Ginger Jeans Part 2 - Leopard Party

11.24.2014

Today I'm straining the edges of tasteful dressing in the form of leopard jeans. Yes that's right, leopard jeans.  Meooowwww. Jungle January has come early.
Last year Marcy Tilton posted this denim and I resisted it for a long time. A loooong time considering that my browser finds it's way to the website pretty much every day.  Then one week Marcy put this fabric on the "deal of the week" page and only a saint/lover of nothing but solids could resist leopard print denim on sale. I am neither one of those things and leopard denim came to live in my stash. I hear Pretty Grievances yelling "Amen!"
These were sewn right after finishing my first pair of Gingers and some further fitting changes were made.

1. Reduced the front rise by 3/8".  The rise was definitely too long on the previous pair. I'm a bit unsure if it's the correct length now, as this area is always hard for me to judge.

2. Added more width to the front waist area by cutting into the fly area and spreading 1/2". This gives more room for "post mommy gut" and the like.  I went a little too far with this adjustment and need to scale it back to half of that amount of ease.

3. Cut down the front of the jeans 3/8" at the zipper and graded out to zero at the side seams for my tilted waist.  This is a pretty regular alteration for me, but I talked myself out of it on the first pair.  Probably cause I don't notice pants cutting into my waist until actually sitting in them for any amount of time.

4. Extending front of waistband to match the full tummy adjustment.  I put 1/2" extra on the end of the waistband.

5. Moved pocket placement 1" lower than previous pair.....scouts honor. My pockets are hiding like leopards in the the veld.
I didn't think of any new changes to make to the back view until this pair was almost done. So you'll just have to avert your gaze at my drag lines again. Or we can all agree on the lie that the leopard print totally obscures them. Let's Sgt Schultz this affair up, "I saw nothinz, Nothinz!"
Side note - How weird is the premise of Hogan's Hero's now that you're an adult? "Let's make a show about American POWS in a concentration camp and make it a zany comedy.  Haa Haa Haa Nazis!" Ten year old Heather thought it was great. Fooled you again Colonel Klink, when will you ever learn.

Back to jeans....on this pair I broke out the rivets and then spent about 2 hours hammering on my cast iron frying pan and while cursing rivets and people who make rivets. AHHHHH, my inability to hammer a nail/anything nail like in straight strikes again. My kingdom for more upper body strength or maybe a berserker rage state. That would show those rivets who's boss.
So if you're like me and this is your first time battling rivets I'd recommend buying some extra packs. That way when you stupidly try to hammer them in from the front and the rivet bends sideways you can throw it away.  Then google installing rivets and find out you're supposed to hammer then in from the back. Oops. (Mine still bent side wise 75% of the time. I curse you rivet!)

So that's the skinny on this pair of Ginger jeans. Here are some of the fitting plans I have in mind for the next pair.
1. Take out some of that hip ease that I added to the original pattern. I tend to forget that denim relaxes as you wear it and end up with baggier pants than expected.

2. Try that trick up making the back inseam 1/2" shorter than the front. I never remember this one when making pants until it's too late.

3. Reduce my full tummy adjustment by half.

4. I may need to dart the yoke out just a bit. Again it's loosing up back in the area during wear.

5. Barter an unholy deal with the devil were in all my rear fittings issues magically disappear but I have to contend with a Rosemary's Baby situation.  LOL, Nope.  Never gestating again until it can be done in a remote location. Oh dear I've horrified Past Heather. Tell her to stop trying to hide against that wall to escape devil babies. We'll just eat some more cookies to fill out those wrinkles. Problem solved.

22 comments:

  1. Hahahaha! You're right all the wrinkles and fitting issues disappear into the print. It's very hard to see anything but LEOPARD in these! You make me smile!

    ReplyDelete
  2. These pants are so great! Have you been wearing them a lot? I hope so. Got any more Gingers planned?

    ReplyDelete
  3. I kinda like wrinkles under the bum of pants.... it sorta gives me definition...is that wrong? These look great Heather!

    ReplyDelete
  4. any fit issues are completely disguised by the leopard print! loving this pair sooo much!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. You are so funny! These look awesome! The leopard looks great on you! I love me some cool printed denim!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love this pair of jeans, the print so perfect! The rise looks good from what I can tell, put its the wear factor that will be important. Who notices the wrinkles anyway, they are just future insurance :-)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Dude, these are so good! Also (we're all friends, right, so I can say this?), nice rack! You look great in this outfit!

    ReplyDelete
  8. "Wait is that a wrinkle? Oh crap it just ran away!" Haa haa haaa, all part of my evil plan.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Right now I'm thinking about a red pair and a black pair. I do need to buy the red denim but Fabric.com has some decent stuff that might work.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I do know that you need a little bit of wrinkles under the butt so that your pants don't rip apart when you sit down. Still a little unsure if all my wrinkles are sitting ease. Maybe I like to tinker too much!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I'm going to send froggie over with cookies for supporting my leopard print masks fitting problems lie. :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. It's all part of my evil plan to brainwash everyone into wearing more leopard. :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. I owe all my laughs to Stg Schultz and chocolate. :) Marcy Titlon is the queen of printed denim. Pretty sure I'll be an old lady with lots of crazy pants.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Awarding bonus Froggie points for your opinions on pants wrinkles. You can convert those points into free hemming. :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. LOL, I will happily except boob compliments. This sweater is a "one size fits all" deal and yeaaaahhh, it's pretty tight.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Excellent! Leopard level achieved! Now I'm going to sew boring solid jeans with non-contrasting stitching..but in red.

    ReplyDelete
  17. These are seriously fantastic. Love, love the leopard denim on you! Looks great with the silver shoes, too. I'm leaning towards trying out the higher rise Ginger style in the new year.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Fun pants! And they look great with that top!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Thanks Tasha. The higher rise is really nice. Not too high to bother you when sitting.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Thanks so much. Hope to get a lot of wear out of them.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Jeans of epic leopardness!

    ReplyDelete
  22. My superpower is blinding you with leopard!

    ReplyDelete

Proudly designed by Mlekoshi pixel perfect web designs