The New Forty # 10 and 11

20 Apr The New Forty # 10 and 11

If pink is the new black then I’m in luck 🙂

Seriously, I can wear my new Jalie Eleonore Pull-On Jeans everyday of the week with a different top!

When I returned to sewing 4 1/2 years ago, I was interested in sewing anything but pants, especially jeans…. until recently discovering lightweight stretch denims by the yard.

For years I held on to my jeans from years gone by waiting for the perfect recycling project, my waist to shrink two inches or for sentimental reasons. I kept them under our bed, until I was forced to clean and realized how heavy, bulky, and dated they were. Getting rid of those jeans energized me and at last, I am sewing the new and improved denim.

This is my second pair of Jailie’s Eleonore Jeans (first pair blogged here). I played it safe with my first pair sewn with stretch twill and in a slightly relaxed fit with a boot cut leg, but this time I took advantage of the stretch and sewed a tighter fit.

The beauty of this pattern is the foldover elastic waist making the jeans perfect to wear with tops worn on the outside and bulk free. The pattern also features real back pockets, a mock fly and mock front pockets.

Applying Steam-a-Seam down the center of the elastic was a great substitute for pins when sewing the elastic to the waistband.

My hot pink stretch denim from EmmaOneSock is ready to brighten any occasion! It is light enough to wear in hot weather but maintains a durability to withstand the stress from the tight fit. I sewed this pair at a shorter length in order to slide into summer sandals without adjusting a cuff. My top was sewn in 2011 (blogged here and here).

I guess you could say I liked sewing these jeans so much I didn’t want to stop, so I made another pair.

This pair features a slightly longer leg to wear with wedges, and sewn in Mood Fabrics’ Jay Blue Stretch Blended Denim – a lovely fabric in another great Spring color! I’m wearing the jeans with a top I made exactly one year ago (blogged here).

Sewing the jeans back to back was a great lesson in understanding no two denims are alike! Much like knits, I recommend trying on the garment at each critical juncture even if you’ve sewn a perfect fit from the pattern before!

My first pair of Eleonores were plagued with excessive wrinkling behind the knees. To reduce the wrinkles I shortened the length just above the knee by 1 1/2 ” ( don’t forget to add back to the length in needed). Then, thanks to the suggestion of a reader, I made the back leg 1/2″ shorter than the front on the inseam between the knee and crotch, and gently stretched the slight difference into place. It worked (!), and pairs 2 and 3 have only the natural wrinkling that occurs with leg movement.

So garments 10 and 11 are complete and nicely mix into my wardrobe of separates. I’m eager to sew another pair of jeans over the summer, perhaps the real thing with all of the bells and whistles. If you sew jeans, I hope you’ll share your favorite patterns with me!

Until soon 🙂