Klaxon! Klaxon! Klaxon! It’s time for another Pattern Throwdown! Three jeans patterns enter…One jeans pattern reigns supreme!
Taking the reins tonight from your usual hostess, Jennifer W. of We Bought A Manor, is me, Ciara Xyerra. I blog (inconsistently) over at http://ciaraxyerra.com.
My jeans-relevant stats are:
* waist: 37″
* hips: 44″
* inseam: 30″
* body type: short-waisted, long-legged, full tummy, proportionally flat butt, narrow-ish hips, slim-ish legs
Our contenders tonight are:
Itch to Stitch Patterns Liana Jeans ($12 PDF)
Cashmerette Patterns Ames Jeans ($14 PDF, $18 printed pattern)
Closet Case Patterns Mid-Rise Ginger Jeans ($12 PDF)
Notes Before We Begin
All photos show the Liana jeans on the left, Ames jeans in the middle, & Ginger jeans on the right.
Each pattern is ostensibly a classic, five-pocket mid-rise jean with a straight leg. Each pattern includes a tummy-tucking pocket stay feature. I sewed all three pairs of jeans from the same bolt of indigo S-Gene Cone Mills stretch denim, which I purchased during the mill closure sale over the summer. I won the Liana jeans pattern in a sewing contest last summer. Both the Ames & Ginger jeans were purchased out of pocket, the Ames specifically for this review & the Gingers for more personal use.
Each pair of jeans was sewn with this post in mind. Therefore, my goal was to sew a wearable pair of jeans that could fit into my everyday wardrobe, but I also made an effort to stay true to the design specs & sizing, for the sake of an accurate & thorough review. For each pair, I chose the waist & hip sizes that corresponded best to my own measurements (grading between sizes when necessary). I did a 3/4″ full tummy adjustment & added 1.5″ of waistband contouring on both the Liana jeans & the Ginger jeans.
Pattern Options & Sizes
The Liana jeans are mid-rise with three leg options: skinny, straight, & boot-cut. Sizing is fairly typical, ranging from 00 (23 7/8″ waist & 34″ hips) to 20 (39″ waist & 48 3/4″ hips). It’s available in PDF format only, & comes with an option for large-scale copy shop printing.
The Ames jeans are mid-rise with options for either skinny or straight legs. The pattern is also available with two different fits through the pelvis. The apple pelvis is cut for a more prominent abdomen, slimmer hips, & a flatter butt. The pear pelvis is cut for wider hips & a more bodacious butt. Cashmerette designs specifically for curvy/plus bodies, which is reflected in the size range. This pattern is available is sizes 12 (32″ waist & 42″/43″ hips, depending on pelvis fit) to 23 (48″ waist, 58″/59″ hips). The pattern is available as a PDF (with copy shop printing options) or printed.
The Ginger jeans mid-rise option, which is the pattern I’m reviewing here, is a stand-alone separate from the original Ginger jeans pattern, which offered either a low or high rise. It offers either skinny or “stovepipe” legs. A person who sews a pair of Ginger jeans & likes the fit but wants other ready-made leg/rise options can get them from Closet Case, but not all contained within one single pattern. The size range is typical, from 0 (24″ waist, 33″ hips) to 20 (39″ waist, 48″ hips). This particular version of the Gingers is available only as a PDF. Copy shop printing is an option.
Winner: the Ames jeans. The Gingers offer more variety overall in terms of rise/leg options, but they are scattered across multiple patterns, each available for individual purchase. The Liana jeans could be a good choice for someone who is happy with the included rise (or prepared to make alterations) & just looking for the widest variety of leg options in a single pattern. But the Ames jeans obviously mop the floor with the competition as far as size goes, & the pelvis fit options are a stroke of genius, especially for those of us outside of or pushing the boundaries of the average pants draft.
