Top Ten Tips for Making Jeans
Click on the image above for a link to our You Tube video
Pick the right pattern. There are many jeans patterns out there. Stretch Jeans, classic vintage jeans, bootcut jeans. Make sure to do your research before you start fitting them and be patient with yourself if you are doing this for the first time.
Pick the right fabric for your pattern. There are lots of different denim fabric weights. Make sure you pick the right one.
Wash the fabric a few times and throw it in the dryer. The last thing you want is to spend all that time making a pair of jeans and they shrink after the first wash! They are also going to bleed a little… or a lot.
Do a little run thru with your sewing machine to make sure it can handle the fabric before you embark on a making a pair of jeans. There are different denim weights. I used 10 ounce and I know my machine was going thru its paces moving the fabric as it does get pretty heavy.
Make sure you have the right tools for the job. Besides a sewing machine, a serger, you will also need a sharp pair of scissors, a seam gauge, chalk pencil, seam ripper (yes you will be basting those seams!), regular thread, top stitching thread, an awl, jeans needles, a jean-a-ma-jig to go over this fabric humps and a mallet to beat down those thick seams. Set yourself up for success.
6. Tissue fit or make a muslin but keep in mind that you will have to do a baste fitting later on.
7. Give yourself 1” seam allowance on the side seams. If you pattern doesn’t do this, make sure to add that seam allowance so you can make alterations to it once you do a baste fitting.
8. Use top stitching thread at the top but make sure to use regular thread on your bobbin only when you are top stitching. Use a straight stitch for your stitching but do a 3.0 to 3.5mm stitch length. You really want to see that top stitching
9. Use a guide and mark it on your jeans when you are doing a top stitching on your zipper area.
10. Practice bar tacks, top stitching (pick a top stitching color too there are so many to choose from) and button holes on a piece of scrap fabric.
Bonus Tip!!!!
11. Make sure you plenty of have sharp jean needles and take it easy.
Don’t be daunted by it. Just start! Yes there will be some trial and error. Build your confidence by watching a sew along on YouTube. There are many of them. Jeans that fit you are really a gift to yourself.
