I used Simplicity 5048 from 1972, which I bought on Etsy.com. In August I'd made the short-sleeve shirt (http://picasaweb.google.com/PeterLappinNYC/Simplicity5048ShortSleeveWesternShirt#) Now I decided to make the pants -- in denim and with straight legs rather than bell bottoms.
As you can see, these Helmut Lang jeans fit my waist (30'), but the rise is too deep for my torso (in my opinion).
These Levi's 514s fit me better in front. I find a low rise more flattering and contemporary looking.
Helmut Langs from the back. To me this high waist looks out of date.
From the back, the 514s, while lower, are pretty shapeless.
Here's the denim I bought at Truemart, my local fabric store. I paid $9 for 1 1/2 yards, which was more than I needed.
The piece measures more than 57" wide.
My thread.
First I cut my pattern.
I ironed my pattern pieces so they'd lay flat on my fabric for cutting.
After laundering, I ironed my denim.
I inspected my RTW jeans carefully to compare them to my pattern.
I have another vintage jeans pattern, a McCall's. You can see that the Simplicity pattern I'm using has a slightly different pocket from the traditional rounded pocket opening on the McCall's. The Simplicity pattern is not specifically for jeans, though denim is a recommended fabric, among others.
The pant's front and the fly pieces.
From waistline to "J" seam, about 14" on the Levi's.
Adjusting pattern to shorten the rise; I did the same in the rear.
I took 2 inches off the rise. This is the back.
Here's my shortened pattern (front).
With my makeshift weights, Olfa rotary cutter, and cutting board, I begin to cut my denim.
This is the inside of the left fly, with flannel interfacing.
Here's the left front fly with topstitching.
I've sewn in the left side of the zipper and pinned the right to the front right pant's piece. This was my first zipper and somewhat challenging, but I could just compare it to my own pants zipper to see if it was making sense.
Here you can see the left side of the zipper attached.
Now both sides of the zipper are in, along with the right fly. Lo and behold, the zipper works!
Here's the rear. The yoke has been attached and topstitched. The pattern has you press the seam up and topstitch above the seam. My Levi's handle this with a flat-felled seam. I ended up re-doing this to make it like my Levi's.
Front.
Front fly topstitching.
The pockets and right fly from the inside. I zigzagged over the edge to finish it. I threw a little gingham in there too, why not?
Practicing my flat-felled seams on a denim scrap with my edge feet. They're not this perfect on the pants.
The Great Wall of China from 6,000 feet -- actually, the back side of the pants looking down toward the crotch.
With the sides stitched closed, these begin to look like real jeans.
From the back, now with flat-felled seams on the yoke. No pockets came with this pattern.
Waistband on, and jeans button. Just needs belt loops and hemming.
Finished! Just need to shorten.
From behind. No pockets; hmm.....
From the side. I like these pants!
Freddy thinks they're very comfy too.
A peek inside. Egads, that buttonhole...
Decided to make pockets with the help of an old McCall's pattern piece.
Close up of back pockets. I think next time I'll do the tapered kind you find on Levi's.
Another look at the back pockets.
The yoke comes down low compared to RTW jeans, but look at the pattern piece. I think because I took two inches out of the rise, the yoke looks proportionally larger.
This is the six-inches of seam I successfully serged till my Huskylock choked on a chunk of overlapping seams. How did I know it wouldn't plow right through?
Here's the underside of the same six inches....actually more like four.
I just overlocked the rest with a zig zag stitch, ho hum.
Hemmed, finally. I'm done for real. On to the next project!
