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| Stitching on the back pockets is from Closet Case Patterns expansion pack |
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| Seriously, I am not that serious. |
Yes, I am currently 24 weeks pregnant with baby #3 (it's another boy!) and with that means the dreaded maternity jeans...
Ready to wear jeans always require a great deal of pulling up for me. My booty is flatter than average and so pants have a tendency to slide down as I move. Maternity jeans take this sliding down to def-con 90s thug levels of sagging. Seriously, I spend 90% of my time pulling my pants back up. It's annoying, to say the least.
When I saw that the Curvy Sewing Collective was hosting a Curvy Pants Month, I knew it was time to drag out my stash of denim and finally sew up a pair of Ginger Jeans, from Closet Case Patterns. These have been on my sewing list for years, but fear has kept me from jumping in. Completely gut a prom dress and turn it into something lovely? Sure, I'm game. Make a pair of pants? Ummmm.....no. My mom always told me they were more trouble than they were worth.
I'm here to tell you that they are not!
Using View A from the pattern (the low-rise stove pipe version), I cut out a size 16. I don't really remember what my pre-pregnancy measurements were...this pregnancy caught me a bit off guard and I had fluctuated quite a bit up to becoming pregnant. So I guessed. For my little bottom, I did a 1/2" flat bum adjustment and added 2" to the length for my long legs.
To turn the Ginger into a maternity jean, I left off the waistband and sewed the front fly down flat. For the belly panel, I used an old belly band and sewed it in place of the waist band. I carry my babies pretty deep and high, so I didn't need to swoop the front panel down at all. Easy shmeezy.
Also, because I am cheap, frugal and lazy, I didn't add any hardware to these jeans. Maybe I'll add on rivets at a later point, but for now, I just bar tacked where the rivets would be.
Cutting and sewing these jeans up wasn't hard, but I was patient and took my time - Heather's instructions and sew-a-long are very clear and thorough. I tested all my stitches on scrap fabric before I sewed the actual pieces, which saved a lot of seam ripping. A lot, but not all. After basting the legs together, I realized the tension was off on my top stitching, making it pull and wave. I found that pulling the bobbin thread through the eye of the bobbin case (like you would for a button hole) solved the issue nicely. If I can avoid messing with the tension screw on my bobbin case, I will!
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| More photos of the process @madeinspareoom |
When I tried them on the first time, the result was comical. Those stove pipe legs were more like chimney stacks! Either my fabric had more stretch than I thought (my test at home was 30%) or my legs are thinner than I guessed. The hip and upper thigh fit well, so I grabbed the seam ripper and took the legs apart.
After deliberating for a few days, I decided to take the longer route in altering the pant legs. I wasn't 100% confident that I could mark the adjustments on my own, while wearing the pants, or that I could accurately tell the hubs how to pin the legs. Preggo brain is real, guys. So, I decided to lay the View B (mid rise skinny leg version) pattern on top of my cut out legs and cut out the narrower size 14. This worked out beautifully! I still needed a little more taken out of the leg, but it wasn't very much. Maybe a 1/4".
For the belly panel, I used an old belly band. Now that I've worn the jeans twice, I realize that using a 10 year old panel wasn't the smartest move. It's already started to tear in a few places. Luckily, buying a stretchy knit or another belly band and replacing the old one is an easy fix.
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| Glasses: BonLook Earrings: Valentine's gift from the Hubby |
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| Shoes: Betsey Johnson, purchased for $10 at Ross |
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| Sweater: Liz Lange for Target...not sure how old, as it was a hand me down. |
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| Check out that well fitting bum!! |
For a wearable muslin, I'd say these jeans turned out fabulously. I wore them Saturday night and most of today, with very little readjusting. Even with crawling around and bending down at the library! A pair of well fitting jeans sure feels makes you feel like a million bucks. Especially if you don't have to do the pull-your-pants up dance every two minutes. Maybe I'll be more lady like in public now...
The only alteration I will make to the next pair is to do a knock knee adjustment, as those knee wrinkles are a bit annoying. Other than that, these jeans are AHHHmazing!
**I was not paid nor compensated for this review. Both pattern and fabric were purchased from my own account. All opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.
