I’m in need of new jeans. My Knipmode TNT pattern is been used that many times, that it is at the point it needs to be redone ( lots of minor tweaks and the seam allowances are no longer even after so many cuts). Then I had this bright idea of drafting my own..
It started out with an attempt to draft my own jeans from the pant sloper that I made from Suzy Furrer’s class. While it turned out quite promising in terms of the crotch fit and pocket placement, the leg has a twist which I’m not happy about. This twist was in the sloper, so I need to go back and work out what is causing it.
The next option was to draft the jeans using a specific jeans draft from either Joseph-Armstong’s or Aldrich’s books. Or to go back to a commercial pattern and work though the fitting process. Neither option sounded fun, as pant fitting can be like disappearing down a rabbit hole.
It prompted me to compare my jeans draft to my TNT jeans pattern (from Knipmode) and a few other commercial patterns ( Cashmerette Ames, Burda, Simplicity and Ottobre). The differences were often quite subtle ( and it’s work pointing out that most of the drafts were for stretch denim). My draft was so close, but not quite there!
In the end, I decided to try the stretch jeans from Ottobre 5/2019 and found that the only needed minor tweaks to achieve a great fit. Phew!
Stretch fabrics do make the fitting so much easier and allow for a closer fit. I find that the stretch breaks down after a while which is why I tend to prefer a rigid denim for longevity. So my plan of attack is:
- Make another pair, just the same, but with a heavier stretch denim. It’s on the cutting table ready to go.
- Adapt the current pattern for to a mid-rise skinny jean
- Re-trace the Knipmode pattern for the boyfriend jeans for use with rigid denim.
- Make a backup copy of the TNT patterns and keep them in a safe place 😀
sewTREEFROG 