After I made my first pair of Ash jeans, I realized the rise on them was not high enough for me. I wanted to add ~1.5” (3.8cm) to it so that the jeans could sit on my waist.
In this blog post, I will show you how I did it. I did not want to spend extra time and do it "properly," and instead, I chose a fast method that worked. Remember that when you add more rise to the jeans, you will need a longer zipper!
You will need the front leg pattern piece (1, 3, 7 or 5), pocket bag (13), fly (9), fly extension (10) and yoke (15).
1. Lay the front piece on top of the pocket bag so that the side seam of the pocket bag extends the side seam of the front. We want to see how the front leg looks without the pocket opening. Place a piece of paper underneath. Extend the side seam and front seam upwards so that they are a continuation of the original line.
I eyeballed this step. You can fine-tune it when you try the jeans on before attaching the waistband.
Add the necessary amount to the top of the front leg. For myself, I added 1.5” (3.8 cm).
2. We need to redraw the pocket opening and create a new pocket bag piece since the old one won’t fit. Lay the pocket bag on top of the new front, lining up the top and side edge the best you can. Trace the pocket opening and bottom of the pocket and mark the center pocket notches on the front pattern.
Draw half of the pocket right on the front pattern piece. Extend the bottom of the pocket to the side seam and draw the center pocket line by connecting the two marks.
Trace the pocket lines onto a piece of paper big enough to fit the entire pocket piece. You will be folding the paper over, so ensure there is enough space on the other side of the center pocket line. Trace the pocket opening line as well.
Fold the paper in half at the center pocket line and cut the entire pocket out. Do not cut the pocket opening yet!
Open up the new pocket piece and cut the pocket opening on one side.
3. Cut off the pocket opening on the front leg.
4. Working with the fly and fly extension, add the same amount to the top of the pieces. Cut them out.
5. Place a piece of paper underneath the yoke pattern piece. Working with the top of the yoke, extend the center back and side seams so that they are the continuation of the side and center back lines.
Add the same amount to the top of the yoke pattern piece.
For the waistband, I eyeballed it and cut out the waistband 2 sizes smaller. In hindsight, I may have been better off with a waistband just one size smaller size, and I would have had more room to adjust it.
Done! This is not quite the right way to add the raise to the back of the jeans, but this is quick, and it works. I also don’t mind the look of a wider yoke.
What do you think of this tutorial?