Instructions
I sewed each pair of jeans according to its included instructions. I followed the pattern’s recommended order of construction, I finished seams & topstitched when & how the pattern directed, etc. There are detailed sewalongs online from both Itch to Stitch & Closet Case Patterns on constructing these jeans patterns, & Cashmerette has a few video tutorials available on some of the trickier construction bits (like the fly installation). But to even the playing field, I stuck with the directions included with the patterns.
Winner: the Ames jeans. This is admittedly subjective. The Ginger jeans were a very close second, but the Ginger instructions include a certain degree of hand-holding & pep talk platitudes that I personally found off-putting. I prefer clear, concise instructions. Don’t make me read anything more than I have to in order to get the job done. In my personal opinion, the Ginger jeans instructions result in a slightly more professional & finished-looking pair of jeans, but the Ames instructions were just slightly easier to follow.
I struggled a bit with the instructions for the Liana jeans. I kept getting turned around as to which piece was the pocket facing & which was the pocket lining, & what was supposed to be pressed to the left versus the right. I felt that too much ink was spilled on how to distress jeans (obviously I didn’t distress mine at all, it’s just not my thing) & how to remove metal zipper teeth (for all of the jeans, I simply sewed slowly over the zippers so the needle would slide between the teeth, saving me the effort of pulling out teeth with pliers–this is how I always sew jeans zippers & I have yet to break a needle). I also felt that the Liana jeans have the least professional-looking interior finish, & the recommended bartack technique on the fly screams homemade to me (in a bad way).
Drafting
Going into this throwdown, I had no plans to make basic drafting part of the competition. I assumed that all three patterns would be on equal footing, more or less–true to their stated sizes, accurate in their design specs, curves trued, notches matched, etc etc. You know, the basics.
This was laughably optimistic of me.
Winner: the Ames jeans. By a mile. They lapped the Gingers, & the Liana jeans never even made it to the race. Let’s get into it.
First we’ll talk basic design specs, because this is probably the thing that is most obvious, even to people who don’t sew. When you are looking to buy or make a pair of jeans, & you are specifically seeking out a straight leg, you have an idea of what that is going to look like & one of these “straight legs” is not like the others.
Reminder: All photos show the Liana jeans on the left, Ames jeans in the middle, & Ginger jeans on the right.
I simply would not classify the leg fit on the Liana jeans as straight. I don’t think it looks bad. The photo shows that it creates a nice proportion with the upper leg. It’s a perfectly serviceable & attractive jeans leg. But it’s not a straight leg, & so it fails a basic tenet of pattern drafting, which is to actually reflect the stated design vision.
Ditto on the rise.
The rise on the Liana jeans is considerably lower than the rise on the other two. Fitting my prominent abdomen is my biggest challenge when it comes to sewing pretty much anything with a waistband, & this is why I personally prefer a mid-rise fit. Being relatively short-waisted, I know a high-rise will basically devour my entire torso. & low-rise–forget it. Not only does it squeeze the biggest, squishiest part of my body, creating even more lumps & bumps than I have naturally, but it’s also physically uncomfortable! Granted, the Liana jeans specifically say that the rise is “3” below the belly button”. Maybe that is mid-rise on a person with a very different body from my own, but it absolutely doesn’t work for me. I sewed the rise unaltered to illustrate the differences that can pop up even in patterns that claim to feature identical design specs.
The rear view shows the same problem. While the Ames jeans & the Gingers are high enough in the back to nip in at the waist & smooth out the love handles up there, the Lianas terminate just below the waist curve. They squeeze is an uncomfortable spot & hello! They don’t even fully cover my (admittedly full-coverage, haha) underwear!
If I’m being charitable, I can acknowledge that this may not be a drafting FAIL, per se. The Ginger jeans are drafted to be fairly generous through the butt & hips. The Ames jeans are drafted with a full tummy in mind. It’s possible that the Liana jeans are drafted for more of a straight shape. But you know, that makes them probably not the best choice for anyone coming to a blog called the Curvy Sewing Collective for pattern recommendations.
