After finally completing Simplicity's 4760, I was not happy with the results. The fit looked nice, but it wasn't what I was looking for.
What I wanted was a REAL pair of jeans for Simon. One where the pattern was easy to follow, clear and fun to sew. After all my research, it appears that Kwik Sew is the only company that still makes patterns for men that are relevant for today. The Big 4 seem to believe that men only wear pajamas or scrubs, or are Big and Tall or Husky.
So off to Kwik Sew I go. Seeing as I am in Quebec, I can not buy the patterns in store as they are in English only. I could drive to Cornwall, Ontario to buy one, but that would cost me $30 in gas, as opposed to $4 shipping. I waited until they were on sale on line, so not to pay $12. Kwik Sew will ship all their orders once a week bulk to their office in Ontario, then ship it out from there. This was we do not pay duties, but it takes 3 weeks to get here.
topstitching detail. View A legs are straight cut and View B
are boot cut.
I am making these is a size Medium with boot cut leg. Simon is in between a small and a medium, so we will make a medium. These pants have a proper waistband with belt loops, so he should be ok. He needs the boot cut to fit over his construction boots.
I am using a size 16 needle, with dark denim fabric we picked up on St-Hubert street this past Summer. I am using Gutermann's Jean thread, the navy blue and Gold. The Gold is what I am using for the Top stitching details.
Look at what arrived. I emailed, no response. I called and the lady was not very helpful. She said she could send me out a new one, no apology, no show that she was shocked this happened. NOTHING. I email again, I get a VERY apologetic call that very same day, and they will refund me. I wanted to have this pattern for my sewing class starting that Friday, so I had to have someone pick one up for me on their way in from Ontario. Looks like you can't always avoid it.
I am used to the BIG 4 patterns, so the detailed explanations of Kwik Sew appear confusing at first.
See the pattern piece shown here. "Place printed side of pattern piece UP on RIGHT side of fabric" On the explanations the diagram showed the piece greyed out as well.
Wow, extra explanations!
One difference I DO NOT like is the fold placement indications. On the regular patterns you have the arrows. Here it is only "PLACE ON FOLD" I missed that the first time. You have to read everything on all your pattern pieces. They took the time to detail EVERYTHING!
The coin pocket was SO easy to complete and sew on. I was nervous of the pockets. They look like they have so much detail. But you know what, the pattern is kinda idiot proof! The instructions as so detailed and complete that my instructor and I took about 5 minutes to understand ALL that detail!
Simon had asked that I make his pockets extra secure. He feels that the pockets on his other pair may not hold up to the demands of construction work. He wants me to double sew the pockets again.
Pauline told me to sew the pockets twice, then we Overcast the seams with the serger in our class. They are SOLID, SOLID AS A ROCK!
Before moving on to the Fly construction, I decided to see if there were any tutorials on the Internet for this pattern. Everyone who reviewed this pattern said how easy the fly construction was. I found a very detailed step by step blog by Peter Lappin.. Check out his blog post about his Jeans sew-along here. I looked it over, and I printed it off to read over during my lunch break.
After a full day out and about, 2 active kids, my brain is tired. I decided to skip the fly for today and concentrate on less taking things, like the back pockets! Tyler woke me up at 6am, that's sleeping in for us. So I had lots of time to work on the back part of the pants this morning.
I took my time. I did my best to have the 2 rows of topstitches straight and equal. For my first attempt, I am satisfied.
The I sewed the 2 back parts together and now I just need to do the fly. Do I wait until I get my serger this week, or do I bring them into Friday's class and use the serger there? Decisions decisions. I will read the fly instructions and see if a zig zag stitch will suffice.
I put the pants up to Simon and they may be a little too large. I went against my better judgement and cut the pattern at Medium, as per Simon's request. I told him he's wearing them regardless, lol!
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