2908 - Stretch Jeans Pattern

Our new Women's Stretch Jeans Pattern includes BOTH low and regular rise. The jeans has a back yoke, patch back pockets, flared leg and is designed for stretch woven fabric. Many of you might wonder if this pattern would work with regular denim. I'm not a big fan of non-stretch jeans and have not tried the pattern with regular denim. Since there is negative ease on the pattern, you would have to go a few sizes up for sure, but I don't know how much alteration would be involved.

THE CUT
The low rise is 2-3 inches below the navel (in adult sizes) and regular rise is at the navel. The difference between low and regular rise is barely noticeable for little girls because we don't think low-rise jeans are appropriate for kids.

The waistband is cut on the bias. This is great because it adds a little more stretch and is more comfortable. If you are running short on fabric, you can cut it across or along the straight grain.

THE FIT
This pattern is very close fitting through the hips. No bumps and lumps. Here's a picture of me (and my fuller thighs) wearing the low-rise version in size V.



Here is another picture of a lady wearing size FF. Her waist measurement corresponds to size FF, but her hips were closer to size EE. Since she wanted extra ease on the hips and thighs, we made size FF as is.



THE FABRIC
Not all stretch denims are created equal. Some have more spandex than other, some are stiffer, some have 4-way stretch. I would say that the more stretch the better. However, I try to stay away from thin / lightweight stretch denim that shows every little "post-baby-detail" :)

The fabric you see on the pattern cover is from Fabric.com just enter "stretch denim" in their search box and you will see what they have left.

This pattern works great with stretch corduroy too! They did have some on Fabric.com a while ago, but it seems to be all gone :(

For the pocket lining, we used stretch cotton poplin scraps we had in our stash, but you don't really need a stretch woven for that.

Because denim shrinks quite a bit, PRE-TREAT YOUR FABRIC AT LEAST TWICE before making your jeans (washer + dryer if you plan on putting your jeans in the dryer of course).

THE NOTIONS
Thread: For the topstitching, we used the same thread we used for the construction but using a triple straight stitch that made the topstitches look "thicker" without going through all the trouble of switching threads all the time... It takes more time than a regular straight stitch, but a lot less than re-threading and it looks pretty good :) We used the serger to finish the seams edges before topstitching to prevent fraying.

Buttons and rivets: We used snaps for the little girl's pants (and glued some pink rhinstones on the snap - she loved it) but made a buttonhole (it can be quite a challenge for some machine sewing a nice straight buttonhole through the waistband) and used a "shank" button that looks more RTW for the adult's jeans (and mine :)). We did put rivets on both jeans. It looks really professional and reinforces pocket corners.

Zipper: We used coil zippers for all jeans because we had many on hand. You could also use a brass zipper for a more RTW look.

Interfacing: We used fusible knit interfacing for the waistband (interfacing cut on the bias for stretch) and fly extensions.