2022 was a good year for me to work on the gap in my handmade wardrobe that was pants! After I made my Black Ginger Jeans, I went right into sewing these next (so yes, I have been sitting on these photos for about a year). I have sewn quite a few pairs of Ginger Jeans, but never with corduroy. In fact, I don’t think I’d ever sewn anything with corduroy before this!

Details

Pattern

Closet Core Patterns Mid-rise Ginger Jeans

Fabric

Stretch cotton corduroy in dark olive from Blackbird Fabrics

Size traced and sewn

Size 14

View B (skinny legs)

Pattern adjustments

Added 3″ to length (I’m 5′ 10″)

Construction notes

I did baste fit these like a good girl, but I then went into autopilot and trimmed the zipper after I basted on the waste band. That would have been fine if that was the “for real” sewing of the waistband, but since I then had to take the waste band back off, the zipper pull promptly fell off. Getting that back on was a real moment of “did I just permanently fuck up these jeans?”, which usually happens  to me at least once while sewing jeans. Luckily, I got the zipper pull back on with the usual help of some YouTube videos and crafty maneuvering.

Other than the zipper snafu, there really wasn’t much to sewing with this corduroy. It was mostly just making sure the nap—which direction the fabric smooths in—was all the same. Oh, and also being careful not to crush the nap when ironing which I also almost did. Other than that it wasn’t too bad.

Final Thoughts

While this was labeled as stretch corduroy (98% cotton and 2% spandex), I don’t think it stretches as much as the stretch denim I have worked in the past. That said, I have this same fabric in navy slated for another pair of Ginger cords and might size up one more size for that pair. Technically, this pair fits okay, but they do feel a bit less stretchy than I want them to be.

I also wasn’t totally sure about the wide wale of the corduroy at first. I like it just fine now, but, of course, I have my eye on some of the delicious micro wale cords that Stylemaker stocks this time of year. I got a Stylemaker’s gift certificate for Christmas and am headed back to Maker’s Hideaway next week with my “Seattle Sews” crew. I just might have to paw their stretch corduroy in person again and maybe bring some home this time. I can always use more pants!