2024 Jeans Sew Along

[SewRuthieSews]

On @realale s diary we got into a discussion on jeans sewing

@Ouryve @Lemon Syllabub @Nevis5 were interested in this topic, so here's a sewalong.

[SewRuthieSews]

I've discovered the Itch To Stitch Mountain View Jeans, and with a bit of tweaking and denim of the right stretch have a very comfortable pair of jeans which I love wearing. They are pull ons with elastic in the waist, but have all the pockets and topstitching of normal jeans, Its a win for me.

I find non stretch woven fabrics not very comfortable unless they are quite loose, so have given up on non stretch jeans. However I know some people absolutely love them.

[Flobear]

I bought a jeans pattern last year and this might be the incentive I need to fish it out and DO something with it   

Choosing clothing fabrics online is very difficult as it's important to feel the weight and the drape so I hope there are some people ready with advice.

Also, I don't have a previously-drafted crotch  so that is something I will have to tackle!

[Ouryve]

Cheers @SewRuthieSews 

[Lemon Syllabub]

@SewRuthieSews you are good! I was hoping you'd suggest a sewalong. 

I'd like to learn how to fit jeans. Fitting tops makes perfect sense to me but I can't get my head around how to fit a crotch. 

Also as you and @Flobear have mentioned different weight/amount of stretch denims affect the fit! 

I'm definitely in. Providing we can go VERRRRRY slowly!

[realale]

I like this idea!!
I'm sewing McCalls 8162 at the moment. I tried the dungarees and they weren't for me so I'm now trying just the jeans part.
I too love the ITS Mountain View jeans and wear them a lot.
I'm trying to use up fabric so non stretch is being used. Not my favourite for jeans but hey ho, its using up fabric so I'll survive.

[Ouryve]

This will be an ongoing thing for me, @Lemon Syllabub so I am not anticipating any set timescale. We all have busy lives and different priorities.

[realale]

  [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]  
This shows why one shape crotch doesn't fit all!!

[realale]

This is a good article to read here'
This is the method I used.

[Celia]

I have always fancied making jeans but ???????  Maybe you will inspire me

I think I have a pattern or two   Off to look

[Lemon Syllabub]

@Ouryve Yes, I'd struggle with a timescale. I want to understand what I'm doing and I think the older I get the slower on the uptake I become

Having said that I'm looking forward to a sewalong so all those brilliant, talented sewing peeps can show us how it's done. 

@realale Wow! Thanks for that article and the diagram. I know which Silhouette I'd prefer to be!  Unfortunately I can see which one I am! Only perhaps with a bigger tummy. 

[Lowena]

I stopped wearing jeans when I lived in Cornwall and saw coachloads of "oldies" in jeans,fleeces and white trainers descend on St Ives every Autumn . When I did wear them I found Next and Sainsbury's to be excellent fits.
Who knew crotches could be so variable 

[Ouryve]

I'm guilty of jeans and white trainers, @Lowena but you won't see me near a fleece. I can't stand touching the stuff!


That article has reminded me that I have a flexible ruler, somewhere, @realale. Somewhere 


As I have mentioned elsewhere, I am not completely new to making jeans, albeit cords. I attempted  pair of Ginger jeans, about 2 years ago, and really enjoyed putting them together. They hit several problems, though.

• I cut them out in November or December and sewed them in February. I didn't gain any weight over that Christmas - it had been stable since the previous summer - but hadn't banked on how much and how rapidly my shape would actually change at some random point post menopause.
• I often suffered with bloating, now mostly alleviated by removing gluten from my diet, which always made measuring unpredictable for me.
• I hadn't accounted sufficiently for the amount of stretch in the cord.
• I hadn't quite mastered fitting over my belly or the fact that a pattern that says it's high rise isn't necessarily particularly high rise on me.

The result is a nicely sewn garment that wouldn't fit me, even if I gobbled up all the seam allowance.


Anyhow, I've been a member of the Cashmerette club for over a year now and Jenny released a jeans pattern, last year, which prompted me to make it a priority to have another go. The pockets are a bit odd, to account for the fact that one of the views has an elasticated channel to make the waistband flexible - not for me, after looking at the details as I need a belt to keep bottoms up due to the lack of anything to hang them on. They're also wider legged than I would normally wear but they come with copious pattern support and I think they're a good starting point for me.


I put together a basic first toile, just in calico, over the Christmas holidays. I did a straight size 8 without the big bum adjustment because I have a rather flat bum. I don't expect this to inform me of any more than whether I need to grade up to a 10 for the waist or adjust the rise, as I've never made any Cashmerette bottoms before. That's a job for next week.

[Ohsewsimple]

That’s a good example of how different we all are @realale
And different styles of trousers etc have different crotch shapes 

[Ros]

@Ouryve I sewed the crestons up. Firstly using some hideous non stretch denim (grim colour and lightweight) with the slant pockets etc, to get the basic fit. I can see using this for chinos more than jeans. As I had some stretch demin in stash I made modifications for more normal jeans pockets, narrowed the legs etc and then sized down one size for that. So it worked as a good base pattern for starting. I do have a hankering to try the Anna Allen Helene pattern at some point in the future though.