May 28, 2014

From Regular to Skinny Jeans Tutorial

Cropped jeans do not look good on me. I’m short. Skinny cropped jeans yes, but cropped jeans border on circus clown wear. But there’s a new trend: super skinny jeans, which for someone who played soccer as a kid these don’t work. The super skinny jeans are too tight along my calves. I’m not liking that “super skinny” look on me, but more tapered is flattering, in my opinion.

In high school, we had a method for turning our 501’s into “pegged” jeans. We used to do it a bit tighter and our method wasn’t as refined, but I’m more “grown-up” now. Here’s how I do it now.

Slightly Refashioned Jeans:

Step 1

Turn your jeans inside-out and put them on. Pin the new, more fitted side seam line.

[If your jeans or pants are really wide, then taper the legs on both sides. In other words, you need to take them in a little on each side. Otherwise, they may drape wrong and twist to one side. ]

I don’t need to take mine in that much, and I didn’t want to have to re-stitch the top stitch detail, so I am taking them in on only 1 side.

Step 2

Use a seam ripper to pick out the hem–open up the hem just where the side seam is and little beyond.

Step 3

Use a straight edge and tailor’s chalk to draw a stitching line that is less wonky then my pins. 2 inches above the lower edge, straighten out the line. Make sure the fabric is smoothed out and you don’t have any folds within the new seam allowance.

Step 4

Re pin and sew new side seam. Make sure to use a jeans/denim needle in your machine.

Trim the extra fabric (save this scrap) and finish the seam allowance.

Step 5

Fold up the original hem back in place. DO NOT IRON. Ironing will flatten the hem out, and if you like the original bumpy jeans-hem, do not iron. Just fold and sew.

Use the scrap that you saved to help the presser foot stay parallel to the sewing machine surface as you sew over the bulky seam and seam allowances. This helps the feed dogs do their job, as well as to avoid skipped stitches. As you get to the bulk of the seam allowance, lift the presser foot and place that scrap just behind the bulky seam-behind the needle. Put the presser foot down and continue to sew the hem.