Altering Jeans - Shorter

9/28/13
Altering Jeans: Shorter (with Identical Hem) | Make It and Love It
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Altering Jeans: Shorter (with Identical Hem)

Posted by Ashley 208 Comments
Can anyone on this planet find the perfect pair of jeans?
There are so many things to look for in a perfect pair of jeans. First, theres the waist. And then the fit in the legs. And then the fabric stretch. And ah man, now you have to choose from boot cut, skinny jeans, trouser cut, straight leg, blah, blah, blah. And what about the color..gosh, the right shade can do everything for a pair of pants. And the list goes on. And just when you think you have found the perfect pair of pants.the length is off. ((grumble))
Im tall. So is my husband. I usually have to lengthen our pants. So I never even think about clever ways to shorten pants.
But then my brother came over one day.and showed me some pants he found. And they were too long for him. Hes tall too..so it was weird to think he needed some pants shortened. But when you find super long jeans for a good deal, you buy them. And then alter them. Right?
Okay, so I stewed and stewed over how to shorten them.trying to figure out how to make them look like the original hem. I was thinking about cutting them off, using the same thick yellow thread to hem them, and then sanding the edges to give it that worn look. And then maybe using some bleach to fade them a bit? Gah! Sounded exhausting.
www.makeit-loveit.com/2011/08/altering-jeans-shorter-with-identical-hem.html
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So I looked online. Oh my wordand found the perfect solution from Cathe. She learned this trick from the store she bought some jeans from, who offered free alterations. Those smarty-pants altering people. I love them for this. And Cathe for sharing.
Check out those newly shortened jeans:
You cant even tell that they have been shortened.
And I think its my hemmed jeans that make my brother look smokin.totally not him. Ha. (And yeah, hes single. Any takers in Northern Colorado?)
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Thanks Greg. I was at a loss as to how I was going to shorten your crazy long jeans. Glad we figured it out (thanks to Cathe).
And it looks like we need to hem your daughters pants too. Maybe shes going for the cuffed look.but long jeans arent safe around me anymore. (Yep, thats the same niece from this post. Sweet little Claire!)
Anyone else need to hem some pants?
How about the pants you bought (or will buy) for your little kiddos for the fall? Did you buy them a little long, hoping they would last all winter? We all know how fast those little ones grow. Use this technique and then let them back out in a few months. Theyll look great all season long.
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Ready to hem some jeans?
I just added a few more pictures of the process, to help those of you who are super visual. But thanks again Cathe for sharing the trick you learned from those alterations people.
**Remember, this is a great technique for growing children. Buy some jeans that are just a tad too longand then follow the steps below to hem them. And then un-hem them in a few months after theyve grown too tall for them.**
Lets get started.
If your pants are super flared or are boot cut and youre cutting off tons of length, this may be more tricky. The reason being is that the width around the bottom seam may be a little dirrferent from the point where you want to hem them up to. If this is the case, it may be better to cut off the bottom hem, then cut off the bottom of the pants to the length you want it, the re-attach the bottom hem where you need it. And you will have to take in that bottom hem too, so that its the same width as where youre re-attaching it. But the pants shown below are boot cut and since I only took them up a few inches, it still worked great.
Update:
Try your jeans on yourself (or your subject) and mark with pins, the length that you want them to be. (Be sure to wash/dry them first and try them on with shoes so that you are shortening them to the correct length.)
First of all, you will be keeping that very bottom hem on the pair of pants. Thats why they will look so good at the end. So measure the very bottom hem of the pants. Measure from the very bottom of the pants where theyre rough and a bit rugged, to right above the seam and fold of the hem. When you sew them up (in the next few steps) you dont want to sew through the thickness of the hem, so mark your measurement to right above that hem. If you see the picture below, the bottom hem of these pants was about a 1/2 inch tall. Now, you need to measure up from your original row of pins, the measurement of your bottom hem height. In my case, I measured up a 1/2 inch and then placed a new row of pins.
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Then, fold up the bottom of the pants, to meet with that top row of pins. Then pin the folded pant leg in place, all the way around.
Now, slide the end of the pant leg under the needle and stitch all the way aroundright next to that fold of fabric. Stick right next to it to give your new hem a nice even look from the other side.
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See how its all nice and sewn in place?
Do the same to both pant legs.
Now, you can cut this excess fabric off and zig-zag (or serge) the raw edges or just keep it for future length. Whatever you do, fold the edge or excess fabric up towards the inside of the pant legs.
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Then press it nice and flat. Use steam..and lots of it.
If you keep the excess fabric (and dont cut it off and zig-zag/serge it), lay it up nice and flat on the inside and then tack it in place along the side seams with a few hand stitches. You dont want it to flap down. (Need help with hand stitching? Click here.) It also helped to do the same along the back in a few places toojust so my brother wasnt stepping on the extra fabric that was coming down just a bit by his heel.
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And thats it.
All hemmed up. And ready to wear.
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208 Comments Filed under Clothing, Sewing, Sewing Tips, Women's Clothing
Comments
208 Responses to Altering Jeans: Shorter (with Identical Hem) 1. 1 Michele says: August 29, 2011 at 1:54 pm Thats just genius. Reply 2. 2 Natalie says: August 29, 2011 at 1:59 pm Ive seen a similar technique where they cut off the bottom cuff and sewed it back on, higher up on the jeans, blah blah blah. This seems much simpler! I could definitely use this too tall for 32 but 34 are too long. Thank you, thank you!!
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Reply 2.1 Anonymous says: November 1, 2012 at 11:29 am I see the photos call me dumb but i cant figure it out HELP Reply 2.2 @whetwhillie says: August 17, 2013 at 1:56 pm Natalie the end result is the same If you cuffoff the excess here, instead of just folding it up afterwards, its the same thing. the only difference being that the technique you are referring to cuts the excess fabric before sewing, rather than afterwards. Reply 3. 3 Julie says: August 29, 2011 at 2:01 pm Wow! This is such a great idea! I cant wait to try it on my growing sons new back to school clothes! Amazing! Reply 4. 4 Amy Grace says: August 29, 2011 at 2:07 pm OMG this is an awesome technique! Thanks for sharing with us. BTW your brother is a cutie! :) Reply 5. 5 Sharon Thomas says: August 29, 2011 at 2:26 pm My granddaughter had a pair of pants that had embroidery at the bottom, but they were about 4 inches too long. I put in four pleats around the leg starting about two inches above the embroidery, Instead of folding the pantleg to the outside and stitching, I turned them to the inside, then stitched in about a half inch for each pleat until the length was right. As she got taller, her mother was able to take out one pleat. By having the pleat on the outside, instead of the inside, the pants faded evenly in the wash. Now I do mine the same way. Everyone thinks its a great style addition. Reply 5.1 Kristin says: August 29, 2011 at 7:09 pm Photo, please? Reply 5.1.1 Sharon Thomas says: August 30, 2011 at 10:46 am I dont know how to post a photo here, but you can see them here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/? set=a.1360441066171.45829.1685895761&l=82b7b51fc9&type=1 Reply 5.1.1.1 KarinSDCA says: July 24, 2012 at 3:07 pm Awesome look with the pleats! The picture is worth a thousand words. LOL Reply
