We all have a pair of jeans that fits perfectly and yet looks like everyone else’s. A Custom Jeans workshop is for exactly that: taking the pair you already love and making it so yours that nobody else has it.
★ What is a Custom Jeans workshop?
It is an in-person sewing workshop where you bring your own pair of jeans to customise, with needle, thread and someone beside you. You start from a garment you already like and change just what makes it look like all the others.
★ Ideas for customising jeans
- ★ A side panel in another fabric, such as corduroy, satin or a silver fabric.
- ★ Stars, flowers or letters appliquéd on a pocket or a knee.
- ★ A different hem: frayed, with a ruffle or with a strip of another fabric.
- ★ New pockets, patch pockets, in another fabric or in an unexpected spot.
- ★ Different buttons or fasteners, for example in gold metal.
For more inspiration, see 7 ideas to personalise a garment you already own.
★ Choose your fabrics
This is where the fun starts: the side panel, the pocket or the star can be made from any fabric. Corduroy for a retro feel, satin to make it shine, something silver so it can be spotted from the other end of the street… Before you decide, run your hand over a few and notice which one you feel like wearing.
★ And now, the colours
A hot-pink panel on denim blue shouts “look at me”; a tone-on-tone one only shows when you get close. Threads work the same way: in the same colour so they barely show, or in contrast so they become part of the design. Ugly combinations hardly exist: there are only combinations you haven’t tried yet.
★ An extra detail: the little star
A silver star on the pocket or on the side seam is small, goes on in no time and changes everything. If you are unsure where to start, start with it.
Mini challenge: before the workshop, pick three colours and a shape (star, flower or letter) and bring them written down. That way you arrive with clear ideas and ready to play.
★ Which jeans to bring
- A pair that already fits you well at the waist and hips, because what you customise is the style, not the size.
- Preferably cotton denim with little stretch: very stretchy denim gives under the needle and puckers appliqués.
- If they are new, wash them before bringing them so they shrink now and not after you have sewn something on.
★ Come with an idea (or ready to find one)
Think about what you would change: the length, a pocket, a detail on the side seam. If you are not sure, do the exercise to discover your style and write down three words to use as a compass.
★ Why customise instead of buying another pair
Giving a second life to a pair of trousers you already own saves a purchase and extends their life. And the result is a garment that is not in any shop.
★ How to book your place
The in-person workshops have limited places and the dates open up in the calendar. Look for the ones with “Jeans” in the title to see when the next one is.
