Have you been avoiding sewing your own denim jeans because you think it’s too difficult?

Sewing denim jeans does present a number of challenges that sewing ordinary pants does not, which may be why so many classes are geared to jeans-making (in addition to the fact that they’re simply a popular garment).

Identifiable jeans details

All of us are familiar with the way ready-to-wear (RTW) jeans are finished and, as a result, our definition of how they must look is specific. Classic RTW jeans share the following characteristics: They’re sewn from denim (a cotton twill woven to produce a fine diagonal ribbing), which is often indigo blue; decorated with contrasting topstitching in single, double, and even triple parallel rows; front pockets reinforced with metal rivets; metal jeans button closure on the front waistband; and seamed with sturdy flat-felled seams.

It’s not the sewing of the cotton denim that presents a unique challenge, however. It’s creating this authentic appearance that sets jeans making apart.

Another aspect specific to jeans is their fit. Most of us have a clear idea about where we want our jeans to cling and where we don’t: I like mine to be snug in the rear and loose around my calves and ankles. Being able to customize fit is part of what propels us to sew our own jeans.

10 denim sewing tips

Denim, due to its thickness, can present a challenge to many sewing machines. Most of our jean seams are flat-felled on the outside, meaning they are…