You know what I mean.
I don’t know about you, but I dreaded the “oh my mom hemmed my jeans” look like it was the plague. Funny story about jeans, actually.
Back when the trend was going from tapered to wide leg and flare jeans, I decided it would be a good idea to cut my jeans at summer camp. You know, to create a grungy, flared look. I grabbed a pair of scissors and cut a nice 3″ slice by the inside seam of my jeans. I wore those jeans all week with pride…and when I returned home my mom happily sewed them back up — much to my angst — and left me with even more tapered jeans that I had before.
Ha. Oooooh the teenage years. If I had just had the confidence to believe I was ahead of the trend! About 10 years ahead of the trend. Looks always come full circle, right? Well, I’m hoping some don’t….
wow. I digress!
Besides my apparent dislike for tapered jeans, I also couldn’t stand the look of jeans that were shortened. There is just something about the way jeans are hemmed when you purchase them that you can’t replicate at home. If you can, someone let me in on the secret! A few years ago, I decided to tackle figuring out how to shorten my jeans, and after ruining a pair, I successfully shortened the rest using this technique. (One thing to note — this technique works well on jeans because the denim material hides the seam created so well. If you need to shorten dress pants, that will be another tutorial for another time.)
It’s because of this crazy pickiness I possess, that I’m beyond excited about sharing today’s tutorial with you. I want to show you how simple it can be to fix clothes we aren’t wearing due to tiny problems — the maxi dress that is too short, for example — and now jeans that are too long. I know there are probably a hundred better ways to hem jeans, but this is such a quick and easy way to get those ignored jeans in your closet!
I think so many of us have a sewing machine sitting in a closet somewhere, but we are too scared to use it. I totally get that. Sewing feels a bit like walking to me, it is just something I do, but I have about 3 pieces of furniture in various states of being refinished…because I’m scared, terrified, clueless, nervous and well, want to guess how I procrastinate?
I sew.
whoops!
It doesn’t hurt my procrastination by snowing either…. kind of hard to be outside sanding when it’s 30 degrees!
So today. Today I want to show you the easiest tutorial, but one that almost all of us can put to good use! Unless you’re my sister or my sister in law who never find themselves in a “these jeans are too short!” dilemma. Ever. Lucky gals, if you ask me!
This pair of jeans has been hanging in my closet for an embarrassing amount of time…unworn. Well, I maybe wore them a few times with wedges or heels, but my days of heel-wearing have dropped drastically since becoming a mom. So I don’t need more than maybe 1 or 2 pair of dressier, longer length jeans to wear with heels.
As you can see, they are kind of unwearable long — like about 4-5 inches too long. Yikes. Now you see why they’ve been hanging in my closet for so long!
Harlow wanted to show you her jeans too, but she was in her nightgown the other morning when Andy nabbed these photos. She declared, “I has no pants on!” ‘tis true, Harlow. ’tis true!
So let’s begin!
|| SUPPLIES ||
- jeans that are too long
- navy thread
- sewing machine
- pins
- sewing gauge
- cute toddler
Okay, you obviously don’t need the toddler, but I have been loving sewing with “her help” lately. I give her fabric scraps, and she matches colors and makes patterns on the floor while I sew. One of these days, I need to quilt together some concoction she puts together.
1| Begin by deciding how short to tailor your jeans. You can try to attempt this step on your own by simply rolling up your jeans to where you want them to sit. I have found that it’s always good to then have someone else check the length and maybe even add a few pins or clips to hold that length in place as you take them off to sew.
I wouldn’t recommend trying to tailor these while you are still wearing them. I don’t even want to know if someone has successfully attempted that.
2| I have begun a new habit of always putting a new sewing needle on my machine for a new project — in moderation. If I’m sewing a new quilt or big project, I have found that I have way less frustration if I adhere to this rule. Changing out your needle to a jeans needle isn’t a total necessity, but I would recommend using something bigger than a 80/12.
Have I totally lost you? Sewing needle sizing can be a bit confusing. The first number, the 80 or 100 in this case, refers to the size of the needle in metric measurement (0.8 mm). The 12 or 16 or other smaller number is the standard “American” sizing equivalent. Seems a bit convoluted if you ask me, but just remember 80/12. 80/12 is going to be your go-to needle for standard weights and materials. Smaller numbers mean small needles: use these needles on lighter weight fabrics. Larger numbers mean larger needles: use these needles on heavier duty fabrics. If you are a nerd like me and want to know even more, Schmetz has this great PDF all about sewing needle facts. Yup. Perfect for the nerd like me.
Change out your needle and thread your machine!
Great tutorial, Kacia. At TU- there was a store called Buckle in the mall – they hemmed jeans just like this! My only problem was that after washing the new ‘hem line’ would flare up and be really tricky to lay flat. Have you encountered this? Any trips to avoid having that happen?
No way!! That’s awesome — I’ve honestly wondered how stores that hem high-end jeans do their hemming…I should have gone to asked them…would have saved me a pair of jeans!
And yes! I have encountered that! I find it’s bad when I dry them, so I always hang dry them — or if you need to dry them to shrink them up a bit, don’t dry them all the way and keep a spray bottle of water near by to spritz the bottoms, “iron” them with your hands a bit, and then let them hang.
I also hang them upside down with a pants hanger squeezing the bottoms of the jeans — does that make sense? So I iron the bottoms and then hang them to reinforce the laying flat.
I haven’t had to do this, but if you have a realllly stubborn pair, I would spray a little start on that stubborn bit and iron it with the starch!
Great ideas, thanks for the ideas on how to dry! I think that will totally solve my flip up problem.
I love hemming jeans this way, and honestly I think it’s easier than cutting them off and hemming. I did this for a friend’s little boy and they turned out great!
Yes! I haven’t done this for kids’ jeans yet – but that would be GENIUS! Because you could even let the hem back out again, if needed!!!
Being that I am a Shorty McShorterson, this will come in handy!
Great tutorial! I tried to learn how to sew years ago, but gave up. Luckily, I have an amazing, affordable seamstress and she is great at keeping the “original hem.” Since I’m only 5 feet tall, I get almost all my jeans hemmed.
Use a Juki industrial machine with heavy Jean Thread to match the topstitching. Remove old hem if necessary, mark, fold, then topstitch. When encountering the felled seam, cut that away on the allowance, and continue around. If tapered, open seam at O.S. Continue sewing. When finished, tie off. Tack down in ditch, then distress.
What have you found is the best way to distress?? I have not been successful!
Hi, thanks for this post. I am a (very!) beginning sewer and am having trouble sewing over the thick seam on the side. I used the standard foot and found I had to lift up the foot and force the fabric through to get the thick seam under the foot. Any tips?
Hi Karina!! That thick seam will always be difficult, unfortunately :( But what I would do: make sure you have a new needle, use your handwheel to get through those seams! Back stitch to make sure you’re sewing it down well – and even shorten and lengthen your stitch length just a bit to avoid hitting spots that are especially difficult!
How do you work in the excess fabric? A flare (or boot or bell bottom) cut will be larger at the original hem than at the new length (And skinny jeans will be the opposite!)
I’ve done loads of original hemming, but always on straight legs. I’ve got several pairs of flare leg jeans to hem (2-5 inches!) and no idea what to do with the excess fabric.
that’s a great question! Obviously the more you cut off/the more the flare…the harder it will be!
When I’ve hemmed a flare jean, I slowly worked in the excess fabric. Any excess that you have to “bunch” — put near the seam if you really get stuck!