SewingforFun's Blue Jeans!! [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
What did you make and what material did you use?The Closet Case Morgan jeans (non-stretch "boyfriend" style). The main fabric is a 14oz non stretch indigo denim, the pockets and waistband lining are a printed cotton poplin, both from Raystitch in Islington. The antique gold rivets and buttons were a kit from Closet Case supplied in the class, but you can get similar online from them or on ebay.
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Pattern used (commercial or self-drafted, anything goes)Closet Case Morgan. I'll definitely make this pattern again. It's a really fun project, and not as hard as it looks if you follow the steps in the correct order. I don't think they look handmade, but the fit is definitely custom.
A short description on how you made it/problems overcome/etc. I made them (mostly) in a two day class at The New Craft House in Hackney on the 13th and 14th of July taught by Heather-Lou, the Closet Case designer, with a bit of final topstitching and hemming at home. Before the class, I made two toiles, one muslin, and a second "wearable" one, then the jeans themselves were fitted again in the class.
The pattern was true to shop size (I made, and normally wear, a 12). I scooped the crotch curve both front and back, and tinkered with the back length. We also made some adjustments to the hang of the legs. She recommended a knock-knee adjustment that I'll do next time, and I think a bit more leg tinkering is in order, but overall they fit a zillion times better than any jeans I've ever bought!
The topstitching was fiddly, and took some practice (and unpicking), but my oh my, what fun to do in a jazzy yellow on the dark navy! The wearable toile (as yet not quite finished) has bright orange on mid grey linen.... If you look carefully at the back view, you can see where I chalked a fancy set of initials onto one pocket, then decided my machine embroidery was not up to snuff. Another time.
My biggest issue was the *()&%$£ Pfaff Quilt Ambition 630 machines they have in the studio. I cannot say how much I hated this machine - it had an evil mind of its own, at one point just randomly starting to sew even though I was nowhere near the presser foot (we think I brushed the start button, which I didn't even know it had), and every time it also carried on backstitching even though I had turned off the back stitch. It also struggled with the heavy fabric, jammed constantly, etc etc etc.
The difference when I got back to my Bernina 1008 could not have been greater. It just sailed through the denim, even when there were lots of layers, and generally did just what I wanted it to do. Any craving I might have had for an electronic machine is now totally gone!
Oh and it's too warm to wear them! I put them on for the photo, and took them straight back off again. This is a problem I think I can live with.