Jean-Ius

Jeans may be the last frontier in home sewing. It is difficult to find a good fabric, with the right weight, thickness, stretch (2% is perfect for me) and colour (dark blue or total black). It is also difficult to find a good pattern, but in that department, I learnt time ago the best approach is to make my own pattern. First I drew one based on Aldrich's book. Then, I modified it to be more fitted, by comparing it to a pair of almost perfect Levi's I had. The problem was that those Levi's had a tendency to fall down on me, and I have to wear them with a belt. Of course the copy has the same problem, haha... they are almost perfect in the same way. 

So I wanted to try to copy another old Mango pair I have, and I needed them in black, because I did not have any black jeans. 

I bought this fabric in Ray Stitch during my last trip to London. It is very very nice, very dark black with a perfect 2% stretch, running in the think side, but still a good weight for jeans. 
I had seen this online course, Jean-Ius, by Kenneth D. King in Craftsy a long time ago, so I decided to try it using the 1 week test subscription, during my christmas brake. 
I loved the course. 

The method King has developed is almost flawless, exhaustive to perfection and really thorough in every detail. So I learnt a lot, both in the general approach, and in the finishing details. 
You start by marking your favourite jeans with thread, and then copying them into a silk organza, and making a paper pattern from that. 

Then you must finish the paper pattern, and make all the details, like pockets, facings, etc.
I skipped the toile. I do not believe in toiles, because they are not made in the same fabric. For example, in this case, it would have stretch, so what is the point?

Then you cut the fabric (I did not include seam allowances, and leave some generous ones in risky places, as I always do. That means I have to mark the fabric with tailor marks, which is like 1 hour of work, but so worth! and it compensates for not making a toile) and start constructing and assembling. 
King gives a lot of good advice and tricks, with the machine, the iron, the scissors, it's amazinng. 

The final result is ALMOST perfect! Yes, I got another tiny almost. My old Mango jeans have more stretch, and then the crotch, which is cut into the bias, is not longer, but, you can pull it higher. I compensated it by sewing the waist band 1 cm higher, although that means the pockets are too deep, and they are still very low cut. 
Wearing them is very nice. They are comfortable and flattering. I have now doubts if this is the correct crotch length, or If I would prefer them to be 1 or 2 cm, higher. I have enlarged my pattern 2cm just in case. 
In terms of fabric, it is very very nice. Knees or bottom are not marked after a day sitting around in my job, they keep their shape and are very comfortable. 
I totally recommend this course, even when I'd change some things, specially at the final assembly.