Jeans Pattern Round Up!

This year was a Me Made May of firsts–my first May with instagram stories (aka the BEST way to share your #ootd) and my first May with handmade jeans! I ended up wearing my denim gingers besically every day, to the exclusion of the skirts and dresses I\’ve relied on in past years. Having handmade jeans has made a huge impact on my handmade wardrobe: if I wore the same bold floral dress every day for a week, people would notice, but the same pair of jeans seven days in a row? Totally normal. (This is totally normal, right?)

If you haven\’t made jeans yet, now\’s the time to start psyching yourself up. That way you have about 10 months to leave your denim on the floor and stare at it guiltily before you get down to business and start sewing, finishing April 31st of 2018, just in time for #MMMay18. Or you could just make some dang jeans already! In the interests of getting alllll y\’all to sew up some jeans this year, I\’ve rounded up ten of the most popular jeans patterns for a little compare/contrast.

Also–I\’m sorry if the formatting for this post is weird, I really don\’t know how to put small photos in line with text so I did the best I could. #notaproblogger

Closet Case Ginger
Description: \”View A features a comfortable low rise with narrow stovepipe legs. View B is sexy and high-waisted with skinny legs and a tummy-slimming pocket stay.  Engineered to be as flattering as possible, Ginger Jeans feature subtly shaped back pockets to highlight the curve of the bum, slimming side seams and a higher back rise to prevent peekabooty. Designed for stretch denim, Ginger Jeans will hug you in all the right places.\”
Price: $18
Size Range: hips 33-48\”
Variations: low rise stovepipe legs or high rise skinny legs, midrise sold separately ($12), flares exension sold separately ($7)
Support: sewalong, online class, hardware kits, in person class, ebook
Makers: Curvy Sewing Collective, Jasika Gingers, Miss Make, Ginger Made (pattern namesake!), A Fashionable Stitch

Closet Case Morgan
Description: \”Featuring a mid-rise, traditional five pocket construction,  contoured waistband, tapered leg and button fly, Morgan fits snugly through the hip but relaxes and conforms to your curves with a little wear (size up for a slouchier, more casual fit). Choose between a regular or cropped inseam, and add an optional leather waistband patch.\”
Price: $18
Size Range: hips 33-48\”
Variations: n/a
Support: online class, hardware kits, in person class, ebook
Makers: Jasika, The Pug and Needle, Crab and Bee (pattern namesake!), Sew A Button on your Underware, Cookin\’ and Craftin\’, That Black Chic, A Colorful Canvas

Deer and Doe Safran
Description: \”High waisted skinny jeans and pants. Version A has back pockets and belt loops, and version B is pared down with a cropped ankle length.\”
Price: 14 Euros
Size Range: hips 33 3/4-43 1/4\”
Variations: n/a
Support: some fitting help on their blog
Makers: Jasika, The Quirky Peach, What Katie Sews, By Gum By Golly, Lise Tailor (fr), Along Avec Anna, Madame Tifaine, Les Lubies de Louise (fr)

Sew Over It Mia
Description: \”A quintessential pair of skinny jeans, Mia is the perfect pattern for jeans newbies. High-waisted with a front fly and back pockets, they are fun and interesting to sew as well as being flattering, stylish and chic. The Mia Jeans will be worn again and again.\” (Note: With no front pockets or back yoke, this is more of a \”jeggings\” style.)
Price: $20 (part of the City Break Capsule Wardrobe book)
Size Range: hips 36-48\”
Variations: n/a
Support: n/a
Makers: This blog is not for you (2 pairs), Laura, Fiona, The Pug and Needle

Mimi G Simplicity 8222
Description: \”Stretch denim skinny jeans with fly front include separate pattern pieces for slim, average, and curvy fit.\”
Price: $12.57 (also includes a bomber jacket)
Size Range: hips 32 1/2- 46\” (although it\’s big 4, so you may be able to wear them even if you are slightly out of their size range–does anyone know?)
Variations: n/a
Support: Sewalong (video)
Makers:That Black Chic, Sew Much To Do Sew Little Time, Equal Opportunity Crafter, See Carmen Sew

