[Enbee]

I know this is pretty off-topic for O+S forums, but this is my only online sewing home, and you’re all so knowledgeable. Does anyone have a favorite women’s jeans pattern? My sewing for myself comes in fits and starts, mostly because it’s faster and more fun to sew for my toddler, but I really hate shopping for jeans.

I’m looking for something boot cut that sits below the waist and is a relatively relaxed fit (yep, my taste in jeans has not at all kept up with the times). Any suggestions? Something relatively customizable might be nice, although I should probably first cross the hurdle of making myself a pair of non-PJ pants before I go trying to get a custom fit.

[Nicole]

@Enbee I cannot recommend the Ginger jeans enough and they have just released a boot cut version.

The zip fly instructions are the best I have ever used.

[Tamara]

@Enbee, I love the Jalie stretch jeans. They have mid and high rise and are a boot cut. Best thing is the many many sizes cater for both kids and adults (which can be a plus). I also have the jeans pattern by Angela Wolf but I haven’t used it as yet. I have done a craftsy class with her teaching how to make them though. They look fantastic and are also bootcut.

[with love Heidi]

If your struggling with pants fit I highly recommend Fitting and Pattern Alteration by Liechty. It has a whole section on how to fit the crotch curve using a flexible ruler, the step by step intructuons gave me amazing results. I had previously made 3 muslins (practice goes) of Colette Iris shorts and couldn’t work out the fitting issues. I then spent a day or day and a half with the book, the curved ruler, paper,scissors, tape, and a pencil. By the end of the second day I had a perfectly fitting crotch curve and pair of shorts! By the end of the third day I had 2 more pairs of perfectly fitted shorts 🙂 I even pulled out the pattern again a few months ago and within a few hours had perfectly fitted shorts.

It probably took me 2 days to go though all the steps in the book and the book is quite expensive, about $100 but the time and money was so well spent as I now have a fantastic perfected crotch curve to compare other patterns to.

• This reply was modified 8 years ago by with love Heidi.

[Liesl Gibson]

I’ve heard the Jalie pattern is quite good. I’ve always resisted jeans because it’s nearly impossible to find really good quality denim! Any good sources? I’m picky, but if I’m going to take the take to sew jeans I want to use premium denim like you’d find in a pair of expensive jeans.

[Tamara]

I buy mine from Spotlight and they have a range but my daughter especially complains that the denim itches her skin, even after washing. The stretchier stuff is quite thin and I am yet to see any denim that resembles that of well made rtw jeans.

I know Fabric.com have a range and I have bought from them also (way back when the exchange rate was better for us Aussies).

[Enbee]

See, I knew you guys would have good suggestions! Thanks so much! I think one of these patterns will work well. Now I just have to take the plunge.

[Enbee]

@Liesl – have you ever looked at Mood’s denims (they have a physical store in NYC, right)? If so, are they not a good source for the quality you’re looking for?

(full disclosure – I have no idea what high-end denim feels like. I buy inexpensive jeans because I’m hard on them. Still want them to fit better, though!)

[Liesl Gibson]

Sadly, Mood’s denim isn’t usually up to snuff. But like I said, I’m a really picky customer. I don’t buy jeans very often, and when I do I expect them to last for a really long time. I wear them until they’re more holes than denim. But I do have trouble finding a good fit, so I’d be willing to sew them if I could find the right denim (and time!).

[Enbee]

Thanks, Liesl – makes sense.

Aaand now I’ve fallen down a rabbit hole of denim fabric sources in the US, the difference between US and Japanese denim, the renaissance of American denim – who knew? Apparently Cone Mills is used by some high-end producers, but others feel their denim is boring. I might have to buy a yard or two on ebay and see what I think, because now I’m curious!

[Liesl Gibson]

I like Cone denim. And I LOVE the Japanese denim, but you never see that available as yardage. Sadly. But here’s a source for Cone that I contemplate every once in a while. I’d go for the 12.5 oz rigid. But that’s just me. And my relatively powerful sewing machine.

Denim Store

[Liesl Gibson]

By the way, it really isn’t hard to rub off a pair of jeans that fit you well and alter the pattern to fit you even better. I should do a video tutorial for that one of these days!

[Enbee]

Yet one more reason this site – and you, Liesl – are awesome! Thank you so much!

[with love Heidi]

Liesl, are you referring to Jalie’s new (last year) Eleonore jean, shttps://jalie.com/jalie3461-eleonore-pull-on-jeans ?
It has been extremely popular over on patternreview,http://sewing.patternreview.com/Patterns/73380 , already over 40 reviews!

[Tamara]

Now that’s another one I want to try for my non denim loving (because it is apparently itchy) teen.