Tuesday 11 August 2020

Jalie Jeans take two

Way back in February I made those green Jalie Eleanor Jeans which got a woeful reception (although I'm happy to say they've been worn occasionally since then) and I planned to try again.

A while ago I did:



Those few lovely weeks when the kids could go back to school and I could use the dining table to sew on my rostered days off, lead to these jeans.

The fabric is a stretch cotton of a sort of denim weight. I can't think where it came from but it was  a 1m remnant that was just the right amount.

The main problem with the first pair had been the height of the rise and the constant feeling like they were falling down 


For this pair I used the same size N pattern but made some adjustments above the hip. I cut the front pattern piece horizontally about mid way up the crotch curve and raised the centre front by 2" and the side front by 1&1/2"

The back pattern piece I also cut midway across and raised by an even 1&1/2". For my own reference there's a drawing in my sewing notebook to make sense of that. Then the leg length was shortened by 1&1/2"


I played around with some metallic topstitching thread on the back pockets, but it's such horrible stuff to use I'm glad she wasn't keen on topstitching everywhere. I've since heard the suggestion to use it in the bobbin rather than the needle (where it frays and snags terribly) so I'll give that a go next time.

If I was going for perfect fit I could probably try and "de-wedgy" that back crotch curve, but the way kids grow, you could muck around with the fit only to find they've outgrown that size by the time you get it right anyway!

I also cut the elastic quite a bit shorter for the waistband of these ones so they would be a snug fit at the higher waist. they seems to be much better and are one of the first things she reaches for if they're clean and in the wardrobe.

I do have quite a few cuts of stretch denim, more like jeggings fabric, and so long as I remember that extra butt room and extra height I think I could make her plenty of these and they'd get worn. I just need my sewing table back and some sewing mojo...