The size charts themselves also expose some serious issues:
This is the Liana size chart. Take a look at the discrepancies between the body measurements & the finished garment measurements. Size 00 indicates 2 3/8″ of positive ease in the waist & 7/8″ negative ease in the hips. But size 20 indicates 1 3/4″ positive ease in the waist & a whopping 2.5″ negative ease in the hips! There’s no consistency in grading across the sizes. This is a huge red flag. Compare to the size charts for the Ames jeans & the Gingers:
The Ames jeans: nice even grading across the waist. Negative ease in the hips increases incrementally as the sizes go up, which is maybe not my all-time favorite thing, but it’s at least even, & consistent across both pelvis fits. Bonus points for including finished garment measurements for the thigh, knee, & calf!
Here’s a link to the Ginger chart. Nice consistent grading across the board.
However, I had the same problems with the Ginger jeans as a lot of other people who are at the larger end of the size range. The size I cut according to my measurements was just too damn big! I constructed the front pockets, fly, & back yoke, & then I basted both inseam & side seams to check the fit with all three pairs of jeans. The Liana jeans required no modifications to the side seams. I took the hips in just a smidge on the Ames jeans (I cut the pear pelvis because I tend to have issues with waistband gaping, but I took in just enough to make up the difference between the pear & apple pelvises in that size). But the Gingers were, for lack of a better word, a shitshow. Granted, I think the basic draft is for a body that is a bit more shapely in the butt/hips/thighs department than my own. But I don’t think that excuses the fact that I had to take the jeans in by multiple inches all around. The consequences are obvious in the photos. There’s a limit to how much you can take in a garment before you distort the grain of the fabric. All told, I probably took the jeans in about 8″ (!!!), & as a result, the grain through the pelvis is distorted, leading to the baggy, dumpy diaper look you see here. There was just no way to fix it. The wrinkled, baggy effect continues down the entire leg, leaving me at a loss as to how to assess the fit, as it’s obvious that I should have cut a smaller size from the jump. I know some people have tried to spin this problem as a feature rather than a bug: the sizing is generous, so it fits an even larger size range than the chart would lead you to believe! But that’s not very helpful if it means you don’t know what size to cut in the first place. Obviously flat pattern measurements can guide you. If I make this pattern again, I will measure the pattern & cut whatever size ends up corresponding to my measurements (aiming for waist measurement plus 1″, hip measurement minus 1″–that’s what seems to work for me with fitted stretch denim, YMMV), but you know. It’s irritating to work with such an unreliable size chart.
& one more note on the drafting before we move on: the curves on the Liana jeans were not trued. This is a photo of the crotch seam intersection I took for Instagram:
See how the fronts & backs come to a point? That’s not cool. The back yoke had the same issue. Armscyes are another place where these types of issues pop up. It’s important because a trued curve is a curve that is properly shaped to accommodate human anatomy. The crotch curve on a pair of pants should be U-shaped. Obviously everyone has their own unique crotch curve & might require a little more space front or back. Some people will need a shallower curve, & others will need a deeper curve. That’s the challenge with pants-fitting & why it’s important to note that no pattern is going to fit all people straight out of the envelope. But a pattern with a V-shaped crotch curve will fit exactly no one. It’s an elementary drafting mistake. It was immensely frustrating to have to deal with this. It’s simply not appropriate to sell patterns with mistakes this basic & fundamental.
Overall Fit & Comfort
This assessment is inherently subjective & limited by my experiences constructing each of these patterns from scratch for the first time. There are things I like & dislike about each pair of jeans.
Liana: I like the fit through the thighs a lot. The wider fit through the calf is…novel, I guess? It’s not a bad look, it’s just not the look I was going for. I added 5″ to the inseam (I’m only 5’5″, but I have proportionally long legs) for a pretty spot on length. I think the back pockets are a nice size. The rise is obviously too low & that is a huge problem for me & probably the thing that is going to keep me from wearing these jeans very often. I also don’t care for the fly. I think it’s too short & the bartack design is Becky Home-Ec-y. I also feel that the back yoke is too short & narrow.
