Pattern Review - Morgan Jeans, Closet Case Patterns
Hey Sewers!
It's been quite a while since I last posted but I have certainly still been sewing! The weather in blighty has been a bit grim and without a suitable place to take my photos I haven't been able to get a post up. Anyway I'm back and this week I actually bring you 2 reviews: Closet case patterns, Morgan Jeans made in the same rust corduroy (bought from Goldhawk Road) as my Sew Over Erin Skirt in the previous post and Simplicity K8376 made in white cotton jersey from Walthamstow Market.
Morgan Jeans - Closet Case Patterns
Corduroy is probably my favourite fabric, I like the soft texture, the weight and the wide variety of rich colours which make it super versatile. I made these trousers in the autumn so the colour was bang on trend and they are great for keeping warm in the cold weather.
Having previously made the Closet Case Patterns Kalle Skirt dress I knew that this pattern would have clear instructions. Having never made any jeans before I was nervous about the fly front and jeans hardware but with this pattern it could not have been simpler. I just followed exactly what it said and the fly went in perfectly. For the jeans hardware I actually bought a jewellers anvil so I would have a good resistance when hammering on the buttons and rivets (I had some trouble finding matching rivets and buttons but in the end I settled on some which may not be a perfect match but I don't think anyone would notice! They're just from Amazon). The only issue I had was that the coin pocket had very thick seams but this was easily rectified by hammering down the fabric.
The pattern had lots of tips about every aspect of jeans making including basting them together in the first instance to check the fit. I wouldn't normally do this but given I'd never done a project like this before I wanted to make sure everything was fitting just right. They actually fit perfectly out the packet.
I would do one thing differently if I were to make these again and that would be to have the lining of the pockets with the right side inside the pockets rather than on the wrong side of the trousers. I think they are done this way to make the inside look nice but no one ever sees that so to me I would rather it was in the pocket.
The topstitching took quite a long time but is a key feature which gives them that classic jean appearance. You definitely need to use a topstitching needle for this with lower thread tension and longer stitches otherwise it could cause quite a head ache!
I would recommend this pattern to others, especially those who want to improve their sewing by tackling jeans but not complete beginners.
Simplicity - K8376
This was a very simple and satisfying make. I got the pattern free with Simply Sewing Magazine, normally I would use Megan Nielsen Rowan for all my simple t shirts and jumpers but I wanted this to have a less fitted silhouette. Given the simplicity of the pattern I wanted to take my time and give it a perfect finish because I knew I would be it wearing often.
The main area I have issues with on jersey tops is the neckband so I looked on YouTube for some advice on this and found Lauren Guthrie's tutorial which helped massively.
I'm really happy with the end result, it's just the right relaxed fit to be layered or worn on it's own and it's white so it goes with everything. I would recommend this pattern to anyone from complete beginners, it's a great staple and a good base pattern which you could hack into many different styles.
It's been quite a while since I last posted but I have certainly still been sewing! The weather in blighty has been a bit grim and without a suitable place to take my photos I haven't been able to get a post up. Anyway I'm back and this week I actually bring you 2 reviews: Closet case patterns, Morgan Jeans made in the same rust corduroy (bought from Goldhawk Road) as my Sew Over Erin Skirt in the previous post and Simplicity K8376 made in white cotton jersey from Walthamstow Market.
Morgan Jeans - Closet Case Patterns
Corduroy is probably my favourite fabric, I like the soft texture, the weight and the wide variety of rich colours which make it super versatile. I made these trousers in the autumn so the colour was bang on trend and they are great for keeping warm in the cold weather.
Having previously made the Closet Case Patterns Kalle Skirt dress I knew that this pattern would have clear instructions. Having never made any jeans before I was nervous about the fly front and jeans hardware but with this pattern it could not have been simpler. I just followed exactly what it said and the fly went in perfectly. For the jeans hardware I actually bought a jewellers anvil so I would have a good resistance when hammering on the buttons and rivets (I had some trouble finding matching rivets and buttons but in the end I settled on some which may not be a perfect match but I don't think anyone would notice! They're just from Amazon). The only issue I had was that the coin pocket had very thick seams but this was easily rectified by hammering down the fabric.
The pattern had lots of tips about every aspect of jeans making including basting them together in the first instance to check the fit. I wouldn't normally do this but given I'd never done a project like this before I wanted to make sure everything was fitting just right. They actually fit perfectly out the packet.
I would do one thing differently if I were to make these again and that would be to have the lining of the pockets with the right side inside the pockets rather than on the wrong side of the trousers. I think they are done this way to make the inside look nice but no one ever sees that so to me I would rather it was in the pocket.
The topstitching took quite a long time but is a key feature which gives them that classic jean appearance. You definitely need to use a topstitching needle for this with lower thread tension and longer stitches otherwise it could cause quite a head ache!
I would recommend this pattern to others, especially those who want to improve their sewing by tackling jeans but not complete beginners.
Simplicity - K8376
This was a very simple and satisfying make. I got the pattern free with Simply Sewing Magazine, normally I would use Megan Nielsen Rowan for all my simple t shirts and jumpers but I wanted this to have a less fitted silhouette. Given the simplicity of the pattern I wanted to take my time and give it a perfect finish because I knew I would be it wearing often.
The main area I have issues with on jersey tops is the neckband so I looked on YouTube for some advice on this and found Lauren Guthrie's tutorial which helped massively.
I'm really happy with the end result, it's just the right relaxed fit to be layered or worn on it's own and it's white so it goes with everything. I would recommend this pattern to anyone from complete beginners, it's a great staple and a good base pattern which you could hack into many different styles.
Happy Sewing!
Liz
Liz,
ReplyDeleteI am just trying to make the K8376, and needed to see how you were able to make this look so classy! And I love those pants. I am not brave enough to tackle pants yet, though I hope I will be there some day. I am working hard at taking my time, I am an impatient sewer. Thank you for the inspiration to work on this again!