Sewing Jeans

This photo is from Dressy Style... they almost always feature their outfits with super high shoes (totally unpractical for all the walking I do in the city), but hello - look at those jeans!  Do you see what I see?  Boot cut jeans are coming back into style.  Ahhhh, yes!
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Because while those super skinny jeans look cute on the kids - ummmm, they are NOT for me!  Shoot, one of my nieces has jeans so tight at the bottom that I had take the seam ripper to the side seams, open them up a bit so she could squeeze her foot through there and hem it all back down.  Kids and their fashions, right? Europe maybe even more so as the guys have been wearing tight jeans too the past several years but you don't see that too often over in North America!  
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Anyway - I have a pair of jeans all cut out and mostly sewn together - sadly I didn't have time to finish them before I came over here, but as soon as I get back over there - I need to finish them up.  Vogue 8774.  Dark stretch denim with a nice weight (jeans material comes in different weights).  I got the pattern when Joanne's was having one of the $2 Vogue pattern sales and used coupons to get the zipper, thread and sewing needle.  

I just won't buy new jeans.  Nope.  First off - they all shrink and then are too short for me.  My husband and I have to play tug-a-war with my jeans every time they come out of the washer and then hang them up to dry.  If I order long length jeans - the length is just too long.  Shopping for jeans is just an exercise in frustration and if I do find a pair that I even like the LOOK of - the price tag is always over $100 so I don't even bother to try them on!  I will say though - I did get a great pair of jeans at a thrift store last spring for a mere $2.  So, it pays to look around.
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My sister also has a pair of jeans cut and partially sewed together.  She is making Jalie 2908.  We are making them together so both pairs are on hold until we are together again.  

Not sure if making your own jeans is for you?  You can make a quick mock-up using muslin or some other cheap fabric to check the fit.  The Jalie pattern has 1000s of sizes all on the same sheet - honestly!  Jalie patterns aren't for everyone, but there are lots of sizes and my sister traces what she wants - she orders a big roll of tracing paper from I think Nancy's Notions.  Sewing pants really is not that hard.  As a matter of fact, Pattern Review has an on-going video class for jeans sewing (I haven't taken it, so can't tell you much about it other than the fact that it is currently being offered at a sale price for $29 by clicking on this link.  If you have always wanted to try making jeans, it might be worth looking into.
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I can not wait to get back to sewing with my sister because my wardrobe is in a serious crises!  So - this is what we do - we thread up the serger for knit tops and the sewing machine for jeans and take turns.  When we are done we have a complete outfit.  
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My favorite, favorite winter top pattern (I love wool blend knits - they are so much warmer than anything else and still wear/feel like a knit) is Simplicity 4076.  I lengthen it a bit, make the sleeves slightly narrower and use a twin needle for hemming since I don't have a cover stitch machine!  Usually costs me about $6 per shirt.  The V neck is low cut, but I usually wear a tank top underneath anyway.