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Catherine says: September 30, 2012 at 9:57 am I was really looking forward to seeing the pictures but the like doesnt send me to the right pictures. Do you think you could repoint it please? Thanks Sharon Reply 5.2 karen says: February 25, 2012 at 1:10 pm i am SO using that idea! my boys grow fast in height than they do round and this is so going to help get more wear out their pants.with 3 boys and 2 girls i am always looking to budget the clothing bill witch why i decided to get a sewing machine.thanks every one for all the tips too i learning alot Reply 6. 6 Amber says: August 29, 2011 at 2:26 pm That is awesome! Thanks so much for sharing. I have not been blessed with the gift of being tall so Im always looking for a way to easily hem jeans. Thanks again! Reply 7. 7 Jenny says: August 29, 2011 at 2:32 pm Genius! And your brother is quite handsome,too. Reply 8. 8 Kristi says: August 29, 2011 at 2:33 pm Thanks youthank youTHANK YOU!!! My husband is a 31 31but jeans dont come in that size. This is AWESOME. Reply 8.1 Kat says: September 1, 2011 at 11:04 pm Im not sure where you are located but Old Navy carries that size of jeans. Reply 8.1.1 Kristi says: September 2, 2011 at 8:07 am Thanks for the Info. We will have to check it out again. My husband is pretty rough on jeans, and Old Navy jeans just dont lastthey have too much spandex or are too thin. But they are always changing their stuff. We will have to check it outlooks like they have a sale right now! Reply 9. 9 Jax says: August 29, 2011 at 2:34 pm This is fabulous! I am tall (34inseam) but so many brands offer either 33 or 35, so I end up hemming just a little quite often I have always wondered how to make the hems look the same, so this is great as always! and seriously, How on earth is your brother single? He is a total hottie! Reply 9.1 Ashley says:
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August 29, 2011 at 4:23 pm Oh my.I have the same inseam. And the same problem. We can be friends now! :) And haha, yeah.hes a good looking bro! Reply 10. 10 Maren says: August 29, 2011 at 2:39 pm How perfect! I am a shortie (411, shortie is an understatement), and I am tired of tripping on my pants while I say someday Ill hem them. And I TOTALLY have a taker for your mighty good-lookin brother!!!! Totally. Reply 10.1 Ashley says: August 29, 2011 at 4:24 pm Hahaha.email me! You never know, right? :) Reply 11. 11 Mary-Stewart says: August 29, 2011 at 2:41 pm Great to know!!! Thanks! And. how is your brother still single?? He is nice on the eyes, but I am married, so I am not looking for me, but I like to keep my eyes out for my single friends :) Reply 12. 12 Heather says: August 29, 2011 at 2:45 pm Let your cute brother know hes invited to the Austin Midsingles conference http://austinmidsingles.com (as well as any other single siblings you may have) I agree how is he single?! Reply 12.1 Ashley says: August 29, 2011 at 4:25 pm HaIll let him know. Too bad he doesnt live nearby. But hey..maybe its time for a vacation! ;) Reply 13. 13 Tanis says: August 29, 2011 at 2:55 pm Love this!! I have a long torso and short legs so finding any clothes that dont need alterations is difficult, so this will come in handy!! ps- wow, your brother is VERY handsome if he ever comes up to Canada Id love to go on a date!! :) Reply 13.1 Ashley says: August 29, 2011 at 4:26 pm You got it. Can I come too? Ive never been to Canada!! haha!! ;) Reply 13.1.1 Tanis says: August 29, 2011 at 9:10 pm Anytime!!! Im only 9 hours from Rexburg so I dont know how far from Colorado, but not too far! Canada (Alberta especially) is beautiful so you really should visit it sometime!
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Reply 14. 14 Danielle says: August 29, 2011 at 3:09 pm I love this, especially as a way to invest a little bit more time into the pants when their legs are growing more than their waists. Good luck to that single brother. Reply 15. 15 Beth says: August 29, 2011 at 3:13 pm Perfect timing for this great little tutorial. I am a shorty and just bought some short jeans, they are still too long with flatsugh!!!! Thanks for sharing! Smiles ~Beth Reply 16. 16 Chantel says: August 29, 2011 at 3:16 pm Im so excited about this tutorial. thank you so much! And my girls will be so excited to know they no longer have to show up to school with the bottom hems of their jeans cut off. Yay! Reply 17. 17 Heather says: August 29, 2011 at 3:24 pm Ive got a good friend just south of Denver who has two boys. :) Reply 17.1 Ashley says: August 29, 2011 at 4:27 pm Email meI kinda added that blurb to be funny. But gosh, you never know, right?? :) Reply 18. 18 LeAnn says: August 29, 2011 at 3:27 pm Im tall and have never found jeans that are too long but I have heard of this before and its such an easy fix that looks great, but Ive yet to use it for reasons Ill explain in a second. Darn those jeans and their perfectly worn hems ;). The biggest problem with this technique is that if the hem is bigger around than where you are shortening it to, then it doesnt work. For example. It rarely works on a boot cut or flared jean, unless you do a lot of seam ripping, cutting and re-sewing, and the bleach and sandpaper, might be easier ;) Reply 18.1 Ashley says: August 29, 2011 at 3:32 pm I know..dang jeans! And yeah, this is a lot harder on a super flared jean..but the jeans I did it on are boot cut. I only had to get rid of a few inches so the difference was only minimal. I will go add that into the tutorial though, to give people a heads up. Thanks!! Reply 19. 19 Mrs.Pickles says: August 29, 2011 at 3:45 pm Great tutorial! Thanks for sharing. Reply 20. 20
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Amber H says: August 29, 2011 at 3:54 pm I too am short.. 411 and I always buy the short length pants from Old Navy.. and they are always short enough.. however their new trouser pants were too long on me! I dont want to hack them up, so this will be PERFECT for me to do.. thanks for doing the tutorial! Reply 21. 21 Melissa says: August 29, 2011 at 3:57 pm Awesome, awesome, awesome! Reply 22. 22 Emma says: August 29, 2011 at 4:03 pm Oh my goodness! That is soo easy and I love it. So cool!!! I wouldnt have thought of that! Reply 23. 23 Amanda says: August 29, 2011 at 4:34 pm Great Idea. Too bad I doubt I will ever get to use it. :) Im a little on the tall side. I am 61 and I have a 37 inch inseam, would you mind telling me where your brother got his pants? I would love to find some place other than Buckle that has my size. If they have tall guy pants maybe they have tall girl pants too? Thanks! Reply 23.1 Ashley says: August 29, 2011 at 4:47 pm He got them at TJ Maxxso its just one of those hit or miss type things. Its worth checking out their pants while youre there though. You never know! Reply 24. 24 JeNae says: August 29, 2011 at 5:06 pm Wowwhat a neat trick. And so simple too. Thanks for sharing :) Reply 25. 25 Kecia says: August 29, 2011 at 5:07 pm Love this! I am five foot nothing and I am always paying to have mt jeans altered. P.s. Your brother is hot! Reply 26. 26 Brandy Layton says: August 29, 2011 at 5:08 pm I love this! I have to hem everyone of my pants as petite doesnt fit just right and well that leaves me with regular jeans and about 5 inches or more of excess length. I love being able to keep the base hem and keep it looking good. What a helpful post. Thanks! I will have some weekend hemming :) Reply 27. 27 Anna says: August 29, 2011 at 5:10 pm This is great to see. My daughter worked with a seamstress for awhile and tried explaining it to me. Seeing the photos really made it click. My husband is an inbetween length and I have been frustrated more than once trying to hem a pr of jeans for him. Your brother is adorable. as well as his daughter. Too bad Colorado is a little far. ( for my daughter in Fl.)
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Reply 28. 28 Kristina says: August 29, 2011 at 5:12 pm Im 59 so I have a hard time finding jeans that are just the right length. Theyre either too long or too short. This is a great tutorial! I have a sister in Provo. And she visits me in Denver sometimes. Does that work? :) Reply 29. 29 Jacki McGinnity says: August 29, 2011 at 5:17 pm Love it! I dont know how many pants I have gone through because they hems became ripped off. Its also fantastic because our oldest daughter is extremely tall for her age and our youngest is shortnow the pants will work. I know it may be a little difficult with a jean but couldnt you use a blind hem stitch instead of handsewing (for those of us who have arthritic hands) :) Reply 30. 30 melissa says: August 29, 2011 at 5:42 pm How do some people get so darn smart? I would never have even thought of this. I am totally have to use this trick in the future. Reply 31. 31 jeana griffin says: August 29, 2011 at 5:42 pm Love this. Ive hemmed almost 40 pairs of pants just in the last couple of weeks for customers. Wish I had know this. Love this idea! Will def use. Reply 32. 32 Emma Ashby says: August 29, 2011 at 5:50 pm I LOVE this! Just about ever single pair of jeans that I own needs to be hemmed. It will be my project this weekend! Thanks so much to you and Cathe! Reply 33. 33 MaryAnn says: August 29, 2011 at 5:57 pm Brilliant! I get so frustrated because the regular pants are too short and the longs are too tall (unless I wear 3 inch heels, which I wont). Love it! Your comments about your brother made me laugh. My brother did something similar to me on Facebook, but didnt bother to let me know until after. It was pretty embarrassing. I hope you asked your brothers permission. I knew your parents in when I lived in New Jersey. Your brother looks a lot like your dad! Both handsome guys. :) Reply 34. 34 Monica says: August 29, 2011 at 6:08 pm YIPPIE! I so needed this right now. My sweet friend just gave me 8-10 really nice pairs of much needed jeans.. they fit me great, (which is a miracle) but they are all too long! I think my free time slot while my girls are at kindergarten tomorrow will be filled with alterations, just in time for fall! Reply 35. 35 Alis in Wnderlnd says: August 29, 2011 at 8:01 pm This is the exact method I use to hem my own jeans and my daughters jeans. If there is more than 3 inches folded inside (6 inches hemmed!) I will cut the extra fabric off. Ive had to do this for my daughter because her feet get tangled in the extra fabric when shes dressingshes only 6. the folded and sewn edge does become distressed, so it wont work if you think you will just let them out as kids get taller. (I tried.) It totally beast $10 per pair for hemming when ALL my jeans and ALL her jeans need hemming. Huge money saver. AND, I am NOT a sewer. If I can do it, anyone can. Promise. Practice on an old pair first if you dont trust yourself.
