Sewing Techniques Archives - Page 2 of 3

P4P University – plackets

September 13, 2017

Ohhh….plackets! Why are you so scary? Today on the blog I’m hoping to change that perceptions of them and help you face this fear.

What are plackets?

Plackets are basically just a slit or an opening in the fabric that allows for garments to be easily put on or taken off. Sometimes plackets are purely decorative. You can find them on sleeves, on pants, back of skirts and neckline. You can have a placket on the back of the neckline or on the front. The most common neckline front plackets are for Henley or Polo style shirts. On this blog I will be using the new Brunch Blouse placket but you can certainly utilize the same principles for a Yo Ho Henley or a Women or Men Henley shirt too.

Interfacing? Yay or nay?

My first tip/recommendation is to always use light weight interfacing for the placket piece. Simply fuse a piece of interfacing to the wrong side of the pattern piece. You can get away with not using any if you’re making a woven pattern but even so, the result will be so much better if you do add it. Interfacing will help stabilize your piece which in turn will make it a lot easier to sew. ALWAYS use interfacing for knit plackets!

Mark and press!

As you can see in the video above, I use a tailor chalk to mark the pressing and sewing lines on the back of the placket piece. You can use a soluble fabric pen or a fabric marker too.

If you have a tailor clapper now would be a good time to use it. It will defiantly come in handy and help keep those pressing marks firm. Spray starch will help too!

Sew slowly!

Make sure you pin a lot and catch any notches that need to be enclosed! This may be the most tedious part of adding a front neckline placket so it is well worth paying extra attention and sewing slowly.

Enjoy the fruits of your labor! 🙂

Now that you took the time to create the perfect placket, show it off! Be proud of your achievement and don’t let sewing techniques intimidate you! Speaking of showing off…don’t forget to brag about your Henleys and Brunch Blouses in the P4P group.

P4P University :: Bias Binding

July 22, 2017

We recently covered the tips and tricks to using a knit binding (HERE) but what about woven fabrics? One of the many finishing options for necklines, sleeve hems and armcyes for woven fabrics is bias binding. Unlike knit, woven binding should be cut on the bias (45 degrees from the grain-line) so that it bends and curves and allows it to lay flat. Some patterns will include a pattern piece, which makes it easy to line up and cut the strip on the bias, however, it can eat up quite a bit of fabric and we all know how much we hate to waste pretty fabric, right? You can also use pre-made bias binding, but many of times it’s nice to use the same fabric as the your garment, so we’re going to show you how make a continuous bias strip from a small square of your fabric. This is also perfect to use up your scraps.

For this example, I used a 15″ x 15″ square which makes about 100″ of 2″ bias binding. A 12″ square makes about 60″ which is plenty for the bias binding neckline option of the Everyday Elegance.

: Cut and prep the square. Mark opposite sides with A/B and draw a diagonal line from one corner to the other.

: Cut the square across diagonally.

: With right sides together, match the ‘A’ side and stitch together using a 1/4″ seam seam allowance.

: Press seam allowance open.

: Starting at the bottom, draw 2″ lines parallel to the bottom edge. If there is any excess that does not complete a full 2″ row, just trim it off.

: With right sides together, fold the ‘B’ side toward one another. Your fabric should be a square, with your drawn lines still parallel with one another.

: Pull the pointed corners in opposite directions and match up the next row of lines.

: With right sides together, pin and stitch using a 1/4″ seam allowance.

: Press seam allowance open.

: Starting at one end, cut along your previously drawn lines.

: Continue cutting around the circle and voila! You now have a continuous bias strip.

At this point, you can set your binding aside or you can continue to pre-press to finish preparing it to be sewn to your garment. A 2″ binding strip will create 1″ single fold or 1/2″ double fold bias tape. The above method also works for various widths and single or double fold bias tape.

: Fold bias strip in half toward the wrong side. Press.

: Unfold and re-fold the raw edges toward center.

: Fold again and press.

There you have it! Creating your own bias tape from woven fabric is as simple as a couple of seams and cuts.

Check out the video below as Judy walks you through a quick demonstration on sewing with bias binding.

We’ve added another quick video with SINGLE FOLD BIAS BINDING 🙂 Enjoy!

As promised in the video here are a couple pictures to entice you to PRESS and stay stitch to help get a great finish.

Finished single fold bias:

Happy Sewing!!

5 tips for adding neckbands

June 6, 2017

So you spent an hour picking the perfect fabric, perfect coordinates and matching thread. You’ve sewn your favorite P4P shirt and you only have one step left…the dreaded neckband. That’s when you start panicking and getting nervous about attaching the neckband and finishing your outfit. Fear no more!

