Two-Toned Bleached Denim Dawn Jeans

I finally sewed my first pair real jeans - the Dawn Jeans by Megan Nielsen. Non stretch, high waist, classic tapered fit. Needless to say, they are fulfilling my handmade jean dreams.

I bought 2 yards of 12 oz., dark wash, non stretch denim. I cut it in half and soaked one half in bleach water for 3.5 hours.

The longer you leave the denim in the bleach, obviously the lighter it gets. I checked on it every 15-30 minutes and swished it around to make sure it was bleaching evenly. When the color looked about as light as I wanted, I took it out and washed it.

Once I washed and dried both the light and dark wash denim, I cut out the pieces and sewed them up.

The Dawn Jeans pattern instructions are a joy to follow and sew along with. I made a size 4 and tightened up the waist a bit by taking off some extra width from the center back and the side seams — a common adjustment I have to make with pants.

To see my favorite way to sew beautiful topstitching on a button fly, check out my photo tutorial here!

What a joy to have my very own jeans, handmade by me, fit perfectly to my own body. So thankful for this pattern!

3 Beautiful Wrap Skirt Sewing Patterns

Rosemary Wrap by Sarah Kirsten (sorry, not sorry…)

Wrap Skirt by Peppermint Mag & In The Folds (FREE PATTERN)

Bellbird Wrap Skirt by Common Stitch

The Ultimate Way to Sew Beautiful Button Fly Topstitching

The dreaded topstitching of the button fly…. It’s scary because it’s one of the most visible parts of the pants. The good news is there is an easy method to get the stitching looking good every time.

Topstitching the fly was the main thing that held be back from making jeans. I was fearful the fly stitching wouldn’t look good. Had I known how easy this was, I think I would have started my journey of making pants-with-button-flies earlier than I did.

So let me spare you some heartache. Here’s how to nail the topstitching. In this tutorial I’m sewing the lovely Megan Nielsen Dawn Jeans.

Step 1: Copy the fly pattern out of a piece of scrap paper.

Step 2: Line up the curved edge of the pattern piece right where you want your topstitching to land on the button fly — I want mine to land right along the inside of the serger thread.

(I have an abundance of scrap paper from paper patterns, so I’m using some for this tutorial.)

Step 3: Keeping the paper aligned, flip the paper and button fly over. Using a pen, mark the paper along the top and edge of the button fly.

Step 4: Cut out the stitch guide along the line you just drew. Clip the paper piece in position on top of the pants, with the button fly in position underneath.

Step 5: With everything lined up perfectly, stitch right along the edge of the stitching guide.

Step 6: Unclip, pull off the paper, admire your work.

Step 7: Once you have one line of stitching, you can easily use that line as a guide for sewing another line.

It’s a real joy to sew your own jeans. Thanks for producing this pattern, Megan. Here’s the link again to these Dawn Jeans.

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How to Sew a Ruffle Pillow

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Rosemary Wrap Sewing Pattern Materials List

Ready to wrap yourself up in some handmade love? Here are the fabric requirements and fiber content recommendations you need for the Rosemary Wrap.

This pattern is meant to be light hearted and chill. Meaning, it’s easy to cut out, easy to sew, easy to wear, easy to fit (because it wraps!), and easy to adjust the length to your preference. Check the chart below to find your approximate size and the corresponding fabric yardage requirements.

Buy the Rosemary Wrap sewing pattern here!

7 Great Woven Tank Top Sewing Patterns

Can you have too many woven tank tops? If you’re like me, they are basically the foundation of your wardrobe that you build outfits around. They go with so many things, they keep you cool, they don’t get in the way of your work, they are beautiful and fun to sew, and they just… be with you. They don’t require flashy attention, they just add to who you are and how you adorn yourself.

Here are 7 woven tank top sewing patterns to make and love. All the titles and photographs are linked to the designer’s site where you can purchase or download the pattern.

Chamomile Crop by Sarah Kirsten (Sorry, not sorry…)

The Chamomile comes with a wide shoulder version and a narrow shoulder version, and a cropped fit for perfect pairing with high waisted pants, shorts, and skirts. 

Ashton Top by Helen’s Closet

The Ashton Top sewing pattern comes with a super cute cropped and long version, wide hem, and also the option for bias tape or a sharp looking all-in-one facing to finish the seams.

Peplum Top by In The Folds & Peppermint Mag (FREE PATTERN!)

The Peplum features a ruffle bottom and a v-neck back. It’s designed by my friend Emily from In The Folds who produces amazing patterns every year. 

Demeter Dress & Top by Anna Allen 

The Demeter sewing pattern is another wonderful example of how wonderful everything is that Anna designs. So dreamy. This pattern comes in four versions - a sleeveless and sleeved dress, and a sleeveless and sleeved shirt. All versions are stunning. 

Willow Tank & Dress by Grainline Studio

The Willow has a tank top and a dress version with a lovely wide hem, straight hem.

Wiksten Tank Top and Dress by Wiksten

The Wiksten Tank is a beautiful dartless tank with a lovely curved hem.

Gemma Tank by Made by Rae

The Gemma is simple and elegant with a lovely neckline and curved hem. She also has lots of tutorials about sewing the bias binding and how to make a cropped version.