Ames: I left the inseam as-is, which was probably my primary mistake. These jeans would be near-perfect if they were just 1″ longer at the hem. If I’m really being nitpicky, I don’t love the pieced waistband (I prefer an all-in-one with no seam, but that’s not necessarily an option for every size, depending on width of fabric) & I think the waistband could be just a hair wider. But these are otherwise pretty great, & the fit on the waistband is spectacular. No gaping, no squeezing…It’s like magic.
Ginger: It’s hard to judge the fit fairly because I had to take them in so much, thus distorting the grain & fall. They’re comfortable, at least? The waistband gapes a little in the back, even though I added an extra 1.5″ of contouring to the already contoured shape. I hate the fly. It’s longer than the trans-continental railroad, & it buckles at the bottom because I had to take the hips in so much. I don’t love the leg shape. It’s skinnier than I would prefer, again because I had to take the jeans in so much. The pocket stay was difficult enough to sew that I honestly don’t know if I did it right, so that was frustrating.
Winner: the Ames jeans.
Overall Winner
Duh. The Ames jeans. & full disclosure: this is the first Cashmerette pattern I have ever sewn. I’m definitely not in the pocket of Big Cashmerette or anything. The Ames jeans are just the pattern that wound up working best for me, & I’m as surprised as anyone. Judging from the pattern envelope photos/samples, I expected the Gingers to win. I feel that both of the Ames samples on the Cashmerette website are grievously ill-fitting on their models, & that lowered my expectations considerably. Sample photos count! But I took a chance & I am pleased with the results I got. I will definitely make the Ames jeans again, & I confidently recommend them, especially for beginning jeans-makers &, of course, folks looking for an expanded size range & more curve-friendly shape.
I will also sew the Gingers again, with major modifications. They aren’t a bad choice for folks who fit into a smaller size range, or for people who are comfortable & confident about tackling fitting challenges.
The Liana jeans are just a straight up nope. I’ve heard tell that Itch to Stitch tops work well for people, especially for a lot of curvier people. I can’t speak to that. This pattern was not a reassuring introduction to the Itch to Stitch brand.
I loved your discussion of the pattern itself (e.g. the truing of the curves, or lack thereof) in the review. Very informative!
This is the very best kind of review article! Super informational content and completely fair comparison. I’m also steeling myself up to the challenge of well-fitted jeans this year. Thank you so much!
Such a lot of work! I really appreciate reviews like this.
Fantastic that you got three wearable jeans from this comparison program.
Now I’m seriously considering getting the Ames pattern.
Great review, gave me a good laugh, and thanks for all of your work writing it.
Happy to help!
Wonderful, informative, interesting, fabulous review!! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a better pattern comparison. Using the same fabric and choices across the patterns is so helpful. And all the detail you have included is so useful! Thank you for all the time and effort you put into this throwdown. I hope you feel inspired to do another soon.
Time will tell! Making three pairs of jeans in a matter of weeks & writing up this post was a lot of work! But it was also fun, & introduced two new pairs of workhorse jeans into my wardrobe (I doubt the Lianas will see much wear, I just hate the way they fit me), so I guess it was worth it!
Excellent review with valuable details. Very enjoyable read. Thank you!
Thanks!
Well, you got me. :^) After reading this I just spent over $70 on jeans – pattern, S-Gene Cone Mills denim, and rivet/buttons/zipper set. I would never spend that on ready-made, but to get jeans that actually fit and are comfortable, with a lot of the unknowns eliminated? sure! We are similar shapes, so your excellent detailed review provided the knowledge I needed to stop dithering and pick a pattern I’m pretty sure will fit well. The fact that the Ames pattern offers 2 silhouettes makes it pretty much a no-brainer. Using the same fabric for each pair was especially helpful, allowing me to see differences that were due to the patttern and not the fabric. Thank you for going that extra mile for us!
