Made by a Fabricista: Making My First Pair Of Jeans

Hey everyone! Welcome back to my second Fabric Mart Fabricista post!

When I selected my fabrics, I had a completely different idea in mind for what I wanted to make. But the more I thought about it, and the closer I got to starting my project, the more I dreaded the make!

Then, my office job announced that we are going to start going back to the office 2x/week, so I decided to ditch my original plan and come up with a couple pieces that I could use for transitioning back to the office.

I knew I wanted something easy to throw on that I could style a couple of different ways, which is how I settled on this neutral colored Crinkle Chiffon that I got for $1.99/yard! I used McCall #8030, View A. Making buttonholes give me heartburn enough the way it is, but the thought of trying to do it on chiffon nearly sent me to the grave… so pearl snaps to the rescue!

This pattern is meant as a dress, but with the sheer nature of the chiffon, I went for a layering top. The pattern also calls for more structured fabrics like shirting fabrics or poplin but since it’s summer and will be hot soon, a breezy chiffon sounded like the right fit! I also think Fabric Mart’s linen would be a perfect fabric for this in a dress.

Chiffon is not for the faint of heart! I would recommend you to be a confident/advanced beginner, as it can be very fussy and finicky to work with. Another small (but very important!) tip I would give for chiffon or any delicate type materials, is to make sure you have cut/filed your nails, so there are no rough edges or broken nails to snag the fabric on! It sounds silly, I know, but I had to pause early in the project to do this, since I snagged one of my already cut pieces badly with a broken nail!

If you do fall victim to a snagged piece of chiffon, don’t pull any further on the thread! This will cause a run in the entire piece. Instead, gently pull the fabric from the ends where the snag is, lay it flat, and then continue to use your fingers to gently wiggle the fabric until it lays flat again, and as you wash and steam, it will be good as new!

As I mentioned, I wanted a top I could style a few different ways and with a belt and a layer underneath, it can be worn a couple different ways.

The other fabric I chose was a cotton lycra blend denim and it is *so perfect* for stretch skinny jeans. I also grabbed this fabric when it was on sale and for less than $20, I have a perfect fitting pair of jeans! I didn’t have to make any adjustments to this pattern either, which was a first for me, since I almost always have to adjust the length.

I used Closet Core Patterns, Ginger Jeans, View B for this pair.

Making jeans has always been so daunting and a zippered fly seemed impossible. But I have to tell you all – if you have even the slightest interest in making a zip fly style pair of pants, you absolutely must go purchase this pattern from Closet Core. The instructions for the fly were so incredibly detailed and well-illustrated that I didn’t feel overwhelmed once! Go slow, read and re-read each step twice before starting and you will do great.

One of my favorite fun details in my jeans are the pocket linings. I knew I wanted to use up some scrap cotton and I am a big-time cat lady, so this was the perfect little detail!

For my topstitching, I used a combination of my coverstitch machine for the twin needle and a sewing machine for the single stitches. It’s not perfect, but I love how they turned out! I left these jeans unhemmed with a raw edge, since I haven’t decided if I want to hem them, or if I want to make them ankle length with a raw edge! These jeans will be a staple in my wardrobe with the great stretch and higher waisted fit.

Thanks for following along with my first jean make! It definitely won't be the last the next time I see some of this denim on sale at Fabric Mart again!

Unfortunately Fabric Mart Fabrics sell out quickly!
You can find similar fabrics by shopping the following categories: CHIFFON & DENIM
You can also shop our selection of Closet Core Patterns HERE.