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Reply 36. 36 Kira says: August 29, 2011 at 11:06 pm This is amazing! I have had 2 pairs of my little girls jeans and 2 pairs of a friends jeans sitting on my ironing board for weeksjust finished them! Awesome! Thanks! Reply 37. 37 Cathe Holden says: August 29, 2011 at 11:13 pm 1. Thanks for lighting my blog tracker on fire. 2. Thanks for linking and your super kind words. 3. Thanks for taking this project to the next level with your fabulous tutorial! 3. You probably just put eHarmony out of business and will be keeping your brother busy for months. What a cutie! :) Cathe Reply 37.1 Cathe Holden says: August 29, 2011 at 11:14 pm Er.. 4. Reply 37.1.1 Ashley says: August 29, 2011 at 11:27 pm Haha..who needs #4 anyway?!! And yay.glad it sent a little love your way. And thank YOU for sharing!!! Reply 38. 38 Ali says: August 29, 2011 at 11:24 pm Thank you so so so much for posting this tutorial!!!!! You have saved my life. My 12 year old inherited some jeans from her cousins and they are all way to long since she is short for her age and her cousins are tall. I have now hemmed a pair in under 30 minutes and she will be ecstatic in the morning! She will have cool new jeans to wear to school!!! Thanks again for sharing! Reply 39. 39 Ali says: August 29, 2011 at 11:25 pm Oh yeahhottie brother!!! I would want him if I didnt already have a hottie of my own! Reply 40. 40 Emily says: August 29, 2011 at 11:27 pm Love this! Dont know if Ill get to do it. Maybe for my girls. My son needs crazy long pants but is Tiny in the waist if I buy them long enough to let out theyll fit like clown pants. Now a suspender tutorialI could Totally use that ; ) Reply 40.1 Emily says: September 4, 2011 at 12:51 pm Haha, found it! Thanks for letting us know where your hidden search bar is ;). Ive found all sorts of things! Reply 41. 41
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Anonymous says: August 29, 2011 at 11:29 pm So glad you posted this! I need to hem some of my husbands pants! By the way I was reading this post and all the sudden I realized I knew who was in these pictures! My husband and I were in Gregs ward for about a year! I was Claires primary teacher and I went to her baptism! Crazy right? I had no idea you were related. Fun! Reply 42. 42 Kadi says: August 29, 2011 at 11:30 pm Sorry forgot to put in my name. I commented about being in Gregs ward. Reply 43. 43 Amy says: August 30, 2011 at 12:28 am Yayyyyy! Ive heard of this but could never figure out how it was done. I barely hit 5 feet and a lot of times the so-called petite/short pants are still inches too long. Totally a life saver thanks a million!!!!! Reply 44. 44 phyl says: August 30, 2011 at 12:46 am Im barely 5 tall and have hemmed every pair of pants Ive ever owned. WHY didnt I ever think of this myself???!!! Thanks for sharing the process. Reply 45. 45 Jen says: August 30, 2011 at 1:31 am Thank you so much for this tutorial! Ive been wanting to make a pair of pants into knee length shorts. Im going to give this a shot. Thanks for sharing! You are the best! Reply 45.1 Andrea says: August 30, 2011 at 1:30 pm Please let me know if this works!! I would love to do this, too!! Reply 45.2 Megan says: September 16, 2011 at 4:50 pm What a great idea! Please do let us know if this works! Looks like I will be working all weekend to get my kids new school and church pants the right length. Reply 46. 46 Sandee says: August 30, 2011 at 1:34 am i had some jeans altered at buckle once and this is exactly what it was. clever! Reply 47. 47 Chelsea says: August 30, 2011 at 2:06 am Genius. Goodbye rolled up pants that are to long at the beginning of the season (and constantly coming unrolled and causing my kids to trip). I am super excited because I am pretty tall but a lot of time I fall right in between the tall length and the regular length. Jeans are either too short or I am stepping on the bottoms all the time. I will be kissing that problem goodbye, too.
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Also, my sister is single and totally awesome. Seriously, words cannot capture what an amazing human being my sister is. She is not in Northern Colorado, but we are from the Denver area originally so maybe it could work. Haha, if you could solve my sisters love life problem as well, youd be my best friend ever. Reply 48. 48 Michele N says: August 30, 2011 at 2:11 am OMG, youre awesome. I now know how to take care of the jeans I got for my daughter. I found some Aeropostle jeans at a high school cheerleaders yard sale and got them for 25 cents each. 2 pairs fit okay in the waist but are too long and the other 2 pair are too big in the waist & way too long. Now I know how to fix them! She is 11 but her waist is so tiny that she can fit an 8 around, but needs a 12 in length. These are a juniors 00. I didnt know they had that size and couldnt believe they fit her that well. I thought they would all be a bit big. So I always have to pick between fit in the waist or length, but usually cant find both. My 15 yo son is in a 3436 so yeah, we dont find much thats too long for him. And your brother is a cutie! Reply 48.1 KarinSDCA says: July 24, 2012 at 3:21 pm Thank you for the details! My daughter is also 11 and can also fit in size 8, if only in shorts. LOL I am going to try juniors 00 next. Never even knew those existed!!! Reply 49. 49 Michele N says: August 30, 2011 at 2:14 am Also helps me know how to hem a pair of scout pants that are sitting in my car for one of the boys in our troop! Yay!!! Reply 50. 50 Monica says: August 30, 2011 at 2:35 am Ive been meaning to email you! Brittany and I always talk about you, creative little lady! My couch has pillows inspired by you :)))) Now that you focused on jeans, I was wondering if you could post a tut about making my bell bottomed or flare jeans that fit perfectly in the booty but out of style on the bottoms into skinny or straight leg jeans? Because you are amazing !! :) HUGS! Monica Reply 50.1 Jeni says: August 30, 2011 at 7:16 am I would LOVE this as well! <3 Thanks for your amazing blog :-) Reply 50.1.1 Shannon says: September 4, 2011 at 12:36 pm I have seen a tutorial somewhere on this funny, I thought it was this blog? Basically it involved putting the jeans on inside out, then pinning closer to the leg along the non-topstitched seam to get them as fitted as you want (leave room at the ankle to get your foot out!), then taking then off (carefully! ;)) and sewing down that line try on again before you trim the excess! Pictures made it much clearer Reply 51. 51 Narelle says: August 30, 2011 at 3:27 am OMG this is fab, I actually have 2 pairs to take up this week, and this is soooo much simpler to how I would normally do them.Fab fab fab Reply 52. 52 Jill B says: August 30, 2011 at 8:26 am