Today on the blog I will give you 5 tips that will help you achieve that perfect neckband you are striving for all the time.

1. Choose the right fabric for your neckband!

Neckbands will be stretched when you attach them, they will be stretched when you put on or take off the shirt, so it is very important that fabric you use for the neckband has great stretch and great recovery. My favorite type of materials for neckbands are cotton spandex, rayon spandex, ribbing and rib knit. You can get away with using some brushed poly as long as the recovery is good. Avoid, scuba, french terry and 2 way poly blends.

2. Always cut the neckband cross-grain!

Never cut your neckbands along the grain. Even if your fabric has 4 way stretch (which it should) the vertical stretch is not going to be as much as the horizontal one. If you don’t have enough of the main fabric to cut the neckband is best to use a coordinating fabric than cutting the neckband along the grain.

3. Mark the quarters of your neckband and neck opening!

It’s very important that you find and pin (or clip) the quarter points of the neckband and neck opening. After you have sewn the neckband RTS at the ends so you have a loop, fold it length wise and mark where the seam is. This will be the back of your neck band. The center front of the neckband will be on the opposite side. Now fold it in half bringing the center front and back markings together. The fold will mark your two quarters.

To find the front and back neck opening centers, bring the shoulder seams wrong side together. Where centers will be where the folds are. Mark them with a pin, a clip or a small snip. With the fabric still laying flat, bring the center front and back together. Your quarter marks will be at the folds. Mark them as well. You will see that the side neck opening quarter marks are NOT at the shoulder seam. The front opening is larger than the back opening.

For all you visual learners, here is a video of the process.

4. Use the right stitches!

Avoid using a straight stitch when attaching the neckband. As I mentioned earlier, the neckband will be stretched and pulled so you want to make sure the stitches are up to the job. If you are using only your sewing machine, attach the neckband with either a stretch stitch or a narrow zig zag stitch. I prefer to use my serger for this step but it is not mandatory. Once you attached the neckband, press the seam allowance towards the shirt. You will now be top stitching it down with your coverstitch machine or your sewing machine. You can top stitch with a wide zig zag stitch, a stretch stitch or twin needles. Be sure to check out our Twin Needles tips and tricks blog too.

You can see how I attached the neckbands here:

5. Press, press, and steam some more!

If you’ve followed the tips I gave you and notice a slight waviness, don’t panic. It’s normal when sewing knits especially if they are on the bias (as is part of the neck opening). Go back to your ironing board and give the neckline a good hefty steam press. Most of the times my neckbands are cotton spandex based and I crank up my ironing machine all the way to the “linen” setting. Make sure you test the heat of your iron on a scrap fabric first. If your shirt is poly based you will need a lower ironing temperature, you do not want to melt your fabric 🙂

There you have it! 5 easy to follow steps to achieve a perfect neckband all the time!

Happy sewing, pirates!

P4P University:: Knit Binding 101

May 18, 2017

With our recent release of the Cross my Heart and Heart Breaker Cami patterns, we’ve had some questions and hesitation about the straps… because, well, they look scary! They may look intimidating but they truly are not as bad as they appear. We’re going to show you a few different ways to do knit binding and hopefully help ease those fears.

What is Knit Binding?

There are two main methods to finish a neckline or armhole. Knit bands are an extension of the neckline and probably the most recognizable finishing method for a traditional T-Shirt (rose floral shown below). We’ll dive in to bands on another post ;). Knit binding is done similar to bias tape binding, which is typically used on woven fabrics and encloses the raw edge of the neckline but does not extend above and away from it (ivory floral shown below).

Tools to create successful knit binding:

Use fabric with spandex. You will yield better results with fabric that has great stretch and recovery. Not sure what fabrics to use? Check out our Knit Fabric Cheat Sheet.
Steam iron: One of the best tips to create even and professional looking binding is to press, press and press again. Throughout the entire process of binding your garment, hitting your binding with some steam will help it bounce back to shape and keep a clean, crisp fold which is easier to turn and top-stitch.
Ball Point or Stretch Needles: Whenever using knit fabric, stretch or ball point needles are always recommended. The needle tip slips between the knit fibers and does not break or damage them while sewing. Stretch needles are mostly used with fabrics that have a higher percentage of stretch (think swimwear or athletic fabrics) but most prefer to use them for all types of knits.
Pins or clips: Pinning or clipping your binding, especially when you get to the later steps to turn and top-stitch is a life-saver. Once you become more comfortable with binding, you may not need as many but it’s always best to clip more now than regret it later.
Optional: Blind Hem Foot – this helps keep an even straight line along the edge of your binding when top-stitching.

Both the cami patterns, the Sweetheart and Me Hearties Dress, and Essential Tank use knit binding to finish the necklines, armholes or sleeves but you can apply this method to other tops and skirts in lieu of bands or hemming. Just be sure to take in to account your seam allowances and band heights as they will finish lower or higher if no adjustments are made.

Methods to do knit binding:

Serger: (this method is used in the Cross my Heart and Heart Breaker Cami). Using a 1/4″ seam allowance, the binding is serged to the neckline or armhole with the right side of the binding to the wrong side of the main fabric. The seam allowance is pressed up with binding folded up and over the serged edge and then top-stitched.

Sewing Machine: (this method is used as an option in the Sweetheart and Me Hearties Dress and Essential Tank). The binding is pre-pressed in quarters (double folds). Using a stretch stitch (narrow zigzag, lightening bolt, or triple stretch stitch), with right side of the binding to the wrong side of the main fabric, the binding is stitched along the crease. The seam allowance is pressed up with binding folded up and over the raw edge and then top-stitched.

Serger or Sewing Machine: Using a 1/4″ to 3/8″ seam allowance the binding is stitched with right sides of the binding to the right side of the main fabric. The seam allowance is pressed up and binding folded over the edge to the wrong side of the fabric and then top-stitched. The excess binding is trimmed at the seam-line.

There are multiple options for Top-stitching binding. Here are few of our favorites:

Twin Needle: Double straight stitch on front and zig-zag on back. (Elisabeth walked us through using a twin needle a few posts back and is a great resource for top-stitching the knit binding using a regular sewing machine. In case you missed it, be sure to check it out HERE!)
Coverstitch: single or double needle: straight stitch on the front with a stretch zig-zag stitch on the back.
Narrow Zig-Zag: Gives the appearance of a straight stitch but still has some stretch.
Triple Step Zig-Zag: This is great for swimwear or high stretch areas.

Need more help? Here’s a video of the binding options described above 🙂

Hopefully this answered your questions about knit binding and eased some of your fears. Just remember, press and go slow! As with any new skill, it takes time to master, so keep practicing and you’ll have added another finishing method to your sewing arsenal.

Finished a project using knit binding? Be sure to share in our Facebook Group! We’d love to see it.

5 ways to finish a serger hem

March 9, 2017

“How do you finish your serger stitch since you can’t back stitch?”; “What do I do with the long serger tail ?” ….just a few of the serger questions we’ve seen in our group. So, today in the blog I will show you 5 easy ways to finish your serger seam. These techniques will definitely come in handy when your seams will not be enclosed in a hem or they won’t be serged over in a subsequent pattern step.

1. Let’s start with my most used one, and the easiest method since it does not involve any other tools. Serge your fabric together and chain off a 5- 6 inches tail. Simply tie a knot as close as possible to the edge and done! It will not unravel and it took you 20 seconds to do. 🙂

TIP: For a cleaner look you can tack down the seam with your sewing machine. Simply stitch down the serged edge half an inch towards the back.

2. Another simple way to finish your serged seam is to snip the tail close to the edge and then add a little dab of Fray Block or Fray Check. This will prevent your seam from coming undone. This method is my least favorite since it takes a while for the liquid fray block to dry and they are not always 100% secure.

3. A third way to insure that you have a nice smooth finish to your serged seam is to chain off 4-5 inches then using a needle gently unstitch the chain so you have 4 threads. Take the two needle threads and the two looper threads and tie a double knot. Carefully snip the threads as close to the knot as possible.

4. One of the most popular ways to finish a serger seam is the “weaving through” method. In order to do that you will be chaining off your stitches about 5 inches, then you will be using a knitting or crochet suture needle to weave the chain in the looper stitches. Grab the needle and thread the chain through the needle eye. Slowly weave the chain through the looper stitches about an inch or so. Carefully trim the rest of the chain stitch.

5. The last finishing method is the most “complex” one and it will need a bit of practice. It is not difficult, you just need to pay extra attention. Serge your seam and when you get to the end of the edge, lift your presser foot, gently but firmly pull the fabric just enough that you can flip it on the other side. Disengage the serger knife and serge in the opposite direction for an inch or two. Stop, lift your presser foot and carefully pull the fabric on the side away from the foot. Chain off a couple of inches and then cut the chain as close to the fabric as possible. In doing this “faux backstitching” you will end up with a beautiful finish that is also very secure.

