Posts
I have been feeling the need to have jeans/pants that fit my real life as opposed to making me feel like a unit in a sausage factory. My real life, in addition to lovely unstructured time in the RV in Florida, involves teaching, by distance, dog walking, family entertaining and a whole lot of time with my grandchildren 6, 4 and 1.
Once I got this idea in my head I started looking for a pattern.
Enter Bootstrap Fashion's Boyfriend jeans.
Now despite the fact I am more mother of the boyfriend than anyone borrowing her boyfriend's jeans I liked the look of the leg in these and the laid back feel of this fit.
What is really cool about this pattern is that with only two basic measurements to input, jeans waist and hip, as well as height, the pattern is sent right to you to tape together (I love on demand sewing) and sew.
There is so much I want to say about this pattern I hardly know where to begin.
The fit is really amazing and the drafting first class and precise.
This is more than I can say for the measurer of her measurements, I got optimistic about my hip and under valued it by an inch due to some delusional idea that sitting in a car and crocheting caused me to lose weight (not true BTW and don't we wish it was). As soon as I finish this post I am going to order another pattern with 2" added to the hip (I figure I want a little extra ease for squatting in the sandpile) rather than trying to add it myself to the pattern I have.
What can I say?
Once a sewing princess always a sewing princess, and beside I have always been more interested in sewing than alternating patterns or making muslin multiples.
I made this version below exactly as it came to me, I have found the hard way that to give a new pattern a chance that makes sense rather than starting to mess with changes in unknown territory.
It should also be noted that there aren't precise instructions for where to measure the jeans waist, I figured that boyfriends were unlikely to wear them hitched up so went with a below navel measurement. Since the top of the waistband completed sits exactly at the bottom of my navel this was perfect.
There are a few "boyfriend" details worth noting. The back pockets are man sized not woman sized and are set low on the back (but not as low as teenage in the mall droopy pant low). If you don't like how this looks then you can read a really interesting discussion on rear pocket placement here at Closet Case Files. (Ginger has some excellent jeans sewing instructions on this site too).
I am also not 100% happy with the fly. For a start I do not have a zipper foot with me, or a buttonholer, so part of the zipper, where I needed to get near the teeth, I did by hand backstitches.
In my next pair I will use these traditional instructions for a fly zipper that offsets the teeth from centre front.
And now the pictures:
 |
| The bum shot. This gives you an idea of the relaxed fit and the pocket size and placement |
 |
| I got enormous pleasure from the top-stitching reminded me of how seeing that needle goes through fabric makes me happy |
 |
| More bum shots in the interest of science. What can I say? The fabric was a little too light for all the details but all I could access locally for denim was Hobbylobby. Expecting a shipment in tomorrow ... |
 |
| This shot shows where the waist sits and also why I have dropped sugar from my diet. I have blamed the belly on a C section but since that baby is now almost 30 that excuse is probably getting old |
 |
| Just a shot revealing that this denim is maybe a little light, but comfortable |
 |
| OK we took a lot of pictures. Nova Scotia does not look like this now you know |
 |
| Side shot, because well it is a side shot |
* Full transparency: I have just signed up for an affiliate relationship with Bootstrap, a start-up which is also crowdfunding. Being an affiliate means purchases of this pattern through the link on this site will make a small contribution to my own pattern buying habit. I feel a bit strange about doing this but I really am impressed by this pattern and would not do this if that was not the case.
14 comments:
Okay, I am now going to order a pattern as these are exactly how I wear my jeans. Thanks for the review, Barb.
Theresa in Tucson
Love your jeans. They look comfortable and they are a good fit. Great job selling as now I want to own the pattern :)
Count me in amongst the converts! Your jeans look great. You have ample reason to be proud. Thanks for the review and info. I will support your pattern buying habit. 😀
Very nice. And until you started talking about them, I had never heard of Bootstrap.
I've seen many reviews of patterns that use this Russian drafting (Lekala, leko-mail, in addition to Bootstrap) but never pants! The fit is pretty darned impressive, as is the construction. Thanks to you, I can now expand my collection of downloaded patterns. Gee, thanks. I guess. BTW - you said the fabric is a little light (but it looks perfect from here, a few hundred miles away) and these jeans look like a good candidate for a roll-up capri length finish should you ever need such a thing. That modification might make a lighter weight fabric a Good Thing. -Karla
oooo, nice jeans!! To me the fabric does not look too light - it looks great.
I'll have to try these, too.
C-section belly excuses never grow old......
Ceci
Yes regarding the C-section belly excuse, and double yes on these jeans, which look good. The pattern has potential and appears worth buying.
Might be worth a try for me. I think I have super curvy butt.
Am growing weary of apologies from compensated product endorsers. I've never heard Tiger Woods or LeBron James apologize for being paid millions by Nike in exchange for wearing its logo. Why should sewists who get free products or kickbacks on purchases be any different? Of course, you need to disclose the relationship. And, of course, the reader will either trust your endorsement or view it skeptically. There's nothing you can say to change that.
Excellent point anon. Full disclosure is important and it is unlikely my referrals will ever add up to more than the price of the odd future pattern, and btw I paid for this one. That said it is fair I think to identify yourself as someone who may do this rarely for favourite indie designers and someone who is seriously monetizing a blog, that distinction is important to me. Truth is my pattern habit gets expensive and these infrequent relationships may ease the cost of that slightly, but really only very slightly. What you won't ever see here is an endorsement of any pattern I do not truly love. Thanks for the comment.
Those look fantastic, lady. I bought the pattern when you mentioned it first, and haven't sewn it up yet - I have been wondering how good the drafting was and whether I should go on and make a muslin (ugh kill me now) or just go for it with some denim in my stash. Based on your rec, I will go for it.
Also loved the sewing mojo post - I get into sewing ruts too. I'm trying to focus more on fit these days as a way to learn more, and it's helping. I also bought a Brother embroidery machine (NQ1400E, I think) and it is hella fun - a good companion to sewing, but also a new challenge and a new skill.
Might be worth a try for me. I think I have super curvy butt.
boyfriend jeans
I'm going to have a try and make a pair for my mum.
That's how I push myself lf to learn new skill lol ... If it were for me, I would procrastinate, but as I promised my mum, then I'll have to make them. That's how I learn to sew button down shirts ...
Post a Comment