Sewing your own jeans is one of the challenges for amateur seamstresses and tailors... and yes, there are quite a few technical aspects: installing the fly, topstitching, different pockets with different constructions, attaching rivets... in short, jeans can be intimidating! 

And yet with patience and precision, you can do it 😊! By the way, we offer this course at the workshop to demystify this iconic piece of wardrobe for both women and men! 

Today I chose to sew the sunshine jeans by Iam Patterns which includes all the specific points of jeans: the lighter pocket, the patch pocket on the back, the front pockets, the fly, the rise, the topstitching, ...

So, here we go for my version of sunshine! 

The Sunshine jeans model

The Sunshine jeans is offered in 2 versions by Iam patterns:

- with a balloon (slouchy) cut
- with a straight cut. 

It has all the details of jeans:
- slant pockets,
- a lighter pocket,
- patch pockets on the back,
- rivets,
- a fly,
- a waistband with belt loops
- topstitched 

Additionally, it has a high waist that I find very feminine. 

It is offered as a PDF: from size 34 to 52 and in paper version: from size 36 to 46. You can find it in the shop here.

What’s great about iam patterns patterns is that the finished garment sizes are indicated. So you can refer to them to choose the size that will suit you best based not only on your measurements but also on the fit you want (loose or close-fitting). 

For my part, I chose a size 36 that I altered; I'll explain that to you below. 

In the seamstress's basket

To sew the sunshine jeans, you will need:

• denim jeans (or corduroy, twill, gabardine...)
• some cotton poplin for the front pockets (finely woven and tight)
• fusible interfacing especially for the fly and waistband
• 1 non-separable metal or polyester zipper 12 cm long
• 1 jean button 18 mm in diameter 
• rivets to reinforce the opening of the front and back pockets
• some thread
• cones for overlock machine (optional but recommended)
• Don't forget the denim needle and the suitable thread

I recommend adding to this list calico to make the toile that will be used to check the fit of your jeans and to correct the drape, the crotch... in short, everything that needs to be done before you start cutting your denim! I did not skip this step, which allowed me to make the necessary corrections on my size 36. 

Technical points

Sewing jeans is not necessarily difficult but it requires patience and above all precision. You also have to accept that industrial jeans assembly techniques are not completely transferable to home sewing... and that some finishes are therefore adapted to household machines. Nevertheless, very nice results can be achieved with a household machine starting from the mid-range (the motor power being decisive to handle thicknesses). 

It should be noted that for these two reasons, this is a piece reserved for people with an advanced level in sewing because it requires quite a bit of mastery and techniques to create a piece that will be satisfying both to sew and to wear. 

To make Sunshine, you will need to master the following technical stitches:

• making patch pockets, ticket pockets, and Italian pockets
• making topstitching
• making overlocks
• sewing a fly
• making belt loops
• assembling a waistband
• attaching rivets
• sewing a buttonhole and attaching a button
• making hems
• mastering stitch changes on the sewing machine

The sewing experience

I had in mind to sew myself a "simple" jeans, blue denim, with a flare cut (which suits my body shape best), visible topstitching, and silver rivets. 

With these ideas in mind, I got to work and made the jeans completely once in calico in size 36. Thanks to this toile, I realized I needed a bit more ease at the hips (2 cm for the whole jeans) and that I needed to remove some ease at the crotch and waist. This is quite typical for me because I have a waist/hip ratio under 0.7. I removed 3 cm at the waist/crotch. 

I was right to make this toile because even though I could fit into it, I was tight at the hips and the back gaped... I would have wasted precious time and been very disappointed! Since I chose to sew a flare model—that is, a model fitted on the thighs down to the knees and wide at the leg openings—I made modifications to the leg cut using the toile. I transferred the changes to the pattern and was finally able to really start my jeans and cut the pieces. 

I had a 1.3 m scrap of blue denim and two bright yellow spools left from another project. By doing a bit of "Tetris," I managed to fit all my pieces into 1.3 m (always respecting the grainline). Since I wanted a yellow accent for the front pockets, I rummaged through my scraps and found a piece of Japanese cotton lawn in blue and yellow... just perfect to echo the very subtle topstitching I chose!

Be careful to choose your thread according to your sewing precision... by choosing yellow on blue... I knew my topstitching would have to be perfect and precisely aligned. If you're not confident, choose a tone-on-tone thread for your first jeans. 

Then, I tackled the pockets. I always choose to have the right side of the pocket bags visible inside the jeans so I can see the flowers when I put on and take off my pants. 

For the back patch pockets, I chose a decorative stitch from my machine just for fun. 

Once the pockets and the yoke were in place, I focused on the fly. I really liked the technique proposed by Marie Emilienne, the creator of Iam Patterns. The instructions are simple and effective, making assembly easy. 

I made topstitching along the fly and crotch, not forgetting the bartack stitches at strategic points. Then, I assembled the inside of the legs and topstitched again. Finally, I moved on to assembling the outer sides of the legs and was able to do a first fitting... phew! Very satisfying 😊

Finally, I focused on the waistband and belt loops. 

To finish, I placed the rivets and the jeans button; and finally, I made the buttonhole. To place the rivets correctly, I have my little "magic" set: a punch, an awl, and a setting clip. It works perfectly!

 All that was left was to try it on and make a suitable hem! 

Ta-da! My jeans are finished. It’s a piece that took me a while because I sewed it little by little between courses, the shop, and accounting 😂... taking 10 minutes here and there. I’m proud to have made it! 

Will there be other versions? Yes, yes, and three times yes! I feel great in it! I’m already dreaming of a colorful or indigo blue version... I’m still thinking about it. In the shop, you’ll find colored denim including new light shades for spring/summer.

If you want to sew this essential wardrobe piece, I organize courses to learn how to sew your first jeans and we will make it together! The first session is full but there are still spots for the second! Feel free to contact me for more info! 

So no more excuses... just do it!

Get your needles ready!