in my wardrobe where I realized I was in pretty dire need of some wearable bottoms. My wardrobe goes through a lot of shifts and purges – things don’t turn out the way I envisioned, the fabric or fit is weird (let me tell you right now that no matter how much you sew or even use TNT patterns, you will never be immune to making these mistakes from time to time!), it’s a strange color or style I don’t actually wear, my weight has fluctuated and it doesn’t fit anymore, or I’ve worn them so much they are wearing out and need to be replaced. The last 2 reasons have really hit hard this year, when it came down to me owning 1 pair of (very poorly fitted) shorts and maybe 2 pairs of jeans. So I’ve been on a pants and shorts making binge which has been quite fruitful!

I used 3 different jeans patterns to really round out my pants wardrobe, so stay tuned for the other 2! Today, I want to talk about the Gingers!

If you’ve followed me for any amount of time, you probably know I have a mad love affair with this pattern. It’s one of my TNTs (tried’n’true), and like I said, I’ve sewn it so many times that I’ve literally lost count of how many pairs have passed through my sewing machine. I don’t know if it’s my favorite because it’s actually the best, or if it is just familiar. I do like the style and the fit works quite well for my body, though! It also helps that this is the pattern that I use for my Sew Your Own Jeans weekend workshops, so I feel like I truly know this pattern like I know the back of my hand.

I haven’t made this pattern since the end of 2017, and while I love that pair and still wear them regularly, I can see that they definitely have an end date – they are starting to wear very thin in some places, and the lycra is losing its elasticity. I think they still have quite a bit of life left to live, however, I think it’s always good to secure your back-up plan before it’s needed!

My fabric is a wonderful stretch denim that I purchased from Crafty Gemini back in August when I was in Florida for a sewing retreat. Usually whatever shop hosting my class will carry the specific denim that I recommend (this one from Robert Kaufman!), however, some shops like to source their own and that is also fine! In this case, Vanessa was able to get her hands on some very nice, dark indigo US-made stretch denim, which everyone in the retreat used. I was kind of jealous of how nice their pants were turning out so I decided to get a couple of yards for myself, too! This denim is just as stretchy as the RK, but a little heavier – maybe a 9 or 10oz. The color is nice and dark but I haven’t noticed as much dye rub-off as I tend to see with the RK denim.

I decided to go up a size in these jeans, which turned out to be a mistake. As I mentioned, my weight has gone up a bit this past year – mainly in my hips – so I’m sizing my new makes appropriately, and while I could squeeze into those 2’s if I really put my mind to it, I wanted some jeans that were a little less… painted on. Unfortunately, these ended up way too big so I should have just stuck with the 2’s! They look great now, but I did have to size down the side seams, and after taking these photos I also took in the waistband and center back a bit more. I think the issue is that 1. I’m exactly in between sizes with Closet Case Patterns (a little bigger than the 2, and a little smaller than the 4); and 2. My denim is very stretchy (about 25% stretch, the same as the Robert Kaufman that I usually use) which typically warrants sizing down, not up. Anyway, it was a fun experient and it all worked out in the end so I’m not mad about it, just making a mental note for next time!

Other than the sizing stuff, I did not make any other changes to this pattern. I added 1″ to the calf (ages and ages ago), but otherwise I get a pretty good fit out of the envelope, so that is nice and easy!

I did change the front pockets to be actual pockets, and not a pocket stay. I am fully aware that I am the minority in this thought process, but I HATE HATE HATE those pocket stays! I find them rigid, uncomfortable (which is all kinds of wrong when you’re wearing stretch denim, I mean wtf) and they make the fly area incredibly bulky. I know people loooove their pocket stays so please don’t @ me with your defense, just stating my personal choice here! Free-hanging pockets FTW! I have no issue tucking my pockets back in if it means I can eat a plate of nachos and not feel like I need to unbutton my pants! Fight me!

For some fun customization, I used contrasting thread to do my bar tacks, and stitched this cute little emoji patch on the butt pocket. Mostly because it makes me laugh, but also because I love any excuse to tell people I have “a heart on” lulz omg.

I also do not use the back pocket markings as suggested in the pattern, because in my experience they are too low and kind of unflattering! I think a high-waisted jean needs a high pocket, so I always place mine a little higher. In my Sew Your Own Jeans workshops, I custom place these on each booty (oh yeah I bet you didn’t know that fee included a nice hand down your pants!). For me when I’m sewing alone, though, it requires a lot of basting, trying on in the mirror, removing pants and unpicking stitches, rebasting, putting pants back on again, repeat ad nauseum. Fortunately I’m at a point where I have a general idea of where the pockets should be placed with just a good confident eyeballing, but my point is that you too can have good pocket placement, even if you don’t have the luxury of a second person to help you! Just be prepared to take your pants off a LOT and also maybe consider taking photos of your butt (why is this starting to sound like a Tinder conversation… ?).

I left the jeans unhemmed, because I’ve learned over the years that no matter how much you pre wash your denim (this one was 3x!), the length will continue to shrink in length over several more washes. I used to just hem my jeans on the long side, but these days I don’t bother hemming at all and just wear them rolled for a few months until I feel like they’ve gotten their shrink out. These are hemmed as of this posting, but were not as of the photographs.

Oh, I also made my top! It’s a True Bias Nikko Top, made with some really fun chartreuse knit that I bought at Fancy Tiger Crafts when I was there in June! I was very drawn to the color, but wasn’t sure how it would look on me – it took a lot of convincing from Bob, and then another few months of me staring at it on my shelf wondering if I had made a mistake. Honestly, though, I LOVE how it looks on me! I think it really works well with my skin tone and hair color, and it’s also a color that just makes me happy! So, Bob was right and I stand corrected!

Ok, I’m wrapping up this long-ass post with a photo of me + Amelia. Don’t be fooled by the bitchface, she loves me and was purring very loud during this photo haha.

Want to learn how to make your own jeans? Join me in 2020 and let me teach you how!

Tags: completed, crafty gemini, denim, ginger jeans, jeans, pants, sew your own jeans weekend workshop, workshops