Ginger Jeans
PROJECT: Skinny Jeans!
PATTERN: Closet Case Patterns Ginger Jeans
REASONS FOR MAKING: My current jeans are tired with holes in them so I wanted to give the Ginger Jeans a bash having seen such great versions on Instagram.
FABRICS: Super Stetch Denim in Black from Dressfabrics.ie The composition is 97% Cotton 3% Lycra.
TRIMS: Jeans button, 18cm Jeans zip, copper rivets
HOW TO: First things first. TOILE! Essential in my opinion if you’re making something like fitted trousers. Too much can go wrong. After adjusting the pattern to my measurements, (I’ve a fairly straight figure so wider waist measurements for me!) I was happy to give the first toile a go. Well I basically made a pair of shorts since I didnt want to use up so much fabric on a full pair! Luckily I didn’t need to make any major adjustments. All I needed was to reduce the back rise a smidge, so I was happy enough to crack into the real thing. I wasn’t 100% happy with fit around the crotch but I figured it was good enough to move into the real fabric since I guessed it only needed a little tweaking.
I’ve had this Liberty fabric in my stash for a few years now. It used to be a dress but while I love the print, I was never mad on the dress so rather than get rid, I’ve been keeping it to use in the right project. Pocket bags and a waistband seemed to be the perfect use for it. A bit of fun in an otherwise basic garment. It took a bit of jigsaw work to get pieces to fit but I figured it out!
The other bit of detailing was the stitch work on the back pockets. I knew I didn’t want to have any contrast stitching. These were going to be fully black jeans which got me thinking of Blackstar. So I went with some Bowie vibes. The Aladdin Sane bolt on one pocket and Black Star on the other. A subtle detail but I love them. To keep the stitches from stretching the pocket or doing any other funny business, I used a small patch of fusing in the back. This help to keep the fabric stable while stitching.
I went with View B, the high waisted option which meant going with pocket stays. These were fun to make in my contrast fabric but a bit of fabric jiggery pokery was needed to get it all squeezed in to the pattern pieces. As it turns out, I’m really happy I went with this option as the denim fabric is probably a tad too stretchy for my liking so the stay gives the jeans a bit of stability.
Now if you follow me on Instagram (and if you dont, you can find me here), you will have seen on my stories that I still had a bit of trouble with the crotch when I moved from the toile into the actual fabric. With some help from the community, I did a little bit of adjusting which did help but settled on a not quite perfect fit in the end. But honestly, I’ve not stopped wearing these jeans since I made them which is a great sign to be fair. The waistband is a bit gapey but that’s just down to the fact that I should have fused both sides of the waistband considering the amount of stretch, so no biggy. And the fact that they’re high waisted means that it’s generally hidden under whatever top I’m wearing. Sneaky!
WHAT WENT WRONG: A few hiccups happened along the way but I’m totally fine with them over all.
As I mentioned, the fabric was a tad too stretchy for how I like but sure it’s hard to know that until they’re finished and you’re wearing them but they are SUPER comfy and are now a definite staple wardrobe piece.
I thought I was being very pro-active by ordering rivets in advance. I got them from Etsy and was happy out…until I went to use them. Turns out they were the wrong ones. Apparently you need one of those industrial looking vice like contraptions for the ones I bought. Dammit! So I went to try and find some locally - which didn’t happen either because my local shop is useless. Instead it was back to online shopping and I finally got my hands on some.
Then of course there was the crotch fit. I’m still not quite sure how to fix it if I go again. The lines were going up AND down but they’re not too tight so that issue is still a mystery to me!
LESSONS LEARNED: I think I’ll narrow the ankles if I make another pair. The rest of the legs fits well but they are a bit bulky to stick inside ankle boots. And even though I did make a toile for this pair, when you’re working with stretch denim, unless you literally have the same fabric, it’s actually pretty hard to get the fit totally accurate so be prepared to still have to make some adjustments.
VERDICT: Yep, I made jeans. I love them. It’s pretty deadly to know that I don’t have to go out and buy jeans again if I don’t want to. I reckon I will make another pair with a few minor tweaks. Anyone who is nervous about making jeans, seriously, don’t be. If you can sew 2 pieces of fabric together in a straight line and in a curve, you can make jeans. Honesty! DO NOT FEAR THE JEANS! And as per usual, Heather Lou’s instructions are so good you’ll be looked after every step of the way.