Is it possible to sew jeans

I found your instructions very useful and ended up doing a reasonable job with my jeans. I found the waistband difficult with all the thicknesses of material but with a bit of hand stitching I tidied it up. Thanks for the step by step advice. But as I progressed I saw why you did certain things and followed suit. My usual needle survived and I lifted the presser foot on thick material. The machine clicked it into the new position which surprised me. I came out with perfectly altered jeans and finally had the confidence to alter jeans properly!

In the past I had done a dart in the back and was super unhappy with it so the result of your tutorial is amazing. Thank you so much for sharing this with the world! Have a wonderful day! Thank You soooo much for this helpful stepxstep, Jessica! When I worked in an alterations shop, I used a Bernina. Now at home, I use an industrial straight stitch. Thanks for this, it really useful and easy to plus follow.

The tip about doubling the top thred is grand I was hunting for thick therd till read that. Thanks again. Thanks for the tutorial! I redid the seat a couple time and just find myself undoing stitching and going lower and lower down, yet I still have a funny bump that resembles a tail.

I feel like I must be missing something. Is there a step I should go back to to fix this problem? I also had the same problem at first with a little tail bump where my seam met up with the original seam in the butt of the jeans…I solved the problem by undoing more of the top stitching further down about an inch farther but LEAVING the seam that held the two sides together.

I was then able to have more control over the fabric to smooth out a nice curve that blended into the original seam. It took some pulling and adjusting to get the fabric to then fold properly for the top stitching, but the finished product is great! Worked like a charm and I took almost 4 inches off the waist. I love my new jeans! Thanks so much! So glad I ran into this tutorial! Its my first time doing this kind of alteration, so I just followed you word for word, even did the double thread for the top stich, and it worked out perfectly on the very first try!

Thank you so much. Thanks so much for this clear and simple tutorial! Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. See tips for success at the end of the tutorial for more information HOW TO: Step One: Pin Put on your jeans and pin the center back seam so that your center topstitching falls to one side.

Step Two: Rip Clip each line of waistband stitching a half inch or so outside of your markings. Step Three: Sew Well, not just yet. Take in the outer waistband, using the inner waistband as a guide.

Sew, trim, press, turn. Step Four: Finish Switch to your matching topstitching thread. Put your pants back on and Check. You did it! The further down you go, the less noticeable the transition from original thread to DIY topstitching will be.

My local shop only had blue in stock, so I found a matching heavy duty thread. If you must use all-purpose thread for a good color match, try running two threads through your needle for a chunkier more original looking topstitch. Simply wind two bobbins of thread and place both on your vertical spool pin. For unusual thread colors, try running two different color threads through your needle. Make sure all your new topstitching overlaps the old the secure the chain stitch ends.

If your jeans are very worn along the seat seam, go at your new seam with a nail file to roughen it up. If so, this could also cause a difference. What also contributes to roping is the shrinkage of the fabric. On unsanforized denim, you get a lot more roping. By skewing the layers of the hem while sewing, you can get roping using a single transport lock stitch machine. And the top layer of fabric will always tend to stretch a bit while sewing compared to the lower fabric. Niels Mulder was one of the first graduates from the Jean School in Amsterdam.

During one of his internships, he learned that chain stitch machines, including the Union Special G, were mainly developed for the unique way they use the yarn spools. Not only for the look or to undo a mistake but also for efficiency.

In a regular sewing machine, you have two spools of thread. One spool on top and one in a bobbin below. When the machine sews, the two threads make the stitch. Another thing to consider is the type of thread, specifically the difference between cotton and polyester threads. Cotton thread, on the other hand, fades with the garment. The solution is the merge the two, a hybrid known as poly-cotton thread.

It has a core polyester with cotton spun around it. Although you can make jeans at home with the most basic sewing kit, making them professionally requires several special sewing machines and years of training. Particularly in first world countries where garment manufacturing was outsourced decades ago, aspiring denim craftsmen and -women are setting up shop and making jeans themselves.

Some do it for fun, others dream of making the next big hit in denim. Lennaert Nijgh observes:. Of course, there are a few examples of successful self-taught craftsmen, like Jens Olav from Livid Jeans , but this is really an exception. Denimhunters is a knowledge portal for denim enthusiasts and newcomers.

Start your hunt here! This article was written by Thomas Stege Bojer, the founder and owner of Denimhunters. Thomas launched the site in and built it into a voice for the denim industry and community. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Sign me up for the newsletter! Looking for quality jeans and other well-made essentials? The three parts in the series about how jeans are made are: Design and development Cut and sew this post Garment finishing.

The busted outseam gives a nice touch when the denim is selvedge. Oh, the roping. Jens Olav Dankertsen of Livid Jeans doing his thing behind the sewing machines. Facebook Instagram LinkedIn. Write A Comment Cancel Reply. Submit Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel. We use cookies. Are you cool with that? These cookies do not store any personal information. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies.

It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. The Ultimate Guide to Sewing Jeans. Sewing Patterns and Fabrics. Video Tutorials. Books and Guides. Want to sew gathers on stretchy knits? Here are 4.

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