MAKING JEANS
Workshop Information

WORKSHOP LENGTH
4 days - Two weekends
Saturdays + Sundays, January 27th/28th and February 3rd/4th, 10am - 4pm each day.

TOPICS COVERED
Learn the basics of making a wearable toile (a sort of prototype garment) and tips & techniques for sewing with denim. Techniques covered will include: sewing a fly front, belt loops, flat felled seams, patch & slash pockets, and waistbands. We will also cover, in depth, the topic of fitting whilst making your toile.

OUTCOMES
Students will use learned techniques to construct a pair of jeans that fit their own unique body type. Pattern options include: Jedediah Pants by Thread Theory (men's); Ginger Jeans, Morgan Boyfriend Jeans or Ginger Flared Jeans by Closet Case Files. 

What Do I Need to Bring?

When you come for your first class, you will need to bring the following:

• A basic sewing kit (see below)
• Fabric and haberdashery - We've detailed fabric requirements below, but if you have any questions please feel free to get in touch. And remember to pre-wash your fabrics before bringing them along!
• A packed lunch

Do I Need To Bring a Sewing Machine?

Possibly. We have 4 Janome CXL301 sewing machines available for student use on a first come first serve basis. If you miss out on reserving a machine from us then you will need to bring your own machine. We also sell a range of Janome machines, and offer discounts on these to our students.

Booking Details

If you're thinking of cancelling your booking, for any reason, please let us know as soon as possible, so that we can offer your place to someone on the waiting list. And also please have a look at our Cancellations & Refunds Policy on the FAQs page before doing this. Thanks.

For this workshop you'll need a basic sewing kit. You can buy all the items separately or, alternatively, we sell sewing kits that includes the essentials as seen below. 

If you're purchasing kit items separately, we've listed some essentials below. All of these items are available to purchase at The Stitchery (cash and all major credit/debit cards accepted):

• Fabric scissors - We have a small stock of Fiskars
• Seam ripper
• Dressmaking pins
• Sewing machine needles (heavy assorted)
• Hand sewing needles
• Thread - we stock a range of Gutermann thread.
• Sewing gauge
• Tape measure (not the kind that Plumbers use!)
• Temporary marker pens
• French curve

You should also bring a pair of paper scissors to cut out your pattern. 

To make the most of our time on this workshop, we're asking students to bring their fabric to the second class. Your fabric requirements will depend on:

1. Your own body measurements.
2. What pattern you've chosen to make
3. The width of your fabric; 44" (115cm), 54" (140cm) or 60" (150cm)

As part of this workshop you will be making a wearable toile { pron: twal }, which is a kind of prototype or test version of your garment. Making a toile is standard practice in order to produce the best fit and finish in your final garment. 

BUYING DENIM FOR JEANS

Because of the way denim fabric sits on the body, if you're making jeans, your toile fabric will need to be the same as that of your final garment. Otherwise your toile and your final garment would fit differently.

The up side of this is that, if your toile works out really well, it can become a wearable toile, and you can end up with two new pairs of jeans!

The ideal fabric for Ginger Jeans (including the flared version) is Stretch Denim with at least 2% lycra (stretch). Click here to see the fabric requirements chart. Remember that you will need 2 x the required fabric (for your toile and final garment). 

The ideal fabric for the Morgan Boyfriend Jeans is Selvedge Denim, with no stretch. Click here to see the fabric requirements chart.

We would also recommend checking out the ebook titled Sewing Your Own Jeans, written by Heather Lou of Closet Case Files.
 

JEDEDIAH TROUSERS

Toile Fabric
If you're making any of these trouser options, you have a couple of options for toile fabric:

1. Use standard calico, which you can purchase here at the studio during your first class.
2. Or, if you want the potential of a wearable toile, purchase a cheap fabric that is similar in fibre content to your final garment fabric or just 2x your final fabric choice.

Click here for the link to the fabric requirements for the Jedidiah Trousers.

SHOPPING FOR FABRICS

Students are free to purchase their fabric from wherever they like. And there are a small handful of local fabric shops in Glasgow, such as Mandors, Remnant Kings and John Lewis Fabric Department. 

But if you're looking for a little help choosing fabric types for your chosen pattern, we happily recommend The Splendid Stitch;  a fabulous online store based here in the city. The Stitchery has our own dedicated section on their site, with a handy course-by-course guide on what fabrics are suitable for each pattern. Access this by going to the sewing schools section and entering THESTITCHERY (capitalised and no space) in the box; then click 'Go'.

Note that Stitchery students can receive 10% off their first purchase at The Splendid Stitch by simply entering THESTITCHERY again in the discount code box at the checkout. And if you do wish to see any of the fabrics in person, please contact Amy at the Splendid Stitch directly. 

If you're unsure about your fabric choice, then you can always purchase a sample and arrange to bring it in to the studio for us to look at before your course begins. 

Note: The below outline is for our 8 week course but the weekend workshop will cover the same content.

// WEEK 1 //

• Class introduction
• Essential supplies for making jeans
• Overview of patterns and jeans samples
• Taking body measurements
• Basic pattern adjustments: grading between sizes, lengthening/shortening
• Cutting out and/or tracing pattern
• Where to purchase denim and haberdashery

Homework: Complete pattern alterations. Trace and cut out paper pattern.

// WEEK 2 //

• Review of pattern alterations
• Choosing interfacing
• Choosing thread
• Cutting fabric, fusing interfacing, transferring markings

Homework: Cut out fabric, fuse interfacing (where necessary) and transfer markings.

// WEEK 3 // 

• Sewing slash pocket and coin pocket
• Demonstration and sewing 

// WEEK 4 //

• Sewing the fly zip/button fly
• Demonstration and sewing 
• Flat felled-seams for seaming

// WEEK 5 //

• Fitting the trouser seat (crotch curve)
• Demonstration and sewing 
• Assembling the waistband
• Demonstration and sewing 
• Fitting 

// WEEK 6 //

• Sewing the patch pockets (pocket design)
• Belt loops and buttonholes
• Making adjustments to pattern

// WEEK 7 //

• Final adjustments, working on paper pattern

// WEEK 8 //

• Finishing jeans
• Photograph finished trousers
• Course evaluation