Monday, March 5, 2012

Fixing Jeans

One of the most frustrating things for me it is to shop for jeans.  If I like the style and the finish then they don't fit right, they are too low on the waist or too tight on the thighs. You see, I am a size 8 and I am not in my 20's.
The other day I found a pair at Macy's (my favorite store) that it was just right except they were too long. So I thought I could fix them myself. It is tricky to fix jeans. The seams are bulky and hard to sew, but I knew I could do it if I used the right thread and needle.  

This is the style and brand I got. They were on sale and with a discount coupon I had, the price was just right.



And these are the pants before fixing them.

An important thing was to find the right thread color and type. I used a Top Stitch Gutermann 100% polyester  # 548. It matched perfectly. 
I also used a denim needle and this little gadget that I don't know what is called but helps when you are sewing over the bulky seams. The next picture shows how it is used.



As you sew and get closer to the seam the foot will start lifting into an angle. When you position the gadget behind the needle and underneath the foot, this one will move into a horizontal position as you sew. Once the foot is over the seam you will place the gadget on the other side to get the same results. 

This is the hem before I fixed it.
 I decided I was not going to cut any fabric since after washing the pants I only needed  to fold in a little bit.

This is the finished product. I think it turned out realy good.

 This is how the inside looks after finishing it.

Here I am wearing my new jeans. I am pleased with the results and I think I can do this again.