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Im petite and have been hemming jeans/pants this way for several years now and it always works great! I never cut off the excess, just tack it up on the sides and back (I use the sewing machine to run a seam inside the side seams and then the short button hole stitch for the back). Done in a flash! Reply 52.1 Shannon says: September 4, 2011 at 12:40 pm I do this too if you use a somewhat matching thread (jeans seem to be pretty forgiving colour-wise) and make the stitch vertical to the pants in a few places, Ive found you cant see the tacking stitches I do stitches in the ditch along the seams and then also in the front and back, with my sewing machine since I avoid handsewing when possible. I do it in more places for my daughters jeans, since shes more apt to get her toes caught in the hem when she puts them on Reply 52.1.1 KarinSDCA says: July 24, 2012 at 3:23 pm Brilliant!!!! Reply 53. 53 Andrea says: August 30, 2011 at 9:51 am Did this during nap time yesterday to a pair of my jeans and it worked perfectly! And only took about 20 mins! Thanks for sharing. Reply 54. 54 Natalie says: August 30, 2011 at 9:58 am I am SO using this technique on a pair of jeans that I have. I suffer, like you, from long leg syndrome. But these pants are too short and I want to make them into capris. I really wanted to keep the original hem, so thank you so much for the tutorial! I cant wait to tackle this! Reply 55. 55 Kadie says: August 30, 2011 at 10:16 am Oh my heavens. Thank you SO much for this tip. I have two pairs of my jeans that need hemmed and I knew it would be ghetto to just cut them off and try to make a new hem. Youre a lifesaver as always! Reply 56. 56 Cass says: August 30, 2011 at 11:35 am I came for the hemming guidebut Id like the brother even more. Id move. Im mostly kidding. Reply 57. 57 Anna@DirectionsNotIncluded says: August 30, 2011 at 12:05 pm My husband and I are both 51 so we have never NOT hemmed pants. This might end up being a huge money saver for us since we always take them to the tailor to keep the original hem. Thanks for sharing!! Reply 58. 58 Annie says: August 30, 2011 at 12:34 pm Oh your poor brother. Good Luck, Greg, you may need it after this post!!! lol Reply 59. 59
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Ruthy Butler says: August 30, 2011 at 12:40 pm I love all your ideas and wish I could be just as creative! I have a question for you! I am currently pregnant and I am 62 and plus size and maternity pants just dont exist for me. Do you know or have a tutorial of how to turn regular pants into maternity pants by adding the elastic band? I have some jeans that Im ok altering but have no clue how to do it. Im sick of doing the rubber band trick, it just hurts my belly too much!! Thanks so so much! Reply 59.1 KRISTI says: August 30, 2011 at 1:18 pm Have you tried the bella band?? I was addicted to that thing. motherhood maternity has some knock off ones.. or you can just grab a tube top in a pinch! Reply 59.2 Andrea says: August 30, 2011 at 1:34 pm Heres a grouping of tutorials for you! http://www.luvinthemommyhood.com/2010/03/maternity-sewing-tutorial-roundup.html Reply 60. 60 Ruthy Butler says: August 30, 2011 at 1:20 pm I have! It didnt work that well, my pants would always fall down! Reply 61. 61 Missy Evans says: August 30, 2011 at 1:23 pm This is a great way to hem pants for growing kids. I love it and will use it from here on out. Thanks for sharing!! Reply 62. 62 Missy Evans says: August 30, 2011 at 1:24 pm Oh yeah.your brother is hot in these jeans!!! Reply 63. 63 Crafty Diana says: August 30, 2011 at 1:33 pm Oh my goodness! Genius! Love love love. Unfortunately, we are shorties here. and Im always hemming.. or swearing that I wont buy unless they are perfect! Cant wait to try Ive got some jeans needing some attention. bet this would be great on khakis too. (Ive had some with decorative threading and could never find the matching color) Thanks! Nice job! Reply 63.1 Crafty Diana says: October 2, 2011 at 11:02 am Just an update Im hemming jeans so much faster and better with this technique so very happy- (I really disliked making a new hem) Reply 64. 64 Marjori Miller says: August 30, 2011 at 1:38 pm Your brother is very handsome! If I werent married, I could be persueded to move to Colorado! ;o)
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Reply 65. 65 Kelsey says: August 30, 2011 at 1:55 pm This might have been said in the previous comments, but I think this idea could work for fixing a frayed hem. You could get a second pair of pants with a good hem and replace the frayed hem. Reply 66. 66 Kimberly says: August 30, 2011 at 2:39 pm I just tried this same technique myself and posted about it here: http://bktribe.blogspot.com/2011/08/prepping-for-school.html A zipper foot works really well for this. Reply 67. 67 Michelle says: August 30, 2011 at 4:20 pm Pure genius!! Thanks for posting this awesome technique! Reply 68. 68 Lisa M says: August 30, 2011 at 6:06 pm Coming out of lurking to say. your brother is HOT!!! LOL and why didnt my 50 self come up with this technique years agp? Reply 69. 69 Jessica S says: August 30, 2011 at 6:26 pm THANK YOU! I have a short leg and all my pants are too long. I have no sewing skills but am too cheap to take them to a tailor. So I usually walk off the excess- not pretty. This I think I can handle. Im going to try this on a pair I have at home now. Do you think this same method would work on nicer dress pants? I have some linen pants that are really long. Reply 70. 70 Cara says: August 30, 2011 at 6:54 pm Great idea for jean shortening I will have to remember this, my kids are short. Anyway I just wanted to tell you how much I LOVE your Lily Skirt pattern. Super easy and super cute!!!! Reply 71. 71 Heidi Ceto says: August 30, 2011 at 7:30 pm Wow!! Who would have thunk it? lol I have the opposite problem with my 2 year old son! He is very TALL but has a tiny waist! He can fit in to 18-24m pants in the waist but they are so short! Any tips on how to make pants longer? Thanks for all your awesome tips and ideas!!! Your truly amazing! :) Reply 72. 72 Melissa says: August 30, 2011 at 8:32 pm Thank you thank you thank you!!! I have always hated the way that homemade hems look this is perfect! I just hemmed a pair of jeans this way and it worked perfect!! Reply 73. 73
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Kristin says: August 30, 2011 at 9:50 pm I just wanted to say that your son looks so much like your brother :) Reply 74. 74 sanderson says: August 30, 2011 at 10:35 pm Sister , you are the bomb! Thank you for sharing the Idea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just hemmed a pair this week the old way, but no more. Reply 75. 75 Mac says: August 31, 2011 at 12:10 am Had to link to you today, because Ive been needing this tutorial for a LONG, LONG TIME!!! Thanks for sharing! Reply 76. 76 Yifat says: August 31, 2011 at 2:57 am How do U lengthen your pants? Im quite short and accidently made my pants too short. It is not a jeans. If U have an idea Ill love to read it ! :) Reply 77. 77 Mo says: August 31, 2011 at 4:03 am ASHLEYYYYYY! I decided to upgrade to a better more advanced sewing machine and absolutely love it. My first project was shortening my jeans. With your talented idea i was able to beautifully hem my jeans. They look so amazing. Thank you for sharing your creative ideas. Im addicted to your websitejust letting you know. Mo Reply 78. 78 Brid says: August 31, 2011 at 5:49 am Love this, will pass on to my mam who will be so happy. She can never get jeans short enough! :) Reply 79. 79 Jackie says: August 31, 2011 at 7:45 am I am so going to try this today for my sweet little 7 year old.. that can not find a pair of jeans the right length to save us! she is always complaining that her pants are to long! well now I can take her nice jeans and MAKE them fit her! :) thanks! This is for sure going on my sewing pin board! Reply 80. 80 svetlana says: August 31, 2011 at 10:41 am Love the idea, thanks for sharing. Reply 81. 81 Angel says: August 31, 2011 at 1:15 pm LOVE THIS!!! Im 5 feet tall and finding jeans is a nightmare, but not anymore
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Reply 82. 82 Anonymous says: August 31, 2011 at 1:41 pm I have done this with several of my jeans. I cant remember who taught me this trick but I was so glad seeing how i am only 52 and can never find the perfect length! A great one to add to your already amazing list of tricks! Reply 83. 83 April says: August 31, 2011 at 2:59 pm Oh I am so happy right now. My daughter has 3 new pairs of jeans sitting in my room washed and ready to be hemmed. I have been dreading it!! I am going to get started right away. Thank you so much, now she will have them in time for school to start tomorrow. Great idea! Reply 84. 84 Liz Smith says: August 31, 2011 at 4:34 pm Thank you Thank you Thank you! Huge light bulb just went on. Always wanted to be able to hem jeans and still keep that nice hem at the bottom. Great idea! Reply 85. 85 cindy says: September 1, 2011 at 5:46 pm LOVE IT!!!!! Thank you !!! I have a stack of pants that need to be hemmed ! Reply 86. 86 Helga says: September 2, 2011 at 12:02 pm LOVE the technique, and yes, your brother is a hottie! Does he ever come to Utah? :) Reply 87. 87 Trisha davis says: September 3, 2011 at 4:09 pm Great technique thanks for sharingand your bro is super cute.how old is he? Is he on facebook? My did is hot, be single and lives in san diego, 35 years old. Shes on fb. We should hook up the two..shes lds too! Email me if you think hed be interested! :) Reply 88. 88 Trisha davis says: September 3, 2011 at 4:11 pm Oops, that was supposed to say my sis ..not my did. Sorry Reply 89. 89 Eliza says: September 6, 2011 at 12:46 am That is very clever!! I am tall too, how do you alter pants to make them longer (like you mentioned you do)? Reply 90. 90 Amber R says: September 6, 2011 at 6:41 pm OKi LOVE your blog and all of your ideas. I wanna be you when I grow up! :) Your creativity is endless and usually I just admire the things you do and put them in my electronic file folder for the future kiddos cause you do amazing things for and with your kids.
