Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Just Say No!

My body is not really made for nor flattered by true jeans. But yet I live in jeans. Unfortunate paradox, eh?

Well, not really, because I can make "jeans" that are a cross between true jeans and slacks. I can incorporate the extra leg room where I need it and how it looks best on me but I can still keep the snug (tummy-holding-in) jeans abdomen area and overall general styling.

But I really need to be thumped over the head because I keep finding myself attracted to real jeans patterns only to be reminded that they don't actually do much for me.

So, here's the pattern again (from the E799 issue of Burda Plus). Remove the mid-leg seam and it's a pretty basic bootleg jeans style, with shaped sideseams that skim the legs. That's the place where I need to remind myself to keep turning the pages. Those lovely shaped sideseams. Except, um, well, if I wear them I look like a stuffed sausage.



Here's my muslin from the front. Not completely horrific, although my thighs are filling out every square millimeter of those shaped sideseams. But with these same basic thighs since puberty, I'm used to that. ;-)




But the back? Hahahahaha! No.



Still not quite enough a of a reminder, I suppose, because I took off muslin #1 and dutifully made the Minott alterations and a couple of tucks/spreads for leg and crotch length. I also straightened that lovely sideseam shaping to hang straight and camouflage instead of squeeze and unflatteringly accentuate. And guess what?

I ended up with a pattern that was nearly identical, yes IDENTICAL!, to my TNT Simplicity 4068 pattern. I literally cracked myself up when I got out that TNT pattern and laid it over the altered Burda for comparison.

Since I had already wasted spent the time making the alterations, I decided to go ahead and just cut my fabric using this pattern. Here they are so far, sans waistband, back pockets, and hemming. The legs and crotch are only basted but after this fitting check, I'll rip that out and go finish them.





Until the new body fairy comes along, I'll just have to keep my jeans basically the same and only make changes to the pockets and hem width. And stop reinventing the wheel! Speaking of pockets, here's one of the single-welt pockets I made for these jeans, borrowed from another WOF pattern I made a few years ago.

10 comments:

  1. Those are looking great! I love the dark color. Where did you get denim that dark?

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  2. Have you checked out the latest Knip Mode? There is a whole section devoted to different jean styles and which ones are most flattering for your body! I'm so tempted by this issue.....

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  3. I like the color, too. Your altered pair look great on you.

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  4. Golle Debbie you are funny. I love your new jeans and I can't wait to see them finished up.

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  5. I buy new pant patterns and then make my tnt HP pattern. Indeed, why re invent the wheel. You are certainly capable of drafting interesting details to alter your tnt pattern and keep you from getting bored. So next time you are tempted(I know all those lovely patterns in BWOF) hit yourself upside the head before you cut that new muslin. I do like the pocket detail. I just saw a pair of trouser jeans, a very expensive $200, in a magazine with welt back pockets.

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  6. I love the new jeans (just like I liked your Simplicity pants, lol). When the body fairy is finished at your house could you send her on down to me? ;-)

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  7. Lovely jeans, I like that pocket detail.

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  8. Nice jeans; I like the dark color. Put me in line for the body fairy, too!

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  9. Hi, Debbie! I tagged you (’cos I got tagged, eh!) for a quick survey if you’re interested… But don’t feel obligated… It’s just for fun!
    Soft hug,
    Rhonda

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  10. Hi, Debbie -- don't be so hard on yourself. We all get sucked in by the BWOF pictures. Every time I see those twist top pictures I get all excited and they just don't look good on me. They are never going to look good on me and I can try every twist top pattern or pattern with some variation on that theme and it's just not going to look good on me. You'd think that would stop me from trying them, wouldn't you? : )

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Thank you for each and every comment. I appreciate them all, but I have to be honest and let you know that I'm usually bad about answering questions. I hope you understand that there just isn't enough time in the day to do everything I want to do.

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