NEW BLUE JEANS - WIDE LEG TRUE BIAS LANDER PANTS IN RIGID INDIGO DENIM
Paired with a Molly Goddard sweater and chunky platform boots.
Hot off the sewing machine! I’ve got a fresh pair of blue jeans. I bought this indigo dyed 100% cotton denim from Merchant & Mills about a year ago (now sold out), with the intention of making these. But the denim is heavier than I expected, and I have to be in the right headspace to take on a project that involves hammering seams and hardware, and constantly changing my thread tension. I was finally ready.
Front details of the button front fly.
I have sewn this pattern - the True Bias Lander Pant - many times. I sewed my first muslin in 2018, and I have made small tweaks to every version. This slow evolution was a result of wearing this pattern all the time, and realizing what small changes would make them more comfortable. The reward for making the same pattern many times is a great fit. You can cut the pattern without worry because the work is already done.
True Bias has their own sizing chart, and I find it to be accurate, but I always recommend making a muslin when sewing pants, because a crotch curve is a finicky thing!
Top stitching and hardware.
For this project, I sewed everything on my Bernina 153QE, with the exception of the bar tacks on the belt loops - this machine simply could not pierce that many layers of fabric (I used my Singer Quantum Stylist 9960, which handled it with ease). To help reduce bulk, any thick seams were hammered aggressively to flatten them. I also cut the waistband facing out of a fun printed cotton to help reduce bulk - it would have been impossible to topstitch the waistband in this denim if I hadn’t done that. I used a light weight fusible interfacing on that cotton fabric to give it more stability.
Everything was sewn with a jeans needle. For construction, I used regular Gutterman thread in a matching dark blue. I used Gutterman heavy weight thread for the topstitching (and again my machine struggled, this time with maintaining thread tension) and then switched to regular weight thread in the same color for buttonholes and bar tacks. The interior seam allowances are serged following the pattern, with one exception. The pattern has you serge the inseams separately before construction, but I prefer to sew those seams, and then serge the seam allowances together in one go (less bulky).
The front of my Lander Pants jeans.
Over the course of sewing and modifying various pairs of these pants, the main thing I have modified is the crotch curve. I have added to the crotch point on both Front and Back pattern pieces, with the intersection now sitting further towards the back of my body than as drafted. I have scooped the center front curve by 1/8”. I have also modified the side seams to work with my small waist and wide hips, this pair is a size 10 at the waist, 16 at the low hip, and then back down to 14 through the legs. My body is asymmetrical through the hip, so I actually fit each side separately - I find this to be significantly more comfortable in the end.
One of the most impactful changes I made with this version was to use a curved waistband. I borrowed the waistband pattern piece from Daughter Judy’s Adams Pant, and it works really well. The curved waistband hugs my body even when seated (doesn't pull away) and the curved fabric has a bit of give, which adds a touch of comfort to this rigid denim.
Click on smaller images to enlarge.
As for cosmetic changes, I swapped out the pockets for ones I drafted, inspired by vintage women’s denim pants. I made them curved and added a slanted opening to the front pockets. The slanted opening is faced in the same printed cotton as the waistband. I cut the belt loops longer than the pattern suggests (I went with 4”), because none of my belts fit through the loops of my previous versions!
And then the most obvious change is my addition of jeans style top stitching and rivets. I love how this pattern looks a bit vintage with the simple addition of ochre top stitching!
I will put together another post for the outfits I styled with these jeans, so I can link to the other patterns I have paired with them. I already know these jeans are a cornerstone of my wardrobe, but I usually make them with a slimmed leg shape. I am happy to have this wider leg version, which I find to be super comfortable, and a fun proportion to play with when getting dressed.
XO, Martha