Pattern: Ginger Jeans by Closet Case
Fabric: Classic Blue 11oz Stretch Denim Fabric (1.8m) from Guthrie & Ghani
Little Bits: 200m Gutermann sew all thread (#309 Dark Denim), 200m Topstitching thread (Gold), Jeans Zip – Blue – 7″, Jeans Buttons Antique Copper Non-Sew Pack of 8 – 17mm, Jeans Rivets (Non-Sew) Copper 9mm: Pack of 24 – 9mm
Size: 8
Version: View A
Mods: None!
The Pattern
The pattern was pretty much perfect. I mean, I ended up with an extremely well-fitting pair of jeans. That in itself is impressive considering I had never made a pair of trousers before. I didn’t (gasp) even make a muslin first. Nope, jumped right in with my actual denim.
I did get a bit confused at the pockets section. I had to re-read the instructions several times. Then proceeded to rip out my stitches twice before I got it ‘good enough’. The final issue was that one of the pockets has the RS fabric facing into the pocket instead of facing out, however, it is on the jeans facing side and you can’t even see it when you are putting them on. I decided it was a mistake worth leaving 🙂
Use the sew-along posts
They do have a sew along feature on their website and that was a huge help in understanding some of the steps. You can only fit so much content into a printed pattern before it becomes overwhelming anyways so it was really helpful to have the sew-along posts available in addition to the pattern notes.
Every single step was exciting. It was all new to me and each bit of making jeans is so different from sewing a top or a dress. I got excited when I sewed the crotch area together and they looked more like trousers. I got excited when I attached the fly front and zipper. The topstitching was a bit nerve-wracking as it was going to be so standout-ish on the jeans but even that was enjoyable.
One of the most rewarding bits, even after all of that, was putting in the rivets and jeans button. Seriously, make a whole pair of jeans and then intentionally stick holes in them. That felt insane. I was certain at some point my bunched up denim in my punchers was going to put a hole in more than the intended area but all went surprisingly fine. I did use an old pair of punchers that were originally my husband’s grandmothers. While they worked ok I definitely have to buy some new ones. They were so old the rubber around the pincher bits was hardened and deteriorating. They also left little indentations in the rivets. I didn’t mind the indentations this time, they actually make them look like they have sweet little moons embossed into them, but I don’t want to have all my future rivets like that.
All in all, I would definitely make another of these.
The Fabric
This denim was perfect for my first pair of jeans. It handled very well and they are comfortable to wear. The only thing I’d say is I’d like if they became a bit softer after some wear/few washings as they are a tad on the stiff side. There is plenty of stretch in them, and I would consider buying the same fabric in a different colour, I think they might just be a bit thicker than the skinny jeans I’m used to wearing. It does feel like good quality denim though, I’m not concerned with it sagging over time. Which is nice after all the time invested in making them!
