DIY Mom Jeans: Chic and easy

It’s been a minute since I’ve sewn something as labor intensive as jeans. With all the top-stitching, flat-fell seams and fitting, I tend to slide right past patterns for jeans. lol. Even though I could live in them, they’re not my first choice to sew.

Game changer was this Dawn Jeans pattern by Megan Nielsen. It took me a minute to warm to the “mom jean” trend, but I’m all for it now! So, this high-waisted look is getting its moment to shine in my #memade DIY wardrobe.

What drew me to this pattern was its wide-leg version. It has just enough volume in the leg to make it on trend…and the crop length made it even more appealing, though I made mine ankle skimmers…i.e. longer.

Luckily for me, I can extend a huge thank you to Harts Designer Fabric for providing the fabric! It’s a khaki colored twill, though for some reason I keep absentmindedly referring to it as denim. This medium weight Robert Kaufman 100% cotton comes in a versatile neutral, “Santa Cruz Twill Stone”. The website describes it as a lighter bottom weight fabric, but it really feels more like a medium weight to me.

It’s a sturdy fabric so it’s suitable not just for apparel but for light home decor projects too! I can easily see a tote in this fabric. However, I will say that because of that versatility, the wrong side texture isn’t quite as smooth as your well-worn denim. But admittedly I’m hyper-sensitive to the feel of fabric, so the texture is probably fine for most.

Along with the fabric, the good folks at Harts couldn’t help themselves. So along with the fabric they sent matching Gutermann thread, Schmetz denim needles and a Closet Case zipper fly jean hardware kit in nickel.

Construction

I played nice with the pattern and made only a few adjustments.

• Curvy bottom alteration: It was crucial as the twill is 100% cotton and has minimal stretch. So with this in mind, I worked out all of my fit issues, which were few.
• Deep hem: Instead of the 1/2″ hem called for, I saw this pair of cropped pants and eyed the hem immediately. So my hem is similarly about 3″ deep.

I opted not to use the traditional heavier top-stitching thread, but used the Guterman thread provided instead…a more subtle touch. Here you can see some of the top-stitching and nickel hardware to get an idea of the look.

I’m not a novice sewer, but a little instruction doesn’t hurt. Here are two great options for that:

• Megan Nielsen has a fantastic blog with great detailed instructions for the entire construction process for both Ash jeans and Dawn jeans. The pattern instructions are well-written.
• Erica Bunker has a jean tutorial on her site as well. She’s an expert level seamstress and provides excellent instruction and tips. She has a few tutorials posted to both her site, for purchase and additional tutorials on her YouTube channel.

Styling

So these pants are my slick way of wearing jeans to work. lol. So to dress them up I added this Ann Taylor top I’ve had for years. Paired them with a pair of Bella-Vita “Sarah” II Sling flats from Nordstrom, notable because they come in narrow and wide widths…and I’m perpetually on the hunt for well-fitting narrow shoes.

So for this DIY style, it’s been a breeze using great fabric and a great pattern. Can’t wait to show you Version II in black denim!

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