megan nielsen design diary

Hey everyone! Here we are with our last fly option for the Dawn jeans – an exposed button fly. This is a really simple alternative to the button fly with the buttons being more of a feature instead of hidden away. And honestly, its my personal favorite! I like to see all of those shiny buttons on display. So that’s what we will be going over today. You won’t need the button fly pattern piece (9), other than for the button placement. So no need to cut that one out of your fabric.

If you are looking to do a classic button fly, follow along with yesterdays post here. Or if you want to do a zipper fly front, you can find those instructions here.

P.S – you’ll need to swap between regular thread and topstitching thread throughout the construction. I’ve marked which one is being used in bold for each step.

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One of my favorite things about the Dawn jeans is all the options you have for a fly closure. With all the different leg views + the fly options, it makes what could be just a basic jeans pattern so much more personal and customizable. You can choose between a zipper fly (find that post here), a classic button fly (which is what we’ll go over today!), and an exposed button fly (watch out for that tutorial tomorrow).

So, today we will go over the button fly construction. It’s a classic vintage denim closure, and probably the most popular option for Dawn. It provides the same look as a zipper fly from the outside, since the buttons are hidden, but without the intimidating zipper installation. It’s a really fun and rewarding step to get through, so I hope you enjoy it, too!

P.S – you’ll need to swap between regular thread and topstitching thread throughout the construction. I’ve marked which one is being used in bold for each step.

Now let’s just get to it!

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The Dawn jeans are all of our denim dreams come true. With the latest trend in denim moving towards a more roomy, comfortable, higher waisted jean we’ve been so excited to look at all of the various options for this pattern! The silhouette harks back to the classic denim fits of the 90’s. Denim jeans that get better with age, fit your curves perfectly and jeans that look great with sneakers and heels, blouses and t-shirts, in winter, summer and all seasons in between.

All versions have room for you to customise your pair just for you. Change the hem (frayed, cuffed or cropped) or the pocket detailing (adding embroidery to the back pocket, or contrasting pocket bag) or just pick the leg width that suits you the best. The options are endless!

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• Adding a little length to your jeans and rolling them at the ankle will give a true vintage look.
• Leave the hem raw and let it fray naturally.
• If you’ve chosen a raw hem, try cutting it into a different shape…a stepped hem perhaps!
• Take the opportunity to make your perfect fitting white jeans. Well fitting white denim is SO hard to find in stores, why not use Dawn to create the perfect vintage white jean.

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The resurgence of the straight leg jean was a happy day for many women! Comfort levels soared as did excitement level knowing that we could all finally sit down in jeans that didn’t strangle our legs!

• Cropped straight legs are extremely chic with heels and a button up shirt, leave the hem natural so it will fray slightly over time.
• If you choose a longer leg length, you’ve got all hem options open to you. A stepped or cuffed hem look amazing but a traditional jeans hem gives it a classic look.
• Choose a coloured denim or linen and match the topstitch thread to your fabric to create the same vintage silhouette without looking like you’re wearing ‘jeans’.

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• We love a wide leg jean that finishes right at the ankle creating a perfect vintage look.
• Create a wider hem on the legs for a different look.
• Using linen to make your wide leg jeans makes them the perfect lightweight alternative to jeans!

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• Leave the hem of the shorts raw and let it fray as much or as little as you like!
• Extend the length slightly and cuff just above the knee for a more modest look.

// LOOKING FOR MORE DAWN POSTS? //

Here is a list of Ash jeans posts that also pertain to the Dawn jeans:

• Where to buy jeans making supplies
• How to adjust rise
• How to lengthen or shorten the inseam
• How to shorten a denim zipper 
• How to sew flat felled seams
• Fly front
• Front pockets 
• Back pockets, yoke, and back seam 
• Inseam and side seams 
• Belt loops and waistband 
• Buttonhole and hem
• How to install rivets and jeans buttons
• How to distress denim

And here are the new posts coming this week to help you with Dawn:

• Dawn pattern tester round-up
• Dawn inspiration and ideas (this post!)
• How to sew a button fly
• How to sew an exposed button fly
• How to finish pocket bags with french seams
• Tips for embroidering jeans

Don’t have the Dawn sewing pattern yet?! Order Dawn today! We absolutely love seeing what you make, so don’t forget to tag your creations with #MNdawn and @megannielsenpatterns when sharing on social media, and check out what everyone else is up to!

