Introducing the Jude Jeans, our first Closet Core pattern of the year!

We couldn't be happier about our first Closet Core pattern of the year - meet the Jude Jeans! While we're releasing a pattern each month with Crew, we also have a very fun calendar of classic CCP patterns coming your way this year, and Jude is a very welcome addition to our pattern roster.

Flares and bootcut jeans are back in a big way, baby, and the Jude Jeans are our interpretation of this iconic style. You've probably noticed them cropping up on the street and on TV, and after years of super close-fitting skinnies and wide-leg cropped pants, they feel like a big breath of fresh air, and a new way to mix up your wardrobe with a fresh silhouette. If you remember wearing flares the first (or second, third or fourth) time around, I highly encourage you to give them a try again. They are quite frankly, SO FUN TO WEAR.

Jude Jeans Design

The Jude Jeans are designed for stretch denim and are close-fitting through the waist, hip, and upper thigh. We love giving you a lot of options and bang for your buck with Closet Core patterns so you get two very different and distinct views with this pattern, including a bootcut and flare leg silhouette, and two different rises.

View A is a classic bootcut style. Featuring a mid-rise (ending just below your belly button) this is a classic 5-pocket style, with traditional curved front pockets. The leg is slightly flared to accommodate boots, or for those of you not ready to get super groovy with a full flare. We actually named these after our sample maker Judith, who has never, ever given up her beloved bootcuts - some things are classic for a reason! For a more modern touch, we also love this silhouette cropped into a "demi-bootcut" - we did just that for the white pair on Soraya; fraying the hems was a fun touch as well.

View B is a bit more dramatic and makes your legs look about 10 feet long. With an ultra-high rise designed to sit at the natural waist, this View has a wide flare leg silhouette with deep, faced hems. For this view we skipped traditional front pockets in lieu of a 70s-inspired patch pocket. Of course, you're welcome to use the pockets from View B if you prefer a more traditional shape.

Both views feature a shapely back yoke, contour waist waistband, belt loops, and our signature fly front zipper installation (it's easier than you think!) They also feature a 32" inseam which is perfect for 5'-7" me with a heel. If you've got longer or shorter legs, be sure to adjust before cutting out your denim, as hemming them later may affect the sweep of the flare.

Jude is available as a PDF only, in sizes 0-20 and 14-32.

Drafting for Jude

If ain't broke, we don't fix it, so we drafted Jude using our best-selling Ginger Jeans block. If you've made that pattern before, you'll have a good idea of what to expect in terms of fit through the back seat and crotch (please note we did shorten the front crotch curve by about 1/4" with Jude). We made quite a few subtle design changes to things like the yoke and back pocket, but the fit through the torso should feel more or less the same.

In terms of the difference in rise, the Jude mid-rise is about 2" higher than the Ginger low-rise (or .5" higher than our Ginger mid-rise). The Jude ultra-high rise is about 1.5" higher than the Ginger high-rise. We have in-depth finished garment measurements included in the pattern if you'd like to compare further!

Jean-Making Supplies

Jude is designed for stretch denim, and we have a ton of great options in stock at Core Fabrics, from deadstock Cone Mills to our new line of organic cotton denim. We also created three exclusive kits using the exact denim we used for our samples, so if one caught your eye, you can recreate it! We also carry our exclusive denim hardware kits in four finishes in both Closet Core Patterns and Core Fabrics, in addition to a huge array of denim-making supplies at Core Fabrics, from our custom "red label" jeans labels to tools like clappers and mini anvils.

Learn to Make Jeans!

If you've never made jeans before, or just want some help making your next pair look their very best, I highly suggest enrolling in our Sew Your Dream Jeans online class, which now includes Jude Jeans with enrollment. I've taught thousands of folks how to make their own jeans, and it encapsulates everything I know into a fun and easy-to-follow class. We cover everything from cutting and fitting, down to really granular details like getting *perfect* topstitching, and how to install professional-looking hardware with stuff you have from around the house. It's the first class we ever made and continues to be one of our most popular, so if you're nervous, don't worry - we got you!

The Design Story for Jude

For now, Jude is available in PDF format only, both at Closet Core Patterns and at Core Fabrics. We hope you're excited to make your own pair!

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