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I am 52 and just found jeans that actually fit (Curvy fit from Rue 21 awesome for my shape but they dont even come in the not so accurate short, regular or long). They have that cute white stitching down the in seam and hem and your tutorial was JUST what I needed (so I didnt have to hand stitch a new white stitching to match the rest of the pants). My pants look AWESOME and my husband is quite impressed. THANK YOU!!! Reply 91. 91 Sue Q says: September 6, 2011 at 7:30 pm This is exactly how Ive been doing it for the last four or five years, with two exceptions: first of all, Ive found that when you tack it, it can get kind of bulky. I have a serger and I just serge off the excess. Secondly, I have found that even if you iron it, it can still flip up. So, I use a heavy denim needle and topstitch with dark navy thread (or whatever color disappears into the denim) all around the new seam. It works great! Reply 92. 92 Robyn says: September 7, 2011 at 4:18 pm All 5 feet of me thanks you whole heartedly! I have been walking around with rolled up jeans for 30 years because Im too lazy to hem them because of all the cutting and measuring involved and then it always looks obvious that the pants have been hemmed. This I could do. :) And Im SOOO short I never buy flared jeans anyways (I dont need to look any shorter than I am). Thank ya thank ya! Reply 93. 93 Meari says: September 8, 2011 at 12:44 pm Wow! This is awesome. I only wish Id known about it a month ago when my Dad asked me to hem his jeans! Reply 94. 94 Edie says: September 9, 2011 at 5:48 am Cool idea, will come in handy when the boys hit that inbetween sizes. Thank you for posting it and thank you Cathe for having it out there as well. As for your brother, keep us up to date on the quest for love, wouldnt it be cool if a connection did happen through your post. :) Reply 95. 95 Mary Lou Hart says: September 11, 2011 at 6:54 pm Been following your blog for a while totally shocked to see my old next door neighbor is your bother. We knew him at BYU and I think even meet you several times. Lovely to see Greg & Claire again. The jeans tip is great. Thanks Ill definitely be following your blog more. Reply 96. 96 natalie says: September 13, 2011 at 4:31 pm that is a great idea! ive yet to find a pair of jeans that have never needed altering!! now i know the trick to make them look like i didnt have to hem them up!! Reply 97. 97 missvixen1969 says: September 13, 2011 at 6:34 pm Holy cow!!! Amazing thank you gals for sharing this. Ive always been little (like 410) which means that even jeans that say theyre , Short, are not so. So ALL of my pants are altered. My neice makes fun of me, Auntie, did you really cut 6 inches off? Did I mention shes 6 inches taller than me? (: Anyway, thanks for the post and many others Ive read! Reply 97.1 Colton Flinner says: October 19, 2011 at 2:15 am Hi there, I discovered your website by means of Google while searching for a similar subject, your web site came up, it seems to be great. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.
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Reply 98. 98 Amy M. says: September 14, 2011 at 8:57 pm I just used this tutorial to hem some jeans I bought recently that were too long. They turned out awesome. Thank you SOOOO much for this!!!! Reply 99. 99 MarlisB says: September 17, 2011 at 8:27 pm you deserve the Nobel prize for this! My hubby is short and so am I and I am forever altering pants. This rockSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks! Reply 100. 100 Cydne says: September 21, 2011 at 4:41 pm I love this technique, and for me I do serge the excess fabric off & dont worry about tacking. One tip: If you hem childrens pants this way, you want to make sure that they dont stay that way for more than a few months or the jeans will lighten where they were creased. Then when you let them out, there will be a lighter line around the bottom of the pants where they were hemmed. On some pants its not much of a problem, but on others, it is. Also, if you cant use this technique, you can just use the yellow colored top stitching thread that matches, or regular yellow thread that matches with machine stitch that sews each stitch 3 times then it will look like the heavy thread even though it isnt. Then, just sand lightly along the hem and wash them a few times. You dont have to worry about bleach. The sanding usually loosens up enough of the fiber that excess dye washes out quickly anyhow. Great tutorial! Reply 101. 101 Jean @ Quilted Cupcake says: October 1, 2011 at 11:11 am Best jeans tutorial ever! My boys are going to love you, and they dont even know you. They always complain that when I hem their jeans they dont look right (aka original hem). Total game-changer. Thank you, thank you, thank you. p.s. I agree your bro is easy on the eyes! Great photos. Reply 102. 102 pkae says: October 2, 2011 at 3:12 am Since there are over 100 comments, I not only didnt read them all (I usually do), but will prob repeat what many said. OMG! I want to kiss you and anyone else who should share the lime light for this tip!!! I am 5 ft tall and NEVER can find jeans (pants in general) that dont need hemming. Thus I usually wear mine till they are falling off! But now I can get my tall sisters hand-me-downs (shes far more of a fashionista than me, so I love them) and wear them with pride (not with head bent for the 6 roll ups that look hideous :-D ) How simple but amazingly fantastic! Got a pile Ill start on tomorrow! THANK YOU!!! Reply 103. 103 Crafty Carole says: October 3, 2011 at 1:20 am oh my, you may not believe this but I just did this last week to my daughters uniform pants and now this week Im reading your blog. (was sent here to look at your adorable elephant tute from pinterest.com) You made me feel brilliant tonight another advantage is when (as in the case for kids) you need to let them down for the growth issue, the bottom that gets worn that always shows after you let hemmed pants down will be the same bottom on the longer length thanks for reaffirrming that in a pinch we do smart things then wonder why we didnt do it that way since ever. Reply 104. 104 Haley says:
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October 7, 2011 at 1:25 pm I just did this to a new pair of jeans and they look fabulous now! I do want to add, though, that it is necessary to take out the lower row of pins (where you want to hem to end up). I didnt think it all through before I started sewing, and had to stop to pull out that row before I sewed them into that fold of extra material! I am sure that goes without saying, but it might be worth a mention! Reply 105. 105 Lisa says: October 8, 2011 at 1:56 pm This makes my life so EASY! Thanks so much! I am petite, but cheap, so am always hemming pants I get on sale that are not in petite size. And now that my friends know I can sew, Im the neighborhood seamstress! :o) Thanks so much for your great tutorials. Love them all!!!! Reply 106. 106 katy says: October 11, 2011 at 11:28 am I have been useing this technique for a while, but I wanted to add that after you are done cutting off the extra and folding the hem under you can sew above the top of your new stitch to hold the fabric in place also makes it less likley to fraysimilr to your handstitching technique Reply 107. 107 Aimee says: October 28, 2011 at 1:46 pm Why I love this is because I have three boys and jeans are handed down. So with my chunkier oldest son, I can still pass it on to my taller, skinny middle child and so on. Thank you. Reply 108. 108 Holly@Mimi's Dollhouse says: November 3, 2011 at 12:42 pm That might be the smartest thing Ive seen in a long time!!! I never would have thought to fold the orignal hem up like that!!! I am 53 and ALL my pants are too long. All this time Ive had to deal with either rolled pants or ugly hemsLOVE this website!!! Reply 109. 109 Ashlee says: November 10, 2011 at 10:42 pm First off, I just have to ask. Did you ever hate your name growing up? No? Just me? Okay. Moving on. I have to thank you for changing my life forever. Dramatic? Yes. True? Absolutely. All 53 of me would like to thank you, as well as my 56 husband, and most-likely-going-to-be-short kids. So thanks! Super clear, easy instructions! I linked back to you here: http://kickingmyash.blogspot.com/2011/11/life-changing-alteration.html Thank you! Im so glad I found your site through this tutorial on Pinterest! Im a follower now! And I love your Halloween costumes. We can be friends. I love costumes! Our family did a Tangled theme this year! Reply 110. 110 Lauren says: December 11, 2011 at 11:05 pm I finally get it. Thank you. Ive seen so many tutorials fro this but havent understood until i saw yours. Reply 111. 111 Shelle says: December 14, 2011 at 10:17 pm Well, totally awesome idea. AND Im single and moving to Eastern Wyoming in the Spring..I will need someone fun to do things withmaybe a handsome brother?!?!?! ;) Reply 112. 112 Katie O. says: December 15, 2011 at 7:35 pm