As a fashion history note (it’s daunting that my teen years are now a historic lesson) the Liana jean shape was called straight leg (same width from knee to hem) and what is now called straight leg (tapered from knee to hem) was called pegged.
Your pockets are beautiful! As others have commented, I especially love your FEMINIST KILLJOY pockets. Is that embroidery or applique?
Yup, fabric can make a big difference! I was anxious about using my precious Cone Mills on patterns without having a chance to perfect the fit first, but I think using the same fabric (& a good quality, at that) makes for a more fair comparison. I cut the pear pelvis, but would go with the apple pelvis next time, just because I don’t need the extra space for my hips.
I guess it’s not clear from how the jeans look on me, but when you look at the paper patterns, the “straight” legs for both the Gingers & the Ames jeans are pretty much just straight, & the “straight” Liana paper pattern has a bit of flare. The “boot cut” for Liana is even more flared, & the Liana “skinny” cut is probably closer to the “straight” cut for the other two, while the “skinny” leg for the Ames & the Gingers definitely taper in.
I have to say (as an old dinosaur) that the Liana jeans shape is closer to what I’ve always called straight jeans and that the other two pairs are what I think of as skinnies.
This was a great throw down, btw. Very instructive and very useful. Thanks!
I agree I would describe the Liana’s as straight and the others skinnies, A very useful comparison however.
Oh, thank goodness! That’s what I thought too. I thought maybe I was going crazy. I actually like the skinnier fit, but the Liana is definitely the only one of these I would have described as straight leg.
Oh, & I forgot to answer: the “feminist killjoy” bit is actually cross-stitched. The raccoon on the Lianas is also cross-stitched. I used a cross stitch pattern from Little Plastic Castles on Etsy & adapted it (ie, developed the letters I needed to spell “killjoy” based on the font from the pattern, left off the elaborate floral motif due to being on a tine crunch). The heart on the Lianas & the design on the Gingers are hand embroidery.
Thanks for going through this process. I agree that the sample photos of the Ames jeans are poorly fitted. This is the main reason I was hesitant to buy it, but after your review I plan on getting a copy.
Totally. I wasn’t planning to buy it until I needed another pattern to add to the Throwdown. I think the pear version is too tight on the model & the apple has some serious crotch issues, but it worked out great for me, so…*shrug*
It’s like you read my mind! My big project for this year is to make jeans that fit well. I’m at the end of the curvy scale and am terrified of making pants, so jeans are a big leap for me. My approach to any new sewing project is to COMPLETELY OBSESS OVER IT, so obviously I’ve been researching jeans patterns for weeks, reading every review, and having the Ames Vs Gingers argument with myself repeatedly. Where I live our exchange rate with dollars and pounds is brutal, which means that any indie pattern is a big investment for me. So thank you thank you thank you for saving me a week’s worth of veggies/more than half a tank of petrol/my monthly pharmacy bill/dinner out with my husband/two months supply of food for my five birds. Next month I’ll treat myself to an Ames without thinking twice.
I also obsess, so I can relate! I hope the Ames end up working out for you! Just taking the leap into making your own jeans, even if the first poor turns out less-than-perfect, is such a confidence booster!
Thank you for your HONEST review! I bought the ginger jeans on sale a week ago, and I’m glad I read this first! Our hip and waist/flat butt/full tummy/mid-rise loving measurements are almost exact (except I’m a few inches taller) so this is invaluable!
No problem! Definitely do some flat pattern measurements & don’t just rely on the size chart. I find that with my body type, I like a little positive ease in the waistband & a little negative ease in the hips (& maybe a little extra if I’m using a fabric that doesn’t have the best recovery–Cone Mills has great recovery, but something like stretch twill has less). Good luck!
Great review – thank you. I have not ventured into jean making but I have fabric and the Ginger pattern aging in my stash,
Go for it! You can do it!
