Ginger

Yes, it's the famous Closet Case Ginger Jeans, the high-waisted skinny jeans that took the internet of sewing by storm a few years ago.



I had wanted to try these for a while, I tried on a pair of high-waisted jean in Madewell in New York City last November (the Tuesday that enough people voted for Donald Trump that he became president in fact) and I really liked them. It was a new style to me I loved the way they felt and they, well, sucked the whole floppy tummy situation in.

I didn't buy them, they were about $200 and I knew I could have a go at making them myself, but then didn't get around to it for another eight months. I got it all cut out and then left it a few more months before sewing.



The denim is the nicest I've used, a soft, stretchy cotton from Potter Textiles in Perth. It's so stretchy I actually think I could have gone a size down for these jeans and they do stretch out a fair bit after a day of wear, but I'm happy enough with these for a first version.

I made only a few changes. I altered the back yoke pieces to be narrower and added what I cut off to the top of the back leg. Many people have remarked that the yoke looks to deep and even designer Heather has altered hers. It looks odd as drafted and also forces the back pockets a bit too far down the leg so just changed it straight off the bat.



I also had to do my usual sway back adjustment by basting the centre back and then pinching out the excess and resewing. I think I'm really at the point where I could make that adjustment straight onto the pattern pieces now.

I have only one criticism of this generally excellent pattern and instructions -- the zip.

The pattern has you buy a 6 inch jeans zip, ie a metal one, then shorten it if needed, which I did need to.

This drives me crazy! Not only is this a fiddly hassle with a metal zip, it never works for me and it's completely unnecessary. As with every single time I have tried to shorted a zip, the pull flew off the end of the zip before I could secure it and I've had to unpick the entire fly and put in the whole new zip.

Which is exactly what happened with this project.



After cursing my way through the unpick, I took a close look at the actually length zip I would need for the fly, measured it at 4 inches and inserted a zip of exactly that length and it fit perfectly with no need to shortening.

Which prompts me to ask -- why do pattern so this? Zips come in many, many lengths, so just give the correct length zip in the instructions? Even if you are a dab hand at shortening them, why would you wish to bother?

Zip aside, I am very happy with these jeans and they have been getting plenty of wear.

The photos are a bit odd here. I was trying to get a whole lot of project photographed, the light began to fade and my experiments with the flash do look a bit like a one of those deliberately lo-fi American Apparel ads. 

Comments

  1. I definitely think the lo fi pics suit the aesthetic of the jeans! They look great. I’ve noticed that zip thing about jeans patterns and don’t know why that is.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you! I suppose if you know what you are doing, you can get a zip the perfect length but I don't and it is maddening. Maybe I'll learn one of these days.

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