Pull on Jeans

There's a short and long version of this, so I'll start with the short.

I made some pull on jeans with embroidered back pockets. The pattern is the Mountain View Jeans by Itch to Stitch.

(these photos were taken in evening light and make the denim seem darker than it is)

Now that's usually be where I would stop my blog posts, but there's really a lot more to it than that. So here's a longer version.

I had bought some stretch denim in a mid blue colourway when I went to a quilt show last year with a friend. The event didn't have much garment sewing stalls, but I enjoyed the ones I found.

I bought 2 metres of the denim and it sat in my stash. 

More recently I purchased a new raincoat, particularly for travel. It was on deep discount in a January sale. My new coat is a mid denim blue and it reminded me of the denim I'd bought, so I brought it in from the garage. (I keep my fabric in plastic tubs in the garage.)

Currently I'm a bit under the weather with a sinus infection so I wasn't up for a new pattern (I have a couple of Jeans patterns I want to try), so I pulled out the Itch to Stitch Mountain View pull on jeans pattern which I've made a few times before.

I had a look at the stretch requirements, and tested the stretch percentage of the fabric I had. It was clear it did NOT have the required stretch. Next I had a look at the body measurements and finished garment measurements on the pattern, and I could see that it had NEGATIVE EASE.

Lightbulb moment, that clearly if I used this pattern for this fabric the result was not going to fit well :-)

So I added extra paper down the centre of the front and back leg pattern pieces so they matched my body measurements. This reduced the negative ease to no ease and I thought that would be OK with my fabric, as the bit of stretch it does have would give me some wearing comfort.

I kept the back yoke and waistband piece as designed, but curved the side of the back piece in a little to align. I extended the front waistband piece as I need the room over the tummy.

The back leg is in two pieces, so I just butted these together and glued a paper strip behind.

I was able to keep the pockets unaltered, and discovered in the pattern envelope that I'd cut out some pocket lining/facing pieces in a fun boat print left from making a shirt.

So then I thought I would like to use those pocket linings as inspiration and reflect the boat design in the back pockets.

So I cut out the rest of the jeans, and some pieces the size of my embroidery machine hoop for the pockets. I had a lovely time online looking for boat embroidery designs.

I discovered that my embroidery machine function to flip a design also works on design on the USB stick, so was able to flip the boat and embroidery another one in the other direction.

Next I debated whether the boats looked better sailing towards each other or away.

(this is a more accurate photo of the colour of the denim as it was taken in daylight)

I decided that I would like contrast stitching for the edge and topstitching, so I put my embroidery machine away in the cupboard and got my backup Janome sewing machine out and threaded it up with a golden orange standard thread. This meant I could sew a seam in dark blue on the usual sewing machine, overlock the seam with the overlocker and then edgestitch/topstitch with the other sewing machine. (I only have room for 3 machines out at once)

I did not use two threads or topstitching thread. I find that just normal thread in a contrasting colour is enough to give the jeans look without causing me lots of headaches.

The actual sewing of the jeans was fairly straightforward. I do deviate slightly from the instructions. The main changes are.

1 - I put the pocket linings in so that the right side of the fabric is inside the pocket (their directions have it the other way but I don't like it).

2 - I add the back pockets earlier than the instructions (and a little higher up).

3 - I only sew one layer of the waistband to the jeans, then stitch in the ditch to attach the other layer (this makes it easier to adjust the elastic if necessary).

4 - I overlocked the hem and just turned up once and stitched. I've had trouble with my double stitched hems rolling up and wanted to see if this worked better

The main thing that is missing is a photo of me wearing the jeans, which I may add later.

Alterations tried

I added a wedge 1" deep across the back (very round back) and took a wedge 1" deep out of the front neckline (forward head)..
This seems to have worked pretty well, and as its a wedge alteration has in fact not altered the armholes so I may be able to continue to use my normal sleeves.
I think the back curve needs smoothing out a bit and the very top of the back neck still needs the wedge taking out which I was doing before.

The shoulders do seem to sit better now even though I have not altered them at all, I guess the shoulders are not necessarily the issue?

Anyway I am happy enough with the altered pattern to cut it out of some nice fabric (I used a nasty cheap poly knit to test) and sew it up.

The overlocker, coverhem and sewing machine are all threaded in different colours, so I could choose just about anything colour wise as I'd have to rethread at least 2 of the three anyway.. I had originally planned to do a red knit top but that's not particularly calling my name at the moment.

I managed to get all of the fabric in the cupboard once I removed the fleece, so I can open the doors and see what wants to get made up.....

D'oh alterations

I've been sewing and wearing my own knit tops for some time now, wearing them in cheerful oblivion of how poor the fit really was.
At the recent London Sewing Weekend it became apparent that the shoulder seams on my tops just don't sit at the shoulder becuase I have forward shoulders, forward head and a very round back. D'oh!
I came back and could not bear to sew anything more knowing how terrible the fit was.

Jenni helped me find the right sections in Fit for Real people but I was rather intimidated by the whole thing and have not managed to pysche myself up yet to actually alter any of my patterns. The shoulder alterations make the armhole smaller as well, so I will also have to do a fat arm alteration also (I think they call it full bicep but who are we kidding?).

Anyway hopefully tomorrow I will be able to find the mental energy to start messing about with altering one of my supposed TNTs to be better fitting.
I am a bit down about it all to be honest, but that may just be a pretty tough day at work, and a long week speaking.

Probably the most useful thing to do at this point is to have a really good tidy up in the sewing room so I have some space to start fresh in the morning, plus an early night.

Burda Magazine for April

April's Burda magazine arrived today. Mine come from Germany and arrive after the people in North America get theirs which seems a little unfair to me.

I find it easier to see things on the website, and go through saving the garments I like. If we are truly honest I will probably sew the little V neck cardigan first from this magazine, though I like lots of the items, I am not sure I have a space for them in my life.

One thing I have realised with Burda tops is that they expect me to have more bust and front neck length than I actually do.
I am open to suggestions for how I can do a small bust alteration, neckline shortening thingy all in one.
I am the same measurement from shoulder to waist both front and back but with a forward head and have not yet cracked how to do this in Burda.
The partial success I had with Jenni helping me fit stuff appeared to involve the same 3 things
- petiting above the bust line
- reducing the front width above the bust
- lowering the front neckline