Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Jean-ious

In between my melt-downs (and actually, during them as well) I've been crafting. Can we all give a huge shout out to crafting...my personal savior? Yep, no amount of misery can stem the tide of my creativity. Um...err...or my attempt at creativity as the case may be with this next example of handmade glory...



Oh yes, I made my own jeans.

Now, I'd like to say that the process of making one's own denim pantalones was one that I enjoyed immensely, but then I'd be fibbing. Oh. My. God. Making jeans is hard peeps! Firstly, how many pattern pieces should one really have to deal with in one project? One pair of jeans has like, oh I don't know, a bazillion pieces! Damn the belt loops!

*Ahem*

Okay, so I knew I was in trouble when I began to liberate my pattern pieces from their paper frames. I'd cut out one or two out and think, well, that's got to be all of them. Then I'd look at the stack of folded pattern pile-age in front of me and think, Really??? Pinning all those pieces to the denim and cutting them out was no party either. However, I must admit that cutting out pattern pieces is NOT my favorite part of the sewing process. It's kind of like cleaning toilets or folding a hundred white socks. Boring AND tedious. Yay! Anyway, after three hours of cutting I began what I thought was going to be "the fun part" of making my own jeans.

Okay, if you have jeans on, I want you to strip from the waist down right now.

Yes, I mean it! C'mon, humor me.

Are you nekked? Okay, good. Now, turn your jeans inside out and look at all of the pieces sewn together that create both the front pockets and fly.

Are you feeling my pain?

Fine, you can get dressed now. Thanks for playing.

Needless to say, it took me four three hour classes to sew my denim dynamos together, from controlling the stitch line of the reinforced stitches to putting in the fly to riveting the pockets. I whined the entire time (my version of whistle while you work). Oh, and let's just say that I came to know my seam ripper INTIMATELY.

Now, here's the sick and twisted part of this whole thing...I have a stack of fabric, both denim and corduroy, that I intend to use to make many a pair of future jeans. I must be a glutton for punishment, eh? Or, perhaps, I could turn this process from one of torture to tickled pink (I mean blue) with just two little words: assless chaps. A pair of those would look smashing in ladybug print corduroy and won't have as many pattern pieces to contend with.

I'm a jean-ious.

20 comments:

Ellen Bloom said...

You do crack me up. Jeans?!?!?! You are certifiably crazy, Girlfriend. You're getting so thin and cute lately, that you could buy your off-the-rack jeans at the 99 Cent Store! A tip of my fascinator to you, Regina for attempting to sew jeans! Wow.

Deneen said...

You are a Jean-ious and more power to ya! I can't imagine, but the custom fit must be awesome. Nice pedi too!

Athene Noctua said...

Great Jeans! And adorable patent-leather peep-toe pumps too! I've been looking for a pair like that for a while now....

You really are a talented woman!

Yeah So said...

hoo boy that sounds nuts. But you did it! The question is, how did they fit??

Corvus said...

Ooo. Jeans are on my "some day" list (I even have the pattern picked out). Some day, however, is not any day soon. Congrats- I bow to your mad sewing skills!

Susan said...

Drop My Drawers ??? I don't think so... I'm reading this in the library! LOL I don't think they would appreicate that.
Although I did look on the inside of my jeans at home.. Woah! I had no idea there were SO MANY pieces sewn togather. I never paid attention to it before. Gives me a new appreciation for Lee Jeans... ( Although I'm quite certain they are MACHINE MADE. ) & Brave Ladies like you. :-)

Come check my blog sometime. :-)

~ Susan

Ann Marie said...

Would you look at that?! The first ever Lady Linoleum jeans. How awesome! You know what you have to do now, don't you? You have to create some fabulous designer thingy to stitch on the back pocket. You know like Levis, Calvins and Jordaches or whatever the heck is popular these days. You can do it! Maybe it can be a skull or just an eyeball - something crazy.

Vicky aka Stichr said...

boo....not me....but gotta give you kudos for taking the plunge.

Moonshadow said...

Congratulations on great job! Sewing up a decent looking fly is no easy task.

Caroline B said...

Wow, that is creativity above and beyond the call of duty - well done you!

Dk's Wife said...

Bring on the assless chaps :) hee hee. That just cracks me up. I cannot imagine making my own jeans, and I will sew damn near anything - Good one on ya!

Ha! Here's a good one: my word verification is "outwinda" - kinda like your ass hanging in the wind in oh, assless chaps hee hee hee

Sara said...

Thank goodness I'm wearing cloth camo capri's today. Don't think my coworkers want me dropping my jeans. I did that once in front of my boss. I swear that bee stung me "there" cause it knew my boss was standing there.

Making jeans is crazy talk. Kohl's here I come.

They do look cute, but I like the shoes better. :)

Monica Chew said...

They look great! I admire your fortitude, in crafting and in life.

Natalie said...

Whoa dude.
That is crazy talk...making your own jeans...crazy talk I tell ya.

MonkeyGurrrrrl said...

I think I got carpal tunnel just reading the description of all the cutting. No way I could do that, no matter how determined.

Wicked cute, tho.

FinnyKnits said...

Oh man. I saw a project for making your own jeans in MAKE: a while back and thought, "Cool! What an amazing pain in my ass!" and then put it away knowing I'd be suicidal 15 minutes into the project.

MAJOR props to you for getting through it and TAH DAH making some that actually fit you.

You're a dynamo.

Monique Marie Sauniere said...

Oh, yeah. I've done it, too. the hardest part is sewing through all of the 8 or so layers without breaking the needles!

Susan Schwake said...

ok, finally girl, i am catching up in your life.... alaska looked magnificent and cold! wow what sights!
jeans? really? i bow to your magnificent mind! nothing could be harder in my mind ... ( except for the coulot how DO you spell that word? jumpsuit with the zipper up the front i made in 8th grade!!!!) ha you are looking good and strong and you are still my hero.
we have to come see you sometime - our daughters are twins. muwah to you dear LL.

Susan Schwake said...

ok, finally girl, i am catching up in your life.... alaska looked magnificent and cold! wow what sights!
jeans? really? i bow to your magnificent mind! nothing could be harder in my mind ... ( except for the coulot how DO you spell that word? jumpsuit with the zipper up the front i made in 8th grade!!!!) ha you are looking good and strong and you are still my hero.
we have to come see you sometime - our daughters are twins. muwah to you dear LL.

Anonymous said...

I love making my own jeans. I am well past 60 and love to decorate the pockets to suit my taste & not those of some designer that doesn't know me & my lifestyle. Like you, I just jumped right in and was overwhelmed initially, but the compliments on the finished garment were so uplifting that I decided to not buy jeans again. I love the looks on peoples' face when they ask where I got them & I tell them they are an original designed and made just for me.
I love your site.