Thank for saving me some cash! Not sure if I want to make jeans. I have no curves (chesty though)…flat bottomed, no waist and knit dresses are out of the question for me. Your makes look great (even with the issues) and observations invaluable. Waiting for some uncurvy (if there is such a word) pattern reviews.
Appreciate you sharing your measurements. It helps me relate this to fit and style when deciding what to make.
The Lianas could work for you, maybe. They seem to be drafted for a pretty straight figure. I really wouldn’t mind them if the rise wasn’t so damn low.
I want to say thank you so much for all the time and effort you put into this review. I am blown away and so very grateful. I have always been afraid of jeans and don’t wear them very often. But I am feeling a little more hopeful after reading your reviews.
All of the jeans you made look like they fit better than ready to wear. Bravo You!!
Thank you! I wear jeans almost everyday, so learning how to make them was definitely a priority. After making three pairs in like a week, I definitely have newfound confidence in putting in a zipper fly, that’s for sure! I think I could do it in my sleep at this point!
Great review Ciara. Thanks for all the information and fabulously thorough photos. You know, compared to ready to wear they are probably all pretty perfect. I was making some trouser the other day and thought I’d take a photo of myself to see the fit of my favourite RTW jeans at the back. OMG have I really been walking around in those? A baggy nappy doesn’t quite describe it. Yet I thought the fit (until then) was great and something to aspire to in my sewing. When I look at the butt fit of all your jeans they look damn good. I’d just choose the most comfortable to wear and go from there. I agree about the length of the Ginger zipper though – weirdly long.
The Ginger zip is weirdly long! It’s confusing, because the rise on the Gingers & the Ames jeans is just about identical, but the zipper on the Ames is a perfectly reasonable length. I’ll definitely be adjusting that if I make the Gingers again. The Gingers were also the only pair that gave me any gaping at the back waistband, despite my having made the effort to contour an already contoured waistband. BUT they are comfy, so they get worn! The Gingers & the Ames jeans have both entered my everyday wardrobe.
Thanks so much for this awesomely thorough throwdown! I’ve only made the Ames and after your review I’m not very tempted to try another pattern. I have a review of the Ames coming up (later in the week?) showing my 3 different versions in 3 different fabrics and my fit adjustments so far. It will be a good followup to your post!
Hello Megan, will you be posting your review here or on another site? If it’s on another site, can you follow up with the link?
Thank you!
Yeah, if you found something that works for you, why re-invent the wheel? Prior to this throwdown, I made four or five pairs of low-rise Ginger jeans (being short-waisted, I only needed to raise the rise a bit in the front to get a fit that was okay with me), so I was really just looking at all of these patterns as a lark. But having sewn them up…Yup, the Ames are my jam. I’ll just be lengthening them like an inch.
This was a really informative and entertaining post! I have a lot of respect for the amount of work and thought you put into it, as well as to making these patterns all work for you while starting from 3 different versions of “scratch.” O_o Having never made someone else’s jeans pattern, I really enjoy reading about people’s experiences and what they liked or didn’t like; I am glad that one of these patterns worked so well for you. (I mean, that best pair also has the Best Pockets Ever, so…)
That untrued crotch seam…I was shocked to see that, frankly. Not cool or professional. The fly length on the higher rise versions of the Ginger pattern also makes me twitch: it’s way out of proportion with the length of the rise!! And the sizing issue…ugh. The things you deal with to inform the sewing public, eh? 😉
Thanks for the great review. I find it helpful to always measure the pattern pieces. The big 4 tend to add a lot more ease to the larger sizes in tops. So, I usually cut one size smaller. I have am stuck on the same pattern of indie pants and am happy with them. Haven’t tried others, so I can’t speak to the ease allowance on pants generally. I have not yet cut out the Ames pattern (or any jeans pattern). Waiting for bravery to set it! The leg fit on the Ames and Ginger jeans have a more modern look. The Liana jeans styling seems dated. But they don’t quite look boot cut to me.
