It took me quite a while to get my jeans pattern absolutely perfect (fitted round the bum but with a loose fit around the calves) but now I’ve got it how I like it, I can easily make a pair in no time. If you are like me, you detest buying jeans from the shops because the fitting seems to be for people with extremely long and skinny legs, or the jeans are so ripped up it looks like a cat had a go at customising them. Another issue with jeans seems to be the price. I love the look of selvedge jeans but they are quite expensive and buying selvedge denim previously nearly broke my bank account (£20 per metre but only half the width of normal fabric, which meant you had to double the length you were buying).
So, I tried coming up with ways to FAKE a selvedge. I previously tried using bias binding (see here) to great success, but this time round I wanted a quicker approach. I achieved this through using different coloured thread while overlocking the edges.
The overlocker technique worked like a charm! This is a very easy way to insert some details while overlocking the fabric and you can go multi-coloured by using 4 different threads on the overlocker. I just had to make sure the right side of the overlocked edges faces the right way up.
After an afternoon of piecing everything together (and venting any frustration I had by banging in the rivets), I have a new pair of ‘selvedge’ jeans to wear.
The fit is great but I was terrified that they may shrink in the wash as I used raw denim. So I did what any jeans purist would do, I wore it in the bathtub and later let it dry while I was still wearing it (although I gave up half way on the drying bit as I was freezing my bum off!)
I’m very happy with the outcome of this project, but I have a feeling that it was because I only paid for the zip and button. The denim fabric was something someone was giving away and everything else was from my previous project. I think these jeans only cost me £2, a fraction of what I would have paid for the real thing! I don’t think I can get any more frugal that this…
Stephen Yong 