Jeans, jeans, jeans 👖

The Polly jeans pattern is here! I've got jeans on the brain these days, which is why I've made a pattern, a digital jeans course and my own denim fabric.

Polly is a pair of classic jeans with wide legs and a relaxed fit, designed for heavy, non-stretch fabric. The pattern is named after my idol P.J. (Polly Jean) Harvey.

I recently asked on Instagram how people feel about sewing jeans, and surprisingly many said it felt scary. Whether it's the details or the heavy fabric that makes it feel overwhelming, or whether trousers in general are tricky, I'm not sure — but my goal with the Melilot patterns is to make the projects as approachable as possible. The pattern explains every step thoroughly with text and illustration, and Polly also comes with a video course where I go in depth on both the sewing technique and fitting to the body. Jeans aren't hard to sew, and now I'm here to help make the process even easier!

Jeans are a hard-wearing, versatile garment that suits most styles. Originally it was workwear, and therefore made from denim — a sturdy, tightly woven cotton fabric. Denim is a type of heavy twill, and the name comes from the city of Nîmes (de Nîmes), where the fabric was first produced.

You can choose to sew jeans in fabrics other than denim. Polly is designed for heavy, firmly woven fabrics, but you can absolutely experiment with lighter qualities. First of all, look at the weight of the fabric — it tells you about both the thread density and the heaviness of the material. Fabrics lighter than this can still feel firm and stiff; it depends on how the fabric is made, and whether the manufacturer has added starch to make it easier to handle at the factory. So always wash the fabric before you sew, so you know how it really behaves and to rinse out excess dye, starch and any shrinkage.

The Polly jeans in the photos are sewn in denim weighing 300–400 gsm. Other fabrics that can work for jeans are heavy twill (denim is a type of twill), canvas, corduroy, woven cotton velvet, tightly woven upholstery fabric (avoid flame-retardant and waterproof qualities) and heavy canvas. If you're sewing jeans in corduroy, check the back of the fabric to see whether it's tightly or loosely woven — corduroy can easily lose its shape if woven too loosely.