I’ve been trying to make different garments for Paul. It’s satisfying to make him garments as it teaches me how to fit a body other than my own.

He needed a new pair of heavier weight jeans following the success of a pair I had previously made for him from the same pattern. We purchased the Ottobre family pattern magazine from Pattern Postie which contained lots of menswear patterns. He traced the pattern from the pattern sheet onto baking paper to use.  Seam allowances aren’t included so he added them to the pattern. Thankfully Ottobre patterns aren’t as difficult as Burda to trace.

The pattern is beautifully drafted and includes pockets which are one piece which you fold and French seam to create a pocket bag. I chose Marimekko fabric from Bolt of Cloth for the pocket bags. It reminded me of Van Gogh – Paul’s favourite artist. I sewed the right sides together then the wrong side. This meant that the right sides of the fabric is visible to the wearer on the inside of the pants.  A fat quarter was the perfect amount for this part of the garment.

I found the instructions of this pattern excellent. They have much more detail than Burda. The zip fly instructions aren’t included in the magazine, instead you visit the Ottobre website which gives a full explanation. They seem to cover a few techniques this way. Paul found the zip fly a little short on his first pair so I chose a zip which was 2cm longer for his second pair.

I used Cone Mills denim from La Mercerie for his recent pair of jeans and Japanese denim from Drapers Fabrics for his first pair. Both fabrics are mainly cotton with a small percent stretch. These jeans fit his body better than any ready to wear jeans. A belt is optional. He finds the stretch super comfortable. Not many mens jeans contain lycra but maybe they should! 

We both prefer bar tacks over metal studs to add strength to high use areas. I have an upcoming blog post for lots of tips on sewing denim.

Paul is a Ruby on Rails Web developer. We decided to stitch the Ruby gem onto one of his back pockets.

He is obsessed with his new jeans! He loves the denim and thinks it’s worth the shipping cost from Canada. Making jeans is actually pretty cost effective when you are used to spending $250+ on a pair of Nudie Jeans. 

I’m glad he appreciates all the little details on his jeans and can’t wait make him more pairs in the future. Hopefully my next jeans making will be as successful! I’m planning on making the Dawn jeans. 

Happy sewing