There you have it! Hope you found these 5 easy ways to finish off your seam helpful and that you’ll refer back to them when you’ll be sewing the new cami patterns that Judy sneaked on the P4P Instagram page. 😉

Alex

Darts 101

August 10, 2016

You may have already heard, but Patterns for Pirates has some ladies woven patterns in the works! Woven patterns tend to use a few techniques that are not often used in sewing knits. One common technique on woven patterns are darts and I’m here to give you a few tips on how to make the perfect dart. Darts are used to create contour and shape in your woven fabrics and accentuate your curves. You will find them quite often used in ladies patterns at the bust, and often on the back of pants or skirts. Don’t be intimidated by darts as they are actually very easy to sew!

I am using the Everyday Elegance Pattern for my example today and we will be focusing on the front piece. The first thing that I like to do before I even start cutting out my pieces is poke a little hole right thru my pattern piece at the tip of the dart. I usually just use a pen and make a hole big enough that I’ll be able to put the tip of my marking tool into it after I cut my pieces.

Once you have your front piece cut out you don’t want to remove your pattern piece from your fabric. I’m going to show two ways that I like to mark the dart depending on the type of fabric that I’m using. First, if I’m using something that is a bit more stable like a quilting cotton, chambray, or shirting fabric I will just take my marking pen (I use washable crayola felt pens or a disappearing tailors pen) I poke my pen thru the little hole that I made in the pattern piece. I then take a pair of scissors and make a 2 little snips in right where your darts end, on the side seam of your piece. You will then flip your fabric over, still folded, and repeat the same process on the other side.

If my fabric is slippery or really lightweight and tends to slip I will mark where I made the little hole with a needle and thread. Yes, I said needle and thread but I promise that it is much easier then trying to flip your fabric over and lining it all up again with your pattern piece. You are just going to make a little cross stitch with your needle and thread, keep it nice and loose and leave a long tails. Then as above make your two little snips on the side seams.

You’re now ready to remove your pattern piece. If you used the needle and thread method to mark the point of your dart gently pull your fabric apart and snip the threads that connect the 2 sides. Next we are going to connect the tip of the dart to where we snipped at the side seams. I use a ruler and draw from my point to the side seam on both sides. I then like to draw a line from the point straight down the middle. Now you are going to fold on that center line and press it with your iron making sure that your snips line up together. I then secure my dart with a few pins. Time to sew!

I like to decrease my stitch length just a bit, usually I sew at a 2.4 stitch length but for darts I go down to a 2 stitch length, this is just to make sure that when you press it after you’re done none of your stitches show. We are going to start at the side seam and sew right on the line that we drew earlier. When you get to the tip of the dart, DON’T BACK-STITCH! You want to sew right off the end of the dart, leave long thread tails. You can back-stitch at the side seams but never back-stitch at the tip of the dart. You want to tie off the end of the dart and then trim your threads. I usually knot my threads 3 times. This helps keep the very tip of your dart nice and clean/crisp.

Now we are done sewing the dart we want to press it. I like to use something that curves to press my dart. I have this little pressing tool that is used to press sleeves but it works great for darts to, you could also use a tailors ham. Don’t have anything? You can roll up a bigger piece of fabric you have in your stash. You want to press the dart down towards the bottom of the top from the wrong side. Then I flip it over and press it from the front and you’re all done!

Not that bad right?! Take the time to be accurate and press well. If you try to rush or skip out on the pressing you’ll be sorry!

Now go and practice your darts and get ready for the new woven patterns coming really soon!

5 TIPS for successfully hemming knits

July 28, 2016

We have seen a lot of questions in the group about getting the perfect hem on your knit outfits. Most hems are sewn perpendicular to the grain and on the bias in the case of curved hems…this makes hemming sometimes appear stretched out, puckery or wavy.

I needed to sew a shirt to showcase this fabric so the first pattern that came to mind is the Women’s Henley. The only modification I did was to shorten the neckline placket so it would not interfere with the design of the fabric.

I will give you my 5 best tips for avoiding stretched out hems (especially curved hems) and getting the perfect finish.

1. You IRON is your best friend!

Always have your iron hot and with plenty of water in the steamer. Iron your hem before your sew it, it will make hemming easier! This process is called a memory hem. Be sure to follow your pattern’s directions for the amount of fabric that needs to be folded. Pressing and steaming the seams once sewn will also remove the puckering and waviness back and make them look beautifully finished. Ironing and steaming your garment every step of the way is one of the most important parts of sewing. While steaming your hems may not fix all issues it will definitely fix most of them.

Before pressing and removing excess fabric.

After a good steam and press.

2. CLIPS and PINS galore!

When hemming, I clip/pin my fold over fabric almost every two inches. Having a stable seam will make sewing it a breeze. Whether you are using your coverstitch machine or your sewing machine having your fabric pinned every inch and a half or so will make your hemming experience much more pleasant. Sewing clips vs. pins is a matter of personal preference. I like sewing clips best because I find them to help me secure my hems faster than pinning used to. So, are you a “pin-er” or a “clip-ser”? 🙂 – insert pictures of the clipped hem

3. HEMMING TAPE is magical!

Stitch Witchery or Easy Knit Tape will become your go to notions for hemming. Stitch Witchery is great for stabilizing and fusing together knit fabric. Simply lay the tape inside the memory hem and press it. This will not only fuse it but it will also give it more stability, making sewing so much smoother and hassle free. It is very important to make sure that the hemming tape you use it’s sew-able. Some no-sew tapes may leave a gooey residue that will damage your needles. Insert photo of hemming tape and photo of ironing it.

I also like to spray Best Press when I press my hems. The starch in it makes the hem more stable so it becomes easier to sew.

Hemming tape can be transparent or opaque.

4. Length of the STITCH and TENSION matters!

Whether you are using your sewing machine or your coverstitch machine, you must remember to adjust the stitch length and tension according to the type of fabric you use. Some coverstitch machines will adjust the tension automatically but most of them will not, so be sure to test your hemming on a scrap piece of fabric. It’s imperative that the scrap fabric you use is the same as your project. Usually hemming knits will require you to lower the tension and length the stitch. Some machines will prefer a longer stitch, some will work great with just a 3.0 length.

If your machine will allow you to set up the stitching speed, do it!

I tend to coverstitch at about 1/2 to 3/4 inches away from the fold so I remove the excess fabric with my applique scissors. You can use your regular scissors too, just be careful not to snip your stitches.

5. Last but not least, have PATIENCE! Go slow!

We all know that rush feeling we get when reach the hemming part of the project…one more step and then it’s ready!! Well, last thing you want is for this last step to ruin your hard work. Take a little more time and go slowly when hemming. Coverstitch machines sew pretty fast so remember to slow down and guide your fabric through.

I hope you find my tips helpful and that you will tackle your next P4P project with more confidence. Don’t forget to post your creations in the group. Sew like a Pirate!

Exposed Seams Boutique Look Hack

March 8, 2016

I’ve seen the boutique french terry raglan with exposed seams countless times in the group, pinterest, and other sewing boards over the past couple years! I made one about a year ago, but never wrote up a blog about how to get the look. We’re still asked for it all the time, so I did another one while we’re updating the Women’s Raglan to include the extended plus sizes and new features our newest P4P patterns have, like layers. It’s looser fit is perfect for french terry, which is what the boutique ones are always made of and gives the same “slouchy” looser fit.

Overall, it is a really basic “hack”. But, I’m going to have to beg forgiveness for the photos! Apparently I did not check my photos as I was taking them and they are not great quality! Hopefully you can enjoy my Peter Pan-esque comedic shadow in them!

You will cut out your pieces exactly the same as a normal raglan for the main shirt. If you want to add the cowl with unfinished bottom edge you will cut 2 like the pattern states, but NOT on the fold. You could still cut on the fold to keep the fullness and just not sew in the bottom edge as well. Depending on how thick your fabric is and how big you want your cowl. I easily get claustrophobic with things around my neck, so one layer not on the fold was an easy decision for me ;).

When assembling the sleeves to the bodice front and back you will put WRONG sides together and stitch with your sewing machine using your favorite stretch stitch.

Trim the notches and smooth out your seam allowance.

Press seams out. You could top-stitch here if you preferred, but I left it open and free 😉 I thought it went with the look better.

Sew down side seams with right sides together, like you would normally.

I added the inseam pocket option from the Add on Pack as well (I can’t seem to make a tunic length without this option anymore!). I went with hemming the front to the right side to show the wrong side there as well.

For my hems I left them all raw and allowed them to roll up towards the front to show the wrong sides there too.

I attached the cowl the same way as the tutorial states, but only attaching one raw edge of the cowl to the neckline instead of two.

Done! Now you have a lovely boutique look that was such an easy sew and hack!

