10 Tips for Sewing with Denim
Denim is a true wardrobe classic. A strong and durable fabric that gives your sewing projects a cool and timeless look. But when the needle hits those thick seams, it can sometimes feel a bit challenging.
Getting Started with Denim
In this guide, we share 10 helpful tips to get you off to a great start. With the right tools and techniques, working with denim becomes much easier – so you can focus on the fun part: sewing your own jeans, jackets, or other denim favourites.
Get Expert Help with Sewing Denim
Amanda is a trained designer from TEKO and the Amsterdam Fashion Academy and has many years of experience in both pattern construction and fashion design.
In this guide, she shares her professional knowledge and gives you her best tips and tricks for successfully sewing with denim.
"Denim can seem challenging, but with the right tools and a little patience, the process becomes much easier." – Amanda
Use Sharp Tools
Denim is a heavy fabric, so blunt scissors and needles make the job unnecessarily difficult. Use a good pair of dressmaking scissors to cut the fabric and choose high-quality needles. This makes working with denim easier and helps achieve a neater result.
Pay Attention to the Grainline
When cutting denim, it is important to follow the fabric’s grainline. This helps maintain the fabric’s stability and ensures that your finished project keeps its shape. If you cut against the grainline, the fabric may start to twist or pull out of shape.
Use a Jeans Needle
When sewing with denim, it is important to choose a strong needle. A jeans needle is the best choice because it is sharper than standard needles and has a larger eye that can accommodate thicker sewing thread.
If you don’t have a jeans needle, you can instead use a strong universal needle in at least size 90/14. For very heavy denim or multiple layers of fabric, it may be necessary to go up to size 100/16.
The right needle makes the job easier and reduces the risk of broken needles and skipped stitches.
Also remember that denim wears down needles. Keep a few extras on hand so you can replace the needle when the old one becomes dull.
Use Strong Pins or Wonder Clips
Regular pins can struggle to go through denim. They can easily bend or break when the fabric is heavy or consists of several layers.
Instead, use strong pins with large glass heads, which are better suited for heavy fabrics. You can also use wonder clips to hold the fabric layers together. They are easy to work with and especially practical when sewing heavy fabrics like denim.
Use the right thread for denim
Denim projects need to withstand wear and tear. The fabric is heavy, and the seams are often exposed to a lot of stress – especially at pockets, side seams and waistbands.
Therefore, use an extra-strong sewing thread when sewing denim. A thicker thread creates more durable seams and reduces the risk of the thread breaking. For visible topstitching, you can choose denim thread or upholstery thread, which both provide extra strength and the classic jeans look.
If your sewing machine cannot sew with heavy thread in the bobbin, you can instead use regular all-purpose thread in the bobbin and denim thread in the upper thread. Which solution works best depends on the sewing machine, and in some cases it may also require adjusting the bobbin thread tension.
Trim Excess Fabric in the Seams
The more layers of fabric your sewing machine has to stitch through, the harder the job becomes. Trim excess fabric in the seams and clip corners as you go to reduce the bulk.
This makes it easier for your sewing machine to create neat and even seams – especially when working with heavy fabrics like denim. Also remember to use sharp fabric scissors for a clean and precise result.
Use Longer Stitches and Topstitching
Denim is a heavy fabric, so longer stitches work best. Set the stitch length to 3–4 mm to achieve neater and more even seams.
For visible topstitching, you can use extra-strong thread such as denim thread or upholstery thread. This provides both stronger seams and the classic jeans look. Use regular sewing thread in the bobbin.
Sew flat-felled seams for a classic denim look
If you want to give your project the classic denim finish, you can sew your seams as flat-felled seams. A flat-felled seam is an overlapping seam that is sewn flat, making it both strong and highly durable.
At the same time, a flat-felled seam helps hide the raw edges. Denim can easily start to fray, so it’s important to finish your seams properly.
Press your seams and keep the fabric in shape
Press your seams as flat as possible using plenty of steam. If the seams are still thick, you can gently tap them with a hammer. This softens the fabric and makes it easier to sew through, especially when adding topstitching.
Some denim fabrics can also tend to stretch slightly while you are working with them, even after washing. If this happens, you can lightly steam the fabric back into shape using your iron’s steam function. You can check the shape as you work by comparing the fabric with your interfaced pattern piece.
Choose strong fastenings for denim
Make sure to use zips and buttons that can handle heavy fabrics like denim. Jeans buttons and metal zips are a great choice for projects such as jeans, denim trousers and denim skirts.
If you are sewing with lightweight denim, for example for blouses or shirts, you can easily use regular buttons and zips.
