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Sew Fancy Pants 2020: Jeans Comparison with Ginger, Dawn, Philippa, and Morgan

The end of Sew Fancy Pants 2020 is nigh. While I haven’t felt quite as productive as last year, I’m still proud of what I was able to accomplish. My last two completed #sewfancypants2020 projects were a pair of black denim Ginger Jeans and a pair of caramel colored Dawn Jeans. After finishing them, I thought it might be helpful to post a comparison of the four different jeans patterns I’ve sewn. Alright here we go, a brief comparison between the Closet Case Patterns Ginger Jeans, Megan Nielsen Dawn Jeans, Anna Allen Clothing Philippa Pants, and Closet Case Patterns Morgan Jeans.

Ginger Jeans, Dawn Jeans, Philippa Pants, and Morgan Jeans

Fitting Adjustments

As far as sizing goes, each pair was made based on the pattern maker’s size chart. They’re all somewhere around a size 12. I used mostly the same flat pattern adjustments for each of these patterns but, I’ll detail them a bit here:

Closet Case Patterns Ginger Jeans

  1. 1/2″ added to front and back rise. Added 2″ of total length to the legs (1″ above knees and 1″ below).
  2. To fix the gaping at the center back, I took out a small wedge at the center back of the yoke. I drew a line that started 1/2″ away from the top of the center back and angled to the bottom of the center back yoke. I trimmed the yoke pieces along this line and then sewed everything according to the pattern instructions. FYI: this is definitely not the proper or recommended method, just what worked for me personally.

Megan Nielsen Dawn Jeans

  1. 3/4″ added to the front and back rise.
  2. Used the longer length inseam option
Ginger Jeans, Dawn Jeans, Philippa Pants, and Morgan Jeans

Anna Allen Clothing Philippa Pants

  1. 1/2″ added to the front and back rise.
  2. Back darts extended by 1/2″
  3. 2″ added to leg length
  4. Legs slimmed about 1/2″ total (extra 1/4″ on each side)

Closet Case Patterns Morgan Jeans

  1. 1/2″ added to the front and back rise.
  2. 1″ added to leg length.
  3. Removed an extra 1/4″ from the top of the center back seam allowance and angled back to the regular seam allowance just below the back yoke.

Philippa Pants vs. Dawn Jeans

The Philippa Pants and Dawn Jeans (view A) are both slightly tapered high rise pants designed for non-stretch fabrics. They’ve got different details but, produce a similar result. For me personally, I found the fit pretty comparable. The details I love about the Philippa Pants are: the generous square back pockets, flat front with no front pockets, and a deep 2″ hem at the bottom. My favorite details about the Dawn Jeans are the traditional jeans details such as the front pockets, coin pocket, and back yoke.

Philippa Pants and Dawn Jeans

Ginger Jeans vs. Morgan Jeans

While these two patterns are designed from a slightly different block, I decided to compare them since they’re both from Closet Case Patterns. The Ginger Jeans are designed for stretch denim while the Morgan Jeans are designed for non-stretch denim. The high rise skinny fit of the Ginger Jeans feel a bit more dressed up than the mid rise relaxed fit of the Morgan Jeans. During the winter, Ginger Jeans are my go-to with sweaters and boots while the Morgan Jeans were worn weekly during the summer months.

Ginger Jeans and Morgan Jeans

Final Thoughts

I’ll be honest in saying that it’s difficult for me to pick a favorite between these four jeans as it seems to change weekly. Lately, I’ve been wearing the Philippa Pants on repeat but, have a feeling the Dawn Jeans just might be the next favorite. All four pattern designers provide thorough instructions with the Anna Allen zipper instructions using my favorite zip fly method (the Dawn jeans method is similar). Finding the words for this comparison was a struggle for me so, I decided to focus more on the photos to do the talking. Hoping the photos provide some valuable insight into the basic differences between each pair of jeans. Feel free to contact me directly if you have any specific questions about any of these jeans.

Thanks for reading!

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Anna Allen Philippa Pants and Cropped Fringe Dress Top

In the midst of the #sewfancypants craziness last month, I also managed to finish a sixth pair of pants that couldn’t be shared until now. I had the absolute pleasure of testing the newly released Anna Allen Clothing Philippa Pants. You likely already know my obsession with the Persephone Pants so I was thrilled to be selected as a tester for this new pattern.

Pattern Details

The Phillipa Pants are a high-waisted tapered leg pant meant for use with non-stretch bottomweights. The pants are a simple, fuss-free style with rectangular back pockets, back darts, and no front pockets. I opted to use the new zipper expansion (works for Persephone Pants too!) for this pair and the instructions produced a beautifully finished fly front.

Fabric Choice

Last fall, I won this 11.5 oz Cone Mills Denim in Dark Indigo from Imagine Gnats. After years of wearing skinny jeans with a decent spandex content, I was nervous to try making and wearing a pair of tapered jeans without stretch. The denim does tend to relax a bit after a few hours of wear. This makes my Philippa pants quite comfortable, but also gives them a slightly looser fit. If using this fabric, I suggest making your pants just a bit tighter than you’d like so that they’ll fit perfect after a bit of wear.

Fitting

This specific pair was made from the first testing draft of the Philippa Pants pattern, and Anna has made a few changes since then. As such, I can only speak to this pair and not the final pattern. Before the end of the month I will hopefully complete a pair using the final pattern will report back on fit then. I will say that I found the size chart to be fairly accurate. Anna has even included calf and thigh measurements in the finished measurement chart to help sewists decide whether grading is necessary in the legs.


Fringe Cropped Top

Last summer I ordered 12 yards of this gorgeous yarn-dyed woven designed by Anna Maria Horner. After using just over 11 yards for living room curtains, I was left with a little under 1 yard. Sure, I could’ve used it to make something for my son, but I loved this fabric so much that I wanted something for myself. I used my finely tuned pattern tetris skills to squeeze this Fringe Dress Crop top hack out of it. This “hack” isn’t really a hack at all. In fact, all I did was add 8 inches to the bodice length, straighten the hem, and omit the waist darts. I also rounded off the bottom of the front neckline facing instead of having an unnecessary straight piece running down the center. Just a note: If you’ve been gifted with a bust larger than my forever A-cups, and want to use this hack, rotating the waist darts to the side seams might help you achieve less pulling in your final fit.

Once my alterations were made, I simply sewed the top according to the bodice instructions in the Fringe Dress Pattern. I hemmed the bottom by turning it up 1/4″ and then another 1/4″ and topstitching. That’s it. World’s easiest “pattern hack” and a fun, quick sew for all those smaller cuts burning a hole in your stash.

The Outfit

Wearing this outfit makes me feel a combination of 1970’s free spirit and modern mom. Is it the colors? The silhouettes? Now that I’m thinking about it, 1970’s free spirit meets modern mom might just be my fashion goal. Whatever the vibe is, I’m digging it.

Thanks for reading! Check back soon or follow me on Instagram to see what I’ve got up my sleeve for February.