Jean Patterns

[theearsonist]

Well, I just picked up a few yards of denim to play around with, any suggestions on where to start. Anyone know where i can get some patterns to start with. Any replies will be appreciated. Im not expecting to make an amazing wearable pair but everyone has to start somewhere.

[coleslawyum]

http://www.superfuture.com/supertalk/showthread.php?t=8159

This link may be of interest.

[fndmybetterhalf]

I started doing the same thing about half a year ago, and the way I got started was actually quite simple. I went around looking for patterns for jeans but found none that really suited what i was looking for as far as a more modern fit goes.

so i took an old pair of cheap 501's from a thrift store, and literally took it apart piece by pieces. By doing so, I was able to get a basic idea of how jeans are assembled as well as basic pattern work. From there, I made patterns and made some adjustments, slimmed down the legs, lower-rise, tapered it down to my preferred measurements. From then, I looked through andewhall's post (link posted in comment above) and followed it basically step by step. My first pair turned out pretty nice and after practice, my second and third pair turns out great.

Good luck! if you need any help, andewhall, tg, myself and several other members will be very helpful!

[theearsonist]

With the tiny post count i was afraid of the response i would get. I have been lurking for a year or so and know my stuff, i personally cant stand the kiddies coming over from NT and turning this place into a dump.

Anyway, thanks i have a few pairs i can take apart, the one thing i was wondering was the stiching, im going to do a pit of searching but on the inside seam on the leg,

(im wearing 1947 501xx)(8 months no wash BTW, just my fun pair) anway i dont see how i could do that on a machine it looks as if the denim is folded over somehow, anyway i'll get to it tonight, thanks for the response guys.

[thomas_highstreet]

With the tiny post count i was afraid of the response i would get. I have been lurking for a year or so and know my stuff, i personally cant stand the kiddies coming over from NT and turning this place into a dump.

Anyway, thanks i have a few pairs i can take apart, the one thing i was wondering was the stiching, im going to do a pit of searching but on the inside seam on the leg,

(im wearing 1947 501xx)(8 months no wash BTW, just my fun pair) anway i dont see how i could do that on a machine it looks as if the denim is folded over somehow, anyway i'll get to it tonight, thanks for the response guys.

its called a felled seam..

you can get a similar look (from outside) by sewing a lock(straight) stitch down the leg, then folding the seam excess back and sewing it down from the outside.. but, obviously unless you lock the edges (and even then) it looks a bit rough compared.

i was just tryna find you a step by step how to.. found this;

http://sewing.about.com/od/techniques/ss/flatfelled.htm

good luck!

[thomas_highstreet]

also, i very much reccomend this book by winifred aldrech.. metric pattern cutting for menswear

get the 4th edition.

it has lots of blocks and such you can adjust and make new cuts out of.. it gives you a good idea of the kinda shapes your gonna need to make etc.

the ande whall thread is a great resource to see how to contruct them, when to sew which bits where etc. hes got a pretty good hand, i assumed he used a twin needle but he does it free hand. ace.

[theLorax]

My first pair turned out pretty nice and after practice, my second and third pair turns out great.

Can we see some pics of them?

[fndmybetterhalf]

first picture: fit came out baggier than I wanted but for the most part, stitching and everything came out alot nicer. first pic = second pair i made

second pic is a comparison of my very first pair of jeans (right) and my second pair. notice the awkward looking yoke on both pairs...i made another pair soon after my second one that is pretty on-par with what i wanted...and then my sewing machine broke. so ive been on the look out for a nice juki machine.

[Charlie Delta]

^I noticed just now that you did a Wrangler style yoke on both pairs, was that intentionally?

[dkatz]

This is good information. One of my goals for when I get back to the states is to start experimenting with making my own jeans as well. Actually it's been a goal for a couple years, but I keep not doing it!

I'd also love to play around with making my own denim... but that's much more difficult.

[40ozprophet]

I did the same thing as betterhalf, took an old pair that fit me well and took them apart. I think they came out alright.

[fg0d]

Where can I buy some decent denim?

[fndmybetterhalf]

^I noticed just now that you did a Wrangler style yoke on both pairs, was that intentionally?

not quite intentional haha. i was stil experimenting with how i should do the yoke and wanted to do a low yoke but ended up lookin kind funky.

Where can I buy some decent denim?

this is probably the hardest part about making ur own jeans is sourcing out denim... luckily, i work at S&S and we have yards and yards of scrap denim that we've experimented with...

but i've found that if you wanna just make some cheap pair for practice, Joann's fabric carries standard 12oz raw denim...so if you wanna just mess around, try that out. if you wanna make a much mroe legit selvage pair, ebay will have people selling rolls of selvage denim.

[adsurgo]

Where can I buy some decent denim?

i have some denim that i will sell you. pm me.

[fg0d]

How many yards does it take for a pair?

[fndmybetterhalf]

selvage roughly between 4-5, nonselvage about 2