Comparing the body measurement and completed garment measurement in the Ginger jeans, the ease in size 20 is a full 8 inches on the measurement chart. Who puts that much ease in pants? But it’s good for those of us outside the size range – gives us more pattern to work with!
Your link to Instagram does not show up in my browser, so I have to work on a computer where I have access to Instagram to see the problem with the curve. Could it be a pdf printing problem?
The liana jeans are so bootcut jeans. Straight? I try not to talk too ill of patterns that I’ve seen made up but I have rarely liked a pair of Gingers on anyone. And how crazy that the ease was so off for you!!
I think the Ames fit nicely but the pockets are too big. And I would angle them down towards the cb seam just a *touch*. Like a 1/4″ lower in center than side.
Definitely think the Liana’s are also very wearable so yay! 2 new pairs of jeans!
What a fabulous, well-written post, Ciara! I really appreciate all the work you put in on your jeans pattern throwdown.
Fantastic review!!! I’m a curvy pear, and Gingers fit me best. So awesome to have multiple good choices though!
Loving this post! I have made the Ames Jean ( have to finish them). They fit right out the the package using the pear pelvis. I have also made the ginger jeans a few years back. I felt they fit fairly well. I made them in the 18 before the size 20 was added. I am a 20. Preference for me is the Ames. Haven’t made anything from Itch to Stitch ever.
I am a Big Cashmerette fan and have made almost every pattern she has put out. Sometimes as a tester and sometime not. I agree with your choice for many of the same reasons. The zipper in the ginger jeans is rediculous in its length. Fixable of course if you know in advance.
Great post! Loved it. 💕
What a great throwdown! I’ve sewn the Ames and Gingers and thought many of the same things as you. The Ames fit me perfectly, but the Gingers ran large and I had to keep adjusting them to fit. I can’t stand patterns that run large or small. As for the Lianas, I haven’t made those and never planned to. They look like boot cut jeans to me and not a straight leg. As far as drafting, Cashmerette patterns are professionally drafted and graded and Closet Case are sent to a professional grader. I don’t know what Itch to Stitch does, but it doesn’t sound like those are professionally drafted or graded.
Also, your back pockets are awesome!!
Wow! Thank you for all your hard work! This has spurred me to give jeans a try! Much appreciated.
Incredible amount of work for this post. Thank you so much. I had a big old smile on my face reading the whole thing and I will be referring back to it often.
What an awesome review you’ve done! I’ve made Ginger shorts. And did a muslin if the jeans. I also found them large but didn’t have to take them in as much as you did. After the Muslin I ended up with a good working pattern that I added 3/8 inch to each side seam to allow adjusting when using different denims. I used the class to make them and it was too cool to have made jeans. I agree that Ames look the best on you but I am tempted by the Liana for that cut… I like a boot cut and that looks like a nice shape. Trying to tweak my gingers to get that look. Tricky but we will see. Not sure where to take them straight. Started at the knee and just went straight down.
I LOVE THOSE FEMINIST KILLJOY POCKETS!! Thanks for the amazing review, I’ve been wanting to sew myself some jeans for a long time and this is the nudge I needed to get off my duff and do it!
Thanks for the reviews. I have yet to dip my toe into the jeans pool, but your specific comments are very helpful.
Great review. Wow, how lo g did it take you to make three pairs of jeans! I was considering the Ames, now I may just buy this pattern. Thanks.
OMG the pockets are adorable! Where can I get the FEMINIST KILLJOY template?
Thank you for this really helpful review.
I made the Ginger jeans in size 20 last year and ended up with a great fit although I’m rather a curvy size 22 at the thighs – you really have a point about correct sizing.
All jeans look very good on you but I have to agree that the Ames jeans fits you best.
I will try the Ames jeans pattern but i jave to give a nod to the Itch to Stitch liana jeans. I jave made them in denim and in a bottom weight fabric. I love them and what i really like are the balanced look bec the calves are wider. But i hear you… that style isnt a straight leg.
love your FEMINIST KILLJOY pockets!
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