Tips and Tricks of Up-cycling

December 2, 2015

I love to up-cycle! With a little boy I can find boyish knits, stripes and even character prints so much easier and more affordable buying a men’s T-shirt then the $30/yd euro knit… Which I’m constantly drooling over! I also love the heathered T-shirt knit, which is harder to find in a fabric store and very easily found in RTW (Ready to wear). I love to use my husband and my old shirts as well… It’s even more special handmade with an already sentimental shirt! So here are some tips and tricks I’ve learned… 1- Buy bigger… Why not? If an XS and XXXL are the same price get more fabric 🙂 2- If it has a picture on it make sure it will fit on your smaller size you are creating. This one can be difficult if you’re buying large men’s shirts BC they are proportionally much bigger pictures/words/designs on the chest. Here is one I BARELY SQUEEZED on his little chest, but then when it is on some wraps around to the sides, so really I should’ve waited until he was a few sizes bigger!

3- Use the hem! I don’t have a cover stitch machine… Yet 🙂 and although I love my double needle using the existing hem saves time and looks nice and professional already! All you have to do is account for the hem- Most my patterns are 1″ so here I am cutting with my pattern piece 1″ below my fabric to make up for the fact that I will not be turning up and hemming.

4- Cut you RTW items down the seams, this give you nice flat pieces to last your pattern pieces out on. If there isn’t a side seam, then I don’t cut… but anywhere there are seams I go ahead and cut because you will not be able to use the area. I also cut the sleeves, again along the seam and use them if I can! Here is a shirt and shorts cut and ready to use:

5- If you’re using a shirt with a design, fold with the DESIGN centered… You’d think RTW is all centered nicely on that shirt… Until you fold it at the side seams and realize it’s not!! Often they’re off centered! 6- If you don’t have ribbed knit to match for the neckline you can use theirs…especially if you have a much larger size (men’s xxl down to a toddler size). Here are a couple of some up-cycles I’ve done: Patterns for Pirates Buccaneer BBall Shorts:

Matey Muscle Tank:

Wingman Shirt: The grey was from a heathered grey t-shirt… the Batman logo was appliqued on my sewing machine 🙂

Deep Sea V-Neck:

Cole’s Creations ‘Buttercup Dress:

Women’s Raglan:

Tips and Tricks on How to Up-Cycle Jeans/Denim

June 13, 2015

Making jeans can be a little intimidating for some… and we’ve already had a post here about making jeans look more like store bought jeans with details like top-stitching thread and distressing.

But, a really easy way to get your jeans looking professional is to use an old pair that an adult is throwing/giving away! This means a lot less work for you distressing and top-stitching if you’re smart about laying out your pattern pieces! So here it goes…my tips on using pre-existing jeans:

1- Making a few cuts along the seams can really make cutting your pieces much easier! I like to cut along the inside legs/crotch, cut off the waistband and beltloops, and the back pockets.

2- Be cautious about distressed/washed jeans and laying out your pattern pieces… meaning, if your jeans have a very obvious fade/wash/distress pattern on them then you need to make sure you like where it will be placed and that it will match when you sew up your jeans. For this pair, I wanted the distressed area of the original jeans, so I laid my patterns around that. Notice that my two pieces are very close to the same area horizontally, and that the back yoke is placed above the back piece. All of this will ensure that the distressing and wash look natural on my finished jeans.

You can also use the original hem line if you prefer to get that instead. Remember to account for hem allowance. I did that with this pair, because my jeans didn’t have a very noticeable distressing.

Use the back pockets when cutting your new pockets, Remember to account for the hem allowance at the top.

If you’d like to use the waistband and belt loops you can…. but warning, unpicking those belt loop stiches is not fun 😉

If you pattern calls for elastic in the waistband, like my Cpt. Comfort Jeans, then you will have to cut a slit on the wrong side of the waistband to slip your elastic through- I just use a wide zigzag to mend the slit after (I hide the zigzag stitches behind a belt loop!). Make sure when overlapping that you line up your jeans button and button hole, you can see here on mine they overlapped much more then the pattern called for. Then you will tack down the bottom of the belt loops 🙂

3- Now that you have your pieces cut you will continue to sew them just like the pattern calls for matching the store bought top-stitching thread as best you can. And although they have a wash and distressing, I STILL distress along the way! That way my finished jeans will have the distressing where store bought jeans do, like along pocket lines.

Now you have a great fitting (no plumbers crack!) pair of jeans that cost you nothing but the thread and time <3 and plus they look amazing!

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