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THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!! This worked like a charm for my awesome new Gap jeans that needed to be hemmed just a bit. You are SO appreciated :) :) :) God bless you & your beautiful family Merry Christmas!!!! Reply 113. 113 Alexandria Capranica says: December 30, 2011 at 2:00 am GREAT post!! Im 51 and can NEVER find jeans unless they are from Hollister or American Eagle because they offer short jeans. Btw, is brother still on the market? Hes a total babe ;). I work out in Colorado, Wyoming and Utah.. Reply 114. 114 Bonnie says: January 13, 2012 at 9:33 am I love this. I just bought a pair of designer jeans for $7 and they are WAY too long. It was too good of a deal to pass up though. Just one question though What happens when you put them through the washer? Will they stay in place or start to lay funny? Will I have to press them every time I take them out of the dryer? Reply 114.1 Michelle says: March 7, 2012 at 4:08 pm Bonnie (or anyone else): did you get an answer on this? Im also wondering what happens when these are washed again. Just got some new pants that are way long and driving me crazy. Reply 114.1.1 Bonnie says: March 8, 2012 at 9:15 am I never got a reply, no. I also havent tried shortening them either. Reply 114.1.1.1 margey says: May 11, 2012 at 10:44 pm press them every time, they do flip up! Reply 114.2 KarinSDCA says: July 24, 2012 at 3:39 pm Machine-stitch them the way someone upthread described (vertical stitches in a few places with thread that matches your jeans) and they wont require constant ironing. Reply 115. 115 Jean says: January 15, 2012 at 8:00 pm My daughter was trying to explain how she has her jeans professionally hemmed by keeping the old hem. Thanks you so much for sharing. Now I can do it! Reply 116. 116 Katy D. says: January 20, 2012 at 1:05 pm My daughters and I are so grateful! We are of the big-bootied, short legged crowd. Love, love, love this! Reply 117. 117
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Tatertots says: January 22, 2012 at 10:58 pm Wow. I am 4ft9inches and have always hated hemming jeans. Now I cannot wait to tackle the next pair. Bring em on! Thank you for sharing! Reply 118. 118 Nicci says: January 28, 2012 at 8:38 pm Love the idea.. HATE that I dont live in Colorado.. very handsome and sharp brother ;) Reply 119. 119 Sandi C says: February 11, 2012 at 12:09 pm Awesome!!! Just used this method!!!! Thumbs up!!!! Will use it often Reply 120. 120 Jamie says: February 16, 2012 at 8:57 pm Hello! I want to try this technique with my too long skinny jeans, but have a problem. Usually my mom alters my jeans, but they lose their skinniness because she cuts the ends off and sews a new hem. Do you think I can do this too? Should I make them skinny first and then do this or do this and then make them skinny? Reply 121. 121 Stephanie says: February 23, 2012 at 3:58 am Omg thank you so much I have always had my grandmother hem my jeans for me and they never look the same. However, I have already tried this on a pair of jeans and they look amazing you cant even tell. Now I can buy those awesome jeans I find at the store and dont have to worry about them being to long. Thank you! Reply 122. 122 Mom says: February 25, 2012 at 5:08 pm At what point do you take the first row of pins out?? Reply 123. 123 poletje says: February 27, 2012 at 5:33 pm Thanks! Should have known this 45 years earlier ! Never too old to learn Reply 124. 124 Lauren says: February 28, 2012 at 8:34 pm Your brother should come to Austinjust sayin Reply 125. 125 Gabriela Pinera says: February 29, 2012 at 12:33 pm I love your blog it is so easy to understand, Im so glad I found you cant wait to go through your whole website. My husband always needs his jeans hemmed his 56 and it;s hard to fine jeans in a 28 length.
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Reply 126. 126 Abbie says: March 1, 2012 at 1:47 pm Im in Northern Colorado and definitely a taker for your brother! Haha Reply 127. 127 Kitty says: March 10, 2012 at 11:09 am I love your idea to shorten jeans. I always have to buy my jeans long because I ride so I use your method and some duck tape on the inside of the pant leg to temporarily shorten them for my non horsey outfits. Thank you for sharing your great idea and helping to inspire the rest of us to come up with our own. BTW: Your brother is a cutie. Is he still single? :) Reply 128. 128 Paula says: March 27, 2012 at 1:03 pm I did this on some pj`s and it did great. Thanks for the information. Reply 129. 129 Pvc fabric says: April 15, 2012 at 12:07 pm I always have to shorten my jeans. Now I know how to make them look better. Thanks. Reply 130. 130 julia says: April 21, 2012 at 7:51 am Today for the first time on your site, but i love it!! Thanks!! Now i can try to do it my self instead of paying 15 euro to have it done! Btw unfortunatly i live in the netherlands otherwise, i would love to have a lunch with your brother :-)) Reply 131. 131 moonlake says: May 10, 2012 at 4:44 pm This is really a good idea. Always need to shorten my jeans. Reply 132. 132 gina says: June 16, 2012 at 6:03 pm I am short, so this is great, found it on pinterest. And your brother is surely date worthy. His daughter is darling. Too bad hes in Colorado.Im in Utah! Reply 133. 133 Mary Boshell says: June 30, 2012 at 5:44 pm This is a great tutorial! I have hemmed about 12 pairs of my husbands jeans AND it works wonders on slacks with cuffs! Someone told my husband he was a 32 lengthso far I have hemmed his pants to 28.Yes, I am SO glad I found this great tutorial! Reply 134. 134 emily buehler says: July 14, 2012 at 4:17 pm When my kids were toddlers, I used a very similar method on their sleeves.
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Reply 135. 135 KarinSDCA says: July 24, 2012 at 3:49 pm This is great! Thank you for sharing! I used a similar method for a pair of pajama bottoms for my daughter last year, but I didnt tack up the extra. They were pjs, so we didnt care that much and I sewed the make do seam high enough up that the excess fabric could fall down and not be seen. We let them out recently and you cannot tell they were ever shorter. For converting too-short jeans into boyfriend shorts (knee-length) for her this spring, I took the time to cut the legs off and double-stitch a new hem with thread similar to the original. I am wondering if this would have worked for that much excess fabric? I am sure I will have more opportunities to try this out! Reply 136. 136 Michelle says: August 10, 2012 at 3:48 pm This is flippin brilliant. Being 52 since 8th grade, I have passed up many pairs of great jeans because they were too long, and I hate the look of hemmed jeans. I am new to sewing and just bought my almost 5 year old a pair of jeans that were on a great sale, fit great in the waist, and are way too long. So I came here because I knew you would have a fantastic way to fix these jeans, and I was right! LOVE your blog I have learned so much! And now I never have to leave a perfect pair of jeans in the store because of the length! Reply 137. 137 Natalie says: August 24, 2012 at 12:29 pm I feel so dumb, help me out here. Doesnt this actually make the pants 1/2inch longer than you want them? Why cant I get it? Thanks! Reply 137.1 Sarah says: October 28, 2012 at 2:39 pm See my comment (#143). Reply 137.1.1 Natalie says: October 28, 2012 at 4:50 pm Thanks Sarah for confirming that. I was thinking I was the only person who found that and so I must be wrong. Reply 138. 138 Natalie says: August 25, 2012 at 12:40 am It seems to me that this will leave the pants 1/2 inch longer than you actually want them. What am I missing? Reply 138.1 Louise G says: June 10, 2013 at 4:07 pm You are right Natalie, the technique is good but her measurement calculations are wrong. For anyone else reading this you need to double the depth of the hem measurement, i.e. put your pins not but 1 above your desired finished length. Reply 139. 139 Kirsten says: August 29, 2012 at 12:18 am Seriously.you are a genius!!! I am obsessed! Thank you, thank you, thank you! From my little 51 bodythank you!! Reply 140. 140
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Kaoru says: September 14, 2012 at 7:23 pm Hello Ashley, THank you so much for this wonderful tutorial! I just finished heming my jeans and I am loving it! Cheers, Kaoru Reply 141. 141 ChickadeeJess says: October 10, 2012 at 2:31 am Hi. I enjoyed your great tutorial and linked to it here http://chickadeejess.blogspot.com/2012/10/kcwc-challenge-days-1-and-2-magic-jeans.htm Thanks! Reply 142. 142 Joni says: October 13, 2012 at 8:14 am After washing the jeans, does the hem stay flat or do you have to iron it every time? Reply 143. 143 Sarah says: October 28, 2012 at 2:36 pm I just shortened a pair of my husbands jeans, and they turned out great! However, I ran across a measurement problem that I think I figured out. Im just not sure if I can explain it to you just with words, but Ill give it a shot. I havent read all the comments to see if anyone else noticed this. Say your first row of pins (the length you want the jeans to be) is 2 inches from the bottom of the jean if you add half an inch (the length of the original hem) to that for the second row of pins and fold the bottom of the jeans up to that, then if you measure the length that is actually being removed when you sew just below the existing hem, it measures only 1.5 inches. (in other words, the distance from the sewn line to the bottom is 3/4 inch.) The jeans end up half an inch longer than I wanted them to be. To remedy this, I had to double the length of the hem (1/2 inch to 1 inch) when I put in the second row of pins to fold up to. Does this make sense? It only makes sense to me when Im holding the jeans in my hand and looking at it, so Im not sure if I can translate that into text. Reply 144. 144 Amy says: November 8, 2012 at 9:28 am You are my hero. I was about to take some miss me jeans to be altered. I have been holding off because I was afraid of how they would look with the altered hem. However the jeans were about 4 inches too long and Id never wear them without the alteration. I do not sew. I own a $10 battery operated machine for emergencies. I completed this projectdespite these odds against me and the jeans look amazing!!! Thank you so much for the idea. Reply 145. 145 kate says: November 8, 2012 at 6:50 pm Thank you thank you! Nice and simple-worked great! Reply 146. 146 Stacy says: November 14, 2012 at 6:12 pm Just followed this tutorial to hem my MILs jeansthey turned out great! Thanks!! Reply 147. 147 Sophie says: December 19, 2012 at 12:02 pm
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I tried it! And they are the best hems Ive ever done! Another good thing, I can retry them before finishing (i.e. cutting the excess) and Im sure of the final look. No surprise. Quick, easy and good looking. Thanks for sharing this tip! Reply 148. 148 debbie says: December 27, 2012 at 10:09 pm just wanted to say thanks for this great idea on heming jeans you have made my life sooooo much easierand i just wanted to thank you Reply 149. 149 Megan@BlueStarVermont.com says: December 30, 2012 at 8:58 pm Thanks for a great way to sneak in a jeans look hem. Reply 150. 150 anitia says: January 6, 2013 at 8:52 pm Still difficult to try and adjust to shorten the hem when and since Im totaaly shrot this is great for the jean what about the dress pants only. Reply 151. 151 Kathy says: January 7, 2013 at 10:49 am Had an occasion to use this tutorial todaysoo easy and now I have great fitting jeans that I wont trip over! Reply 152. 152 Guilla says: January 30, 2013 at 9:33 pm OMG!! I am sooo doing this with all of my jeans! I am a shortie so many of my jeans are just a little too long! I really appreciate you posted this! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! I love your blog, you are a real inspiration, hopefully I will be as skillful as you are! Many blessings, keep it up! ;) Reply 153. 153 Bekki says: February 16, 2013 at 5:41 pm I loved this so much! Im 4 foot asian! and cant ever find short enough legs on jeans. Anywho, I live in Northern Colorado! And although I am married, my 26 year old sister is single and I know this may be a long shot since its been a few years since you posted this, but if your brother is still single then we should totally set these two up! LOLOL. Send me an email if you want! Reply 154. 154 sheen says: February 22, 2013 at 10:17 am Thanks this was very helpful Reply 155. 155 Sue says: March 21, 2013 at 5:44 pm
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Great idea. I would serge or overcast the edge and fold it down, rather than up. That way, when putting on the jeans, youre not constantly putting your leg int o a seam thats face upward!!! Reply 156. 156 mary says: April 5, 2013 at 9:32 pm Question-can you hem capris to make shorts or long dresses to shorter length using this same method? Of course fabric may also need to be trimmed away, but I would love to keep the original look of the hem. Any input? Thanks. Mary Reply 157. 157 Penny says: April 18, 2013 at 9:51 am I am using this today. I do some of my grand childrens jeans, and this is going to be great!! Reply 158. 158 Suellen Mollenhauer says: July 16, 2013 at 5:36 pm This put up is really helpful. Im able to override author, email and url default settings, but I am not able to override comment_field, it is getting duplicated, i.e. the default textarea is also appearing with my custom comment textarea. Any help would be appreciated. Reply 159. 159 Fluid says: August 4, 2013 at 1:10 am Because if you dont know how well you can do to assist them. It seems as if one of those people that are making tons of money from all these ideas are the ones to succeed. You can build a brilliant marketing program only to have it right. Reply 160. 160 Denim jeans says: August 22, 2013 at 2:05 pm Nice dictation of jeans :) Reply 161. 161 Becky says: September 1, 2013 at 6:52 pm You are a genius and thank you for sharing this information. I just hemmed a pair of 505s down two inches they look amazing, I mean amazing. No one could tell they were hemmed. Thank you thank you, my son is so picky and this was just perfect!!!! This works, just make sure you have an 110 18 needle when through the denim like butter! Reply 162. 162 Rebecca says: September 5, 2013 at 3:32 am This is the very first thing I have ever tried to do with a sewing machine. It worked PERFECTLY! I even used my daughters toy sewing machine. Thank you for the simple and detailed instructions. I especially like that the extra fabric is still attached. I had to hem my daughters jeans and now I can let them out as she grows. Reply 163. 162.1 Ray Onorato says: March 14, 2012 at 4:59 am I impressed, I must say. Rarely do I come across a blog that both educative and entertaining, and let me tell you, youve hit the nail on the head. The problem is something that too few folks are speaking intelligently about. Now im very happy that I stumbled across this in my search for something regarding this. Reply
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Check out what others are saying about this post... 1. Old School Self Reliance 101 Blog Archive how to shorten jeans says: September 6, 2011 at 5:09 pm [...] If all your jeans lack is the right length, the Damsel has a great tutorial for you. If youve ever hemmed jeans before, you know it can be tricky. The fabric is thick and hard to work with. Plus, once youre done, the hem doesnt look like a regular jeans hem. To solve that, the Damsel points the way to this fantastic jeans hemming tutorial: Altering Jeans Length. [...] Reply 2. The Hem to End All Hems Nothing But Time says: September 11, 2011 at 6:48 pm [...] have to hem up their pants. Being short my entire life, I feel lucky to have recently found this great way to hem jeans relatively early in life. The website says this is how tailors do it. By basically folding the [...] Reply 3. [INFP] The Happy Thread! says: January 11, 2012 at 3:21 pm [...] jeans I bought at the thrift store last week that were waaay too long for me using this tutorial: Altering Jeans: Shorter (with Identical Hem) | Make It and Love It AND I DIDN'T COMPLETELY SCREW IT UP! I now have a pair of decently hemmed jeans, done by me, no [...] Reply 4. Hemming Jeans Marla's Art Page Blog says: March 16, 2012 at 3:14 pm [...] is a great way to hem jeans by Make-it and Love-it. You can keep the factory hem and still take out the length you need. Using a denim needle on [...] Reply 5. Resourcefulness: Hemming Jeans | biculturalblessings says: August 7, 2012 at 3:53 pm [...] day I stumbled across this post and decided to try it out. I figured if I didnt like it, I could just rip the stitches out [...] Reply 6. 20 Easy Tricks For Improving Vintage Clothes - EyeOnCelebs says: November 12, 2012 at 6:13 pm [...] Source: makeit-loveit.com [...] Reply 7. Repurposing Adult Clothes into Kid Clothes says: April 25, 2013 at 6:33 pm [...] kid pant tutorial. If theres enough fabric, I make the pants extra long and hem them using this technique so the professional hem is still visible. When the pants become too short I undo the hem and give [...] Reply
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About Me Hi, Im Ashley! Welcome to my little space. I am a mom to 3 wiggly kiddos and a wife to a very patient (with my craft clutter) husband. This is my little space to share my latest project; some sewing, a bit of crafting, a lot of trial/error, and sometimes even some recipes. And in case you're wondering......yes, I can ignore a dirty bathroom while I finish my latest project. ;) Read more...
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Altering Jeans - Shorter

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9/28/13

Altering Jeans: Shorter (with Identical Hem) | Make It and Love It

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Altering Jeans: Shorter (with Identical Hem)

Can anyone on this planet find the perfect pair of jeans?

Altering Jeans: Shorter (with Identical Hem) | Make It and Love It

Check out those newly shortened jeans:

You cant even tell that they have been shortened.

Altering Jeans: Shorter (with Identical Hem) | Make It and Love It

Anyone else need to hem some pants?

Altering Jeans: Shorter (with Identical Hem) | Make It and Love It

Ready to hem some jeans?

Lets get started.

Altering Jeans: Shorter (with Identical Hem) | Make It and Love It

Altering Jeans: Shorter (with Identical Hem) | Make It and Love It

See how its all nice and sewn in place?

Do the same to both pant legs.

Altering Jeans: Shorter (with Identical Hem) | Make It and Love It

Then press it nice and flat. Use steam..and lots of it.

Altering Jeans: Shorter (with Identical Hem) | Make It and Love It

And thats it.

All hemmed up. And ready to wear.

Bath Toy Bag

Altering Jeans: Shorter (with Identical Hem) | Make It and Love It

Sewing Tips: What is Selvage, Bias and Grain?

Baking Disaster - Where did I go wrong?

Altering Jeans: Shorter (with Identical Hem) | Make It and Love It

Altering Jeans: Shorter (with Identical Hem) | Make It and Love It

Altering Jeans: Shorter (with Identical Hem) | Make It and Love It

Altering Jeans: Shorter (with Identical Hem) | Make It and Love It

Altering Jeans: Shorter (with Identical Hem) | Make It and Love It

Altering Jeans: Shorter (with Identical Hem) | Make It and Love It

Altering Jeans: Shorter (with Identical Hem) | Make It and Love It

Altering Jeans: Shorter (with Identical Hem) | Make It and Love It

Altering Jeans: Shorter (with Identical Hem) | Make It and Love It

Altering Jeans: Shorter (with Identical Hem) | Make It and Love It

Altering Jeans: Shorter (with Identical Hem) | Make It and Love It

Altering Jeans: Shorter (with Identical Hem) | Make It and Love It

Altering Jeans: Shorter (with Identical Hem) | Make It and Love It

Altering Jeans: Shorter (with Identical Hem) | Make It and Love It

Altering Jeans: Shorter (with Identical Hem) | Make It and Love It

Altering Jeans: Shorter (with Identical Hem) | Make It and Love It

Altering Jeans: Shorter (with Identical Hem) | Make It and Love It

Altering Jeans: Shorter (with Identical Hem) | Make It and Love It

Altering Jeans: Shorter (with Identical Hem) | Make It and Love It

Altering Jeans: Shorter (with Identical Hem) | Make It and Love It

Altering Jeans: Shorter (with Identical Hem) | Make It and Love It

Altering Jeans: Shorter (with Identical Hem) | Make It and Love It

Altering Jeans: Shorter (with Identical Hem) | Make It and Love It

Altering Jeans: Shorter (with Identical Hem) | Make It and Love It

Altering Jeans: Shorter (with Identical Hem) | Make It and Love It

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Altering Jeans: Shorter (with Identical Hem) | Make It and Love It

Altering Jeans: Shorter (with Identical Hem) | Make It and Love It

Altering Jeans: Shorter (with Identical Hem) | Make It and Love It

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Altering Jeans: Shorter (with Identical Hem) | Make It and Love It

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