 

It’s our favourite time again…our latest pattern tester roundup for our second jeans pattern, Dawn! Our beautiful testers have agreed to let us share their makes with you and I’m certain you will love the the many variations they have made of the Dawn jeans.

I really do appreciate the time and effort all of our testers put into the process for us. It’s such a valuable part of what we do and without you we couldn’t keep creating such high quality patterns…so as usual, I’m sending you the biggest of hugs!

Enjoy browsing these gorgeous makes, I hope you love it as much as I did. Don’t forget to check out these ladies blogs and Instagram’s for more of their sewing journeys.

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Hey, everyone! It’s Holly again, moving right along with the next sewalong – the Dawn jeans. Now, this one is going to look a little different, since most of the construction of the Dawn jeans is exactly the same as the Ash jeans. So you can use the Ash sewalong posts to help you with your Dawn construction, with the addition of a few new tutorial posts that I’ll talk about in a minute.

But first, although the construction is the same, let’s discuss what is the difference between Dawn and Ash. Ash is meant to have a mid-ish rise and sit below your naval, whereas Dawn is a little higher rise and meant to sit at your natural waist. But more importantly – the Ash jeans are a stretch denim pattern, while the Dawn jeans are a rigid jean.

STRETCH VS. RIGID JEANS

So stretch denim is denim blended with a small amount of elastane/lycra/spandex that allows it to, literally, stretch. Different amounts of elastic will result in a range of stretch percentage. For example, Ash calls for a denim with 2% of a stretch fiber with at least 15-20% stretch percentage. Working with a denim with this amount of stretch allows a pattern to have negative ease, and results in a tight, very close fitting, body-con jean through the waist and hip. Think – the modern day skinny jean or jegging. This is the Ash jean pattern.

Rigid denim, on the other hand, just means non-stretch. It contains no elastane/lycra/spandex (or if you can’t find a true rigid denim you like, go with one that has very little elastic fibers, like 1% or less, with a very small amount of stretch percentage). Its a classic denim, that creates a more relaxed fit jean. The pattern has positive ease, and will fit close through the waist and hip, but not super snug and tight like with stretch denim. Think – a vintage denim look. Like vintage mom jeans. This is the Dawn jeans pattern. You can also use other non-stretch bottom weights other than denim, such as twill, corduroy, or linen.

DAWN SEWALONG SCHEDULE

Ok, so now back to this sewalong. The main difference between Ash and Dawn is fit and type of denim used. But the construction is basically exactly the same. From the pockets, to the seams, to the waistband and belt loops and hardware – the same construction! In fact, if you are including a zipper fly front on your Dawn jeans, you can follow the Ash sewalong exactly. Of course, there is one more difference between the two patterns – Dawn includes options for a button fly or exposed button fly. So we will be including new posts for those tutorials, as well as new tips for sewing buttonholes, finishing pocket bags, and embroidering your jeans!

Here is a list of Ash jeans posts that also pertain to the Dawn jeans:

• Where to buy jeans making supplies
• How to adjust rise
• How to grade between sizes
• How to lengthen or shorten the inseam
• How to shorten a denim zipper 
• How to sew flat felled seams
• Fly front
• Front pockets 
• Back pockets, yoke, and back seam 
• Inseam and side seams 
• Belt loops and waistband 
• Buttonhole and hem
• How to install rivets and jeans buttons
• How to distress denim

And here are the new posts coming this week to help you with Dawn:

• Dawn pattern tester round-up
• Dawn inspiration and ideas
• How to sew a button fly
• How to sew an exposed button fly
• How to finish pocket bags with french seams
• Tips for embroidering jeans

Don’t have the Dawn sewing pattern yet?! Order Dawn today ! We absolutely love seeing what you make, so don’t forget to tag your creations with #MNdawn and @megannielsenpatterns when sharing on social media, and check out what everyone else is up to!