It’s not that I have been sewing faster than I can blog (I wish that were the case), but I am wearing stuff a lot before I blog about it. I think that’s a good sign that I like what I am sewing these days! We finally had a sunny day in Seattle, so I seized the opportunity to get a picture of my new Ginger Jeans before they were totally stretched out and covered in dog hair.
First off, I liked to thank Amber of the blog So I Sewed This, for inspiring me to go down the Ginger Jeans rabbit hole in the first place, which led me to Camp Workroom Social, which led me to take jean-making with Heather Lewenza herself. What an adventure. You can read more about all that here, but back to the jeans.
Like I said, these might be a little stretched out because I have been wearing them a ton. I wore them the day I finished them and then for four days after that and then about once a week since. They are probably due for a wash, but I am kind of scared to wash them. I wanted to photograph them before I wash them, in case something bad happens, which it won’t because I do not plan to dry them, but I am a worrier, so best to get pictures first. Just sayin’.
Despite all that, they still fit very well, don’t you think? I mean, I made these jeans in 2 days! It was a whirlwind, but with Heather and her two assistants, Sonja and Whitney by my side, I couldn’t fail. I think the pockets are placed perfectly (thank you Whitney).
Heather told us that there should be some wrinkles under the bum. A little bit of extra fabric needs to be there so you can sit down comfortably. This might be an example of a few too many wrinkles, or it is just stretched out a bit. I’ll find out after I wash them. Regardless, I know how to fix this on my next pair of jeans if I need too, because Heather told us how!
I never thought I would purposely post a close-up of my ass on the internet, but check out that top-stitching and those rivets! How can I not be proud? The rivets are what really sealed the deal and made these look like real jeans!
We made view B which is the high-rise version and is higher than I tend to like my jeans. My next pair will definitely be the lower-rise. I do, however, love the pocket stay “tummy-tuck” feature.
Now let’s talk about the denim. It’s Cone Mills Denim, made in a 110 year old mill in North Carolina. Just watch this video and you will want denim from there too. It’s not the kind of denim that anyone can just go out and buy, since they require you to buy in bulk. Luckily, Heather takes pre-orders for kits occasionally, so if you see her doing that, snatch one up. The kit I got had enough denim for two pairs of jeans and all the hardware (zipper, button, rivets), so I still have enough materials for one more pair of jeans. I am still going to jump on her next kit though.
Oh and if you noticed I was in my slippers in the above photos, it’s just because I wanted you to be able to see all of the jeans. I would normally wear skinny jeans with boots and look how perfectly they fit into them!
I can’t believe I made my own jeans and I love bragging about them! I mean c’mon, I made a pair of handmade jeans in the motherfucking Catskills, with Heather Lou herself and a group of amazing women and they fit great. Subsequent pairs can only get better. I live in jeans in real life, so the fact that I can actually make something I will wear all the time is awesome. That’s how it should be. I feel like I have finally arrived!
*UPDATE*- I washed these and hang dried them and not only did they not fall apart, but they do fit better. So some of the bagginess in these photos was just a result of wearing them for awhile without washing them.
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