You may have read the story about the naughty corner. It’s a dark place at the bottom of my sewing room cupboard where UFOs (unfinished objects) go when they frustrate me. Today, I’m sharing the tale of one of my long-term naughty corner “inmates.”
My Jude Jeans from Closet Core Patterns have been sitting in the naughty corner for a while now, just waiting for a second chance.
I started these jeans with so much excitement. The Jude Jeans is a beautiful pattern and I loved seeing plus-size women wearing them on the Closet Core Patterns website.
The fit that didn’t fit
While we’re talking about sizes, Closet Core seems to have a pretty good range into plus sizes. I highly recommend them. Unfortunately, they don’t have an affiliate programme, so I’m not earning anything by singing their praises — this is just my honest opinion (as always).
I was sewing a size 28. According to the pattern size chart, that should fit my 50” waist and 56” hips. Technically, the size 28 is drafted for a 50” waist and 58” hips, so they would need to be tweaked for fit.
The problem was, after almost finishing the jeans (pockets, zipper fly, waistband and all), I tried them on and realised they were just a bit too big. I would have expected the issue to be in the hips, given the measurement difference, but actually it was in the centre back and waist.
Facing the alteration anxiety
I was proud of the work I’d done and the thought of unpicking seams to fix the gape at the back made me anxious.
Yes, I’d known they were likely going to need some taking in before I even started. Maybe I should have graded the pattern beforehand but my usual practice is to finish the garment in the size the pattern indicates for me and then make alterations. That way I’m not only learning how to put a garment together but also how to alter it to fit.
Wrestling a bear
Actually I really dislike making alterations. Friends ask me if I’ll do alterations for them and I refuse. I do my Mum’s ironing and sometimes repair little things for her and Dad but that is my limit.
With the Jude Jeans, that creeping “too hard” feeling took over. I knew the waistband needed to be altered but the thought of cutting it and putting a seam in it filled me with dread The only alternative was undoing the entire waistband (and probably the fly and pockets) and doing it again.
My sewing tutor suggested unpicking a few inches of the waistband and down the back seam an inch or so below a pin she’d placed as a marker. Undoing all the top stitching as well as the seam stitching was difficult. Honestly, I felt like I was wrestling a bear!
Straight into the naughty corner
A younger classmate often says, “Everything you make always fits first time, while I always have to make alterations.” Of course, that’s not true. She clearly hasn’t seen my naughty corner!
She made the comment on the last of my eight weeks’ sewing lessons. I packed up in despair and decided to try and finish the Jude Jeans at home.
Once I’d finished the unpicking, the seams looked awful. I’m not going to sugarcoat it — I felt really discouraged. I even groaned and shook my head a bit. Confusion and exasperation settled in. The naughty corner felt like the only option.
The Jude Jeans have been in there for about a year now. However, I’ve decided this next term is going to be the one for finishing my UFOs. I’m determined the naughty corner will not get the better of me.
New enthusiasm
Pulling these jeans out again for this story made me realise they might not be as impossible as I thought.
Originally I thought the back seam was flat felled and the way take it in and redo the seam confuse med.
I decided to look for a YouTube video that might help me figure this out. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust my sewing tutor’s instructions. With her years of experience, I trust her completely. That said, at home, I’m on my own except for YouTube.
I found this video from Notches Sewing. I had some old jeans at home that no longer fit and were pretty worn out anyway, so I decided to practice the method on those before going back to my Jude Flare Jeans. Then I discovered the seam was not flat felled after all. I was possibly stressing over nothing.
Ready to try again
Finishing these jeans would feel like a real victory, not just over the fabric and stitching but over the naughty corner itself. It would be a big boost to my sewing mojo and a reminder that the projects I think are “too hard” sometimes just need a little more love and patience.
Part of sewing your own clothes, especially as a plus-size sewist, is accepting that things aren’t always perfect the first time. Patterns are a guide, not gospel. Bodies come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes, it’s about perseverance and a little creativity with fitting.
This term, I’m going to tackle my Jude Jeans head-on. I’ve been motivated by the challenge, the pride in what I’ve already sewn, and the desire to rescue what would otherwise be a waste of beautiful denim. Don’t worry, I wouldn’t throw it away, I would use it to make something crafty. However, the jean deserve a second chance.
Join the challenge
No longer will my Jude Jeans languish in the naughty corner. Check back at Plus Lovely for part two of the Jude Jeans revival story.
What’s the hardest UFO currently in your naughty corner or too-hard basket? Leave me a comment and tell me all about it. I challenge you to have another go. Don’t give up. I guarantee you’ll feel great when you get it finished.