Itch to Stitch Liana
Hip 34-48 3/4
Description: \”Liana Stretch Jeans are designed to fit real women. These mid-rise jeans have three different leg options – skinny, straight and boot.\”
Price: $12
Size Range: hips 34-48 3/4\”
Variations: skinny, straight, and flare legs
Support: Sewalong
Makers: The Pug and Needle, Helena, Shannon, Tonya, All Sewn Up

Named Jamie Jeans
Description: \”Skinny jeans with a regular rise and slimming vertical front seams. Slanted front pockets with a contrast panel. The thin pocket panel can be made of wrong side of denim or any other contrasting material.\”
Price: $17
Size Range: hips 33-44\”
Variations: n/a
Support: n/a
Makers: Helena, Sew Busy Lizzy, Very Purple Person, Right Sides Together, Cut Cut Sew, Meggipeg, Design by Lindsay

Jalie Eleonore Pull-On Jeans
Description: \”Stretch pull-on jeans (long or cropped) with wide waistband. Yoke, faux fly in the front, patch pockets in the back. Fitted through waist and hips, straight from the knee down. Very easy to turn into skinny jeans!\” (Note: with a faux fly and no button, these are more of a \”jeggings\” style.)
Price: $10
Size Range: hip 36-53
Variations: n/a
Support: n/a
Makers: Two On Two Off, I believe I can Sew, Sewmanju, Goodbye Valentino (alllmost convincing me to wear jeggings), Sew Many Things, Sew Country Chick, Sweet Alchemy (negative review)

Baste + Gather Birkin Flares
Description: \”The Birkin Flares feature a high waist, trim fit to the knees and a fashion-forward, flared leg.\”
Price: $12
Size Range: hips 34-45\”
Variations: n/a
Support: This pattern has half a sewalong–since releasing this pattern Lauren has moved on from pattern making so I\’m not sure if there will be a full sewalong or not.
Makers:Ada Spragg (the jeans that had me clicking the add to cart button), Mabey She Made It, Sew Outnumbered, Sew DIY, Oonaballoona, Handmade Martini

Papercut Starboard
Description: \”The slim leg Starboard Jeans feature angled front pockets, additional zippered front pockets, back yoke and zip detail at the ankle. With a mid-rise waist for a flattering fit and back pockets with room to add your own top-stitching design.\”
Price: $21.18
Size Range: hips 34 1/2-46 1/2\”
Variations: n/a
Support: n/a
Makers: OffSquare (do you know of more? I\’d love to add them!)

Although I\’ve only made the Gingers and the Birkins, here\’s what I see from this comparison:

Most Support: Closet Case Ginger Jeans, which has hardware kits, a full sewalong, a video class, and even in-person classes in some areas.
Best Size Range: For a true jean, Itch to Stitch Liana, which should fit people with 34-48 3/2\” hip measurements. Jalie\’s Eleonore Pull-On \”jeans\” go up to a 53\” hip.
Most Versatile: Closet Case Ginger Jeans has three rise options and three leg options under the \”Ginger\” banner, so if fit is your concern, there\’s lots of opportunities with this pattern to perfect the fit and then change it up. However, that will cost you–$37 for all the variations! The Liana jeans from Itch to Stitch ($12) have only one rise, but three leg variations.
Best for Curves: Mimi G\’s pattern for simplicity comes with slim, average, and curvy fit pattern pieces and goes up to a 46\” hip.

Finally, if you already have a favorite pair of jeans and want a pair that fits just the same way, there\’s also the Sew Your Favorite Jeans Workshop ($59) by Allie Olson of Indiesew! This workshop is designed to help you create your own jeans pattern from your favorite pair of store-bought jeans, so it\’s a little bit different than the rest of the jeans patterns here–it\’s like a sewalong with a pattern you make yourself! Allie\’s also adding a segment on distressing, so your jeans can look just like store bought.

Similarly, there are a few classes on Craftsy about making jeans–this one on making \”designer\” denim, this one on fitting jeans, and this one on duplicating your jeans without taking them apart. I can\’t actually tell if those first two come with patterns or if you can use whatever pattern you want (and buy separately)–has anyone taken either one of them?

If you\’ve made jeans, do you have a favorite from this list, or one I missed? There are so many new jeans patterns popping up as more of us decide to take the plunge. Is there a style of jeans that you are just waiting for someone to make a pattern for?

xoxo,