I'm happy to report that my silver denim jeans are nearly finished.
One challenge that this fabric presented was its aluminum foil-like reflectiveness. Light really bounces off it!
The bigger challenge had nothing to do with the metallic finish and everything to do with the stretch. In order to finish the waistband, I attached it the way I do all my jeans: stitching the band first on the inside of the pants and then folding it over the top, turning the seam allowance under, and topstitching the waistband in place. Even with a walking foot, the fabric wanted to stretch (the fabric has one-way stretch, btw; I cut the waistband so it wouldn't stretch horizontally). I tried Wonder Tape -- no luck: it wouldn't stick to the silver coating. Fusible web wasn't an option since pressing this fabric is out of the question -- I didn't even try.
My remedy -- which worked perfectly, btw -- was to tape the outer waistband in place with transparent Scotch tape and to simply sew on top of it. The tape was challenging to remove after I'd stitched over it, but with patience, I was able to peel it all off.
I then finished the waistband with belt loops and a silver snap.
All that remains to do now is to hem. I'm not sure how long I want these jeans to be and since the wrong side is white, I can't really turn them up if I want them shorter. I may finish them by hand with a deep hem and a blind stitch, so that I can turn them up without the white underside showing. We'll see.
Here are the pants before I added the belt loops. Can you say shiny hiney?
I'll save the rest for the big reveal.
Have a great day, everybody!
Your pants look sterling! (They're no flatware, that's certain.) Wear thick undies -- you're going to get lots of pinches. What's a good response to 'shiney hiney' -- disco balls?
ReplyDeleteMouse I love your comments! I love the silver jeans.
ReplyDeletelooking amazing!!
ReplyDeleteI,too, bow to Mouse. She said it best.
ReplyDeleteagreed, Mouse drops the mic on this thread. those are trés sexy!
ReplyDeletewow, those are going to be great!
ReplyDeleteThey look fantabulous!!! Your going to get a lot of new clients on this one!! Cue up the Donna Summer music and boogie down.
ReplyDeleteThese pants are going to stop traffic!
ReplyDeleteWhat glamorous gluts! What shoes will you be wearing with them?
ReplyDeleteDefinitely to be worn with a metal funnel on your head a la The Tinman ;-)
ReplyDelete@MrsC - The Tinman was my first thought as well. These silver jeans must be what the Tinman wore on his day off!
DeleteJohn in NC
OMG! I LOVE them, they are really crazy. This is what I like the most about sewing, you can go custom wild.
ReplyDeleteHa, I love it - CUSTOM WILD! : )
DeleteHello Peter this material and your pants are great!
ReplyDeleteMiau!
Great idea on the tape! Have you considered low-tack cellophane artist's tape? I've not used clear tape but have used blue painter's tape on other projects to excellent effect. (Don't let it stick more than a week and don't let it sit in the direct sun for more than a day or so.) I find genuine 3M brand works the best. I'm going to get some artist's tape. It looks like it might be just the thing for sewing knits.
ReplyDeleteYour behind certainly looks very fetching in those silver jeans...
ReplyDelete"Shiny hiney"....so funny!!!
ReplyDeleteHaving sewn lame and sequined fabrics in the past, I wondered about the "shine factor" while sewing this. Your backside's so bright, I gotta wear shades!
ReplyDeleteBuns of silver!! They're the bomb!!
ReplyDeleteTip of the hat to Mouse!
DeleteFree buffing is in someone's future.
Oh, and, hello scorpioninblue (he taps his watch, or would a calendar be more appropriate???).
Yes, yes!! I'm on it!! You're worse than Snidley Whiplash!! LOL!
DeleteI can't wait to see how you style these jeans. They're looking good.
ReplyDeleteYou've got a great fit, and as always, your work is fabulous. A question, if I may: many, possibly most, back pockets start at the point of the butt. That means that they run mostly along the upper back part of the legs. Am I alone in thinking that, instead of emphasizing a feature, this placement obscures a nice butt?
ReplyDeleteI've been noticing the same thing all over lately! Pockets that fit on just the backside might not be big enough for a wallet or phone though?
DeleteI really love these.
ReplyDeleteAll I can say is "Awesome"!!!
ReplyDeleteOh good lord, ready for the post-apocalypse disco! I'm hanging out with you as you'll reflect nuclear rays and blind the zombies. Great job sewing that tricky fabric!
ReplyDeleteBlimey, shades of the cybermen in Doctor Who!!!! The sewing is great, the look may be best reserved for those Rocky Horror themed evenings!!!
ReplyDeleteThe best material I've found for situations like this is wax paper. It stablizes like a charm and tears beautifully off once you've sewn, with no sticking!
ReplyDelete