Good heavens! It's almost like I'm making a habit of popping in here for a few blog posts and then disappearing for a month or so! Well, the good news is that one of the things I was working on during this past month was a pair of jeans...for myself! Now that's a good use of my time, right?
When Lauren of Baste & Gather put out a call for pattern testers for her new jeans pattern, I just couldn't resist! (Despite the fact that I had a few other commissioned projects I needed to complete first!) I remember last fall thinking, "I'll never make myself a button down shirt, that seems to difficult and time consuming..." And then I did it, and loved it! Then, I said that same thing about making my own bathing suit, which I made this summer and love! I've had similar thoughts on making jeans...it seemed too hard and time consuming and I just wasn't sure I was really into it, but then the Birkin Flares came along and I just loved their silhouette!
Let me tell you that these jeans fit like a dream! Lauren has such amazing attention to detail within the pattern and the tutorial itself. The tips and photos in the tutorial are fantastic and explain each step in perfect detail and before you know it really...you are well on your way to finishing your jeans before you even had a chance to worry about it! That's the way it was for me anyway. Truthfully, cutting out the fabric was scarier than actually making the jeans. I used Cone Mills denim from Threadbare Fabrics and, oh it is so nice! It's got the perfect amount of stretch and it's midweight is perfect for all seasons! I did make a quick muslin before cutting into my denim to check for sizing, though my fabric was zero stretch, so it was still a bit nerve racking.
Since these are JEANS and I really wanted to be able to wear them without feeling uncomfortable about how professional they looked I did take my time, slowly and carefully working through each step and paying close attention to the topstitching. Switching back and forth between topstitching thread was a bit of a time suck, but hey ...it looks so good!
Also, while I wanted these to look well made, I didn't necessarily want them to look like they were "off the rack"...so I used a deep cranberry (perhaps influenced by the holiday season?) colored red for my topstitching thread and a rosy colored copper for the rivets and button both from Taylor Tailor.
Initially I was a little worried that I had made the wrong choice, but in the end, I really love the way the red both blends in and pops at the same time!
I made this version long, way longer than any of my other pants, so that I could wear them with heals, perfect for date nights (though we don't actually have many of those...) or other "dressier" occasions. But, truth be told, I'm not much of a "heals during the day" kind of gal...they don't bode well for running errands and walking back and forth to school, etc...So, I plan to make another pair as soon as I can that will be the perfect length to wear with flats! Because, HEY! when you make your own jeans you can make them any old length you want! Could you hear me shouting that part? I might be a wee bit excited about that. The choosing your jeans length for shorties like me (5'2") and for tallies too I'd imagine might just sell you on making your own!
I truly love these jeans, they are so comfortable and I love the way they look! See more details on Lauren's pattern release post. Check out all of the tester photos for more inspiration! Or, if you are already ready to buy...go, do it! And, if you do it soon you get to take advantage of the release discount, use the code birkinrelease for $2 off the pattern, plus All other patterns in Lauren's shop are 50% off! Both promotions end at 11:59pm PST on Sunday, December 13.
You can do it, I know it! And as for me...I've got to stop saying I'm not going to make something because it will "take too long", because inevitably that "too long" means you will love it forever!
