It turns out that orange twill I was using had no stretch. I got all the way to the waistband and hemming steps, tried them on, and realized my error in thinking I could use a stretch-jean pattern to make a skinny jean with a non-stretch twill. They seemed to only need a little bit more wiggle room, and I thought I could squeeze out just enough if I took the seams down from 3/8″ to 1/4″. Easy. Except taking out layers of heavy jeans thread from both the seam stitching and the top stitching, especially around curves, required a fine balance between strength and delicacy. I didn’t quite find the right balance and heard a horrid rip when my seam ripper went into the fabric. I stitched the seams back up anyway just to see whether the jeans would even fit now (they do) and how bad the rip in the fabric was (pretty bad). Now I’m contemplating possible saves. The best solution might just be to recut the jeans for someone smaller (like my little niece?), though I have been trying to wrap my head around how to make something as awesome as these jeans from Yoshimi the Flying Squirrel (thanks Tanit-Isis for the link).
Any suggestions?
Sew Well 
Oh, no! I’ve been delaying on my next pair of jeans because the denim I most want to use has considerably less stretch than the other stuff I’ve used, so I will need to enlarge my pattern a squidge.
If it were me, I’d be inclined to put a patch behind it, with some nice topstitching, and maybe add a couple more ripped-and-topstitched segments for that artfully distressed look that seems like it just won’t go out of style…
oh, and thanks for the link! 😉
I think you can save these jeans. I believe in you and your creativity. Just put them down for a for days or a week or so and then come back to them. I have a crazy pair of jeans that are covered in patches. The reason I started putting patches on them, other than being a bit of a hippy, is because they had a tear in just about the same place as your jeans. Can’t wait to see what you come up with. Good luck!!!
Oh no! It’s such a great color, too. Hopefully you’ll find a way to salvage them.
Nooo! I vote for patching from behind and going for the “intentionally distressed” look, too. These are too fun to scrap!
this will sound crazy. (surprised?)
what if you take the pockets off, and use some sort of lace to patch it. but don’t make it an obvious patch. start a swath of lace right under the waistband, like it’s cascading down from the waistband, and cut it in a organic way at the bottom– maybe free flowing with whatever pattern the lace has, or in scallops– then reattach the back pockets over it. the lace could even peek out from under a pockets. if you use a dark orange lace, it’ll give it cool texture, and if you use something like teal, it’ll be a design element.
whether it’s a cool design element is up for debate…
What a fun idea! I love how you think.
I agree the colour is too great to scrap them! They look like they can handle some patching up too in terms of a fun look!
Also like the suggestion with the lace!! Dont give up!
oh gosh that is horrible! What about sewing patches over the rip to conceal it?
My ‘oh no’ comment has been usurped by Oonaballona’s fantastic idea! Perhaps that little rip was meant to be!!!
ha!!! i hope you try it amy :))
I’ve already started pinning lace-and-jean looks and scanning for the right lace!
I like the lace idea, but if that doesn’t work, you could add another little pocket, kinda like the ones that are sometimes placed inside the slash pockets?
Btw, the colour looks incredibly cool and I like your pocket decoration stitch. 🙂
What a spot for a rip! These are definitely worth rescuing! Distress, patches, lace? Matching orange undies?