Making your own pattern from an existing pair of jeans - achievable or not?

[BlueSkySunnyDay]

I am sick of how low the waistlines are on Jeans. I'm sure I would love them if I were a buff toned 20 year old but they are not flattering for my age/shape combo

I have a favourite old pair of Next jeans which are very comfortable and flattering.

How difficult would it be to make my own pattern? I'd make the first pair out of old fabric I have knocking about anyway.

I looked at one "how to" on ask and I could see that they had left out any mention of "seam allowance" so I am not a complete novice

If it was just trousers, I'd say you could, but jeans are a bit notorious for being difficult I think, what with all the construction elements, flat felling and so on.

The Thurlow Trousers, from Sewholic get good reviews and I aways like Ottobre women's patterns - maybe you'd find something jeans-ish in there?

But, that said, give it a shot! Why not - if you've got fabric lying around have a go, and it might be fab!

bolshie - Ive looked at loads of my linen trousers and ruled the idea out because of trying to recreate darts and shaping - these jeans have a separate pane,l which I am sure I could recreate, on the hip part.

Perhaps lulled into a sense of false security by the website I looked at which said "commercial jeans only take about 15 minutes to make start to finish" Obviously I know it will take me way longer than that

I would say that darts and pleats are fairly easy. I'd def attempt them over jeans any day but i am a complete novice.

You think? I wouldn't know how to cut the pattern where a dart was(how much fabric to allow) working off a pair of trousers I already have.

Obviously doing darts from a commercial pattern is dead easy.

I appreciate sewing the denim will be hard work but the shape itself doesn't look as complicated.

I still have another project to finish so i'm just thinking about the practicalities of it at the moment.

Ah i see what you mean. You have to kinda work your existing dart backwards first. Yeah that'd be hard. I think i would cut out tge basic shape and pin it on me, then make up my own darts where they need to be on my shape. Yeah more difficult.

You might want to try the 'rub off' method. I have done this successfully for a dress before but not jeans. here

Well in the 5 years I spent as a pattern cutter, that sleeve pattern looks decidedly dodgy!

Jeans have the darts moved to the back yokes on the back. Not sure about the front, I think they are placed in the side seam. However, you would have to get the correct gap between the yoke and the back of the jeans for a successful fit, and I'm not sure you could do that very well by tracing off a pattern

I wouldn't attempt a pair of jeans

Thanks orange, even if that wasn't the answer I wanted

Just really fed up with being disappointed by Jeans, specially as I spend 95% of my time wearing them.

Oh I hate the jeans thing.

I given up and wear m and s jeggings which sit in the waist. I wonder if jeans are ever not going to show you're bum. I remember when my Levi's used to button right up to my waist.

These are now called high rise, but I think they are normal rise tbh

Yeah the high rise ones in my length and size sell out really quickly from Next - plus I feel its a bit of Next price but Matalan quality these days.

I'd like to make my own so I guess its just a matter of trawling through the patterns.

Do you mean trying to make a pattern from the jeans as they are, or unpicking them into their component pieces?
If they are unwearable, due to holes or rips, then it might be worth taking them to prices and having a go. Otherwise not.

Yes, unpicking them would work

I think it will work, but you need to unpick them and then allow a tiny bit extra for the seams as they will have been done on an overlocker.

Maybe take quite a few photos before and during unpicking.

I copy favourite clothes by unpicking them and then copying on tracing paper. It does work, but is not quick. After unpicking and copying, I usually put all the pieces together again, which is good practice before starting the new garment.