I am proud to share my latest contribution to the verrrrry Slow Fashion movement: Megan Nielsen Dawn Jeans! Nearly six months after buying the fabric and notions, they’re finally done. Whew!

I put “Finish what you start” and “Finish MN Dawn Jeans” (for double whammy good measure) on my list of 2020 goals, giving myself the perfect amount of accountability without too much pressure. That’s definitely how I like my hobbies lately!

If you follow me on Instagram you’ve seen my slow, erratic progress on these jeans. Since I chose a close-to-black denim and mint green topstitching thread, there was a ton of topstitching and unpicking… a few times over. I wasn’t going for perfection, but I didn’t want any wonky stitches to be downright distracting. Nevertheless, it was a really satisfying piece! I referenced Megan Nielsen’s sewalong throughout construction.

Marc snapped a few photos on a very slow moving Sunday morning (a theme here!), so please excuse my grunginess.

Details

I made a shorts-length muslin before cutting into my denim—thank god I did because I had a very uncomfortable wedgie that was super easy to fix by lengthening the rise. Full details below!

• Pattern: Megan Nielsen Dawn Jeans in view B (straight leg jean) with the tall full inseam (31.25″)
• Fabric: Nonstretch denim from Oak Fabrics (I don’t think they have it in stock anymore!) and 100% cotton print from Mood for the pocket lining
• My measurements: 6’0″ tall, 36″ x 29″ x 39″
• Size: Cut between an 8 and 10 at the waist and hip, graded to an 8 from the thigh down
• Alterations:
  • Took a 1″ wedge out of the yoke
  • Lengthened rise (crotch length) on front and back by 1″
  • Shortened pocket bag by 1″ after reading Lladybird’s review

The Verdict

Construction

While they did take for-ev-er, these jeans weren’t a crazy hard sew. I’d say that the stated 3/5 level of difficulty is accurate. This pattern is impeccably drafted and the directions are straightforward (especially if you follow the sewalong). I struggled with hand-sewing the buttonhole, because my zipper was really long and extended up into the waistband. I don’t think the directions called for this, but in retrospect I should have removed the extra teeth with pliers. Live and learn.

My one piece of advice is to MAKE A MUSLIN! If you’re going to sink hours and hours into sewing a pair of jeans, you might as well take the extra few hours to make sure they fit great.

Fit

These are the highest-waisted jeans I’ve ever worn! Despite it being a little trickier to bend over in these, they’re surprisingly comfortable. They’re a little snug since I’m not used to nonstretch jeans, but overall they felt great sitting through two meals.

I am debating going back and cropping them since the inseam is in this weird spot between cropped and regular length (shall we just call them floods for now?), but Marc insisted that the look great. I’m going to give them a few more wears and see! You can always chop, but you can’t add fabric back, so I’m hesitant. I thought cutting these at the tall full inseam and adding an extra inch at the crotch would be fine, but I wish they were a little longer.

Overall, I’m loving these jeans and will definitely be exploring some of the other views. I’ve been primarily wearing skinny jeans for the past several years, so this straight leg version feels ultra roomy and a little strange, but it’s a nice change of pace.

Now please enjoy these gratuitous photos of my dog, Cora, who made it almost impossible to take detail shots.