I don't think I've ever bought a pair of pants that were the right length for me. My legs are just too short. When I used to hem my jeans I would just cut them to the length I wanted plus an inch or so, fold back the fabric and stitch a smal line around the leg bottom. I never really liked the look of it, but I'm short, what choice do I have? I like the manufacturers hem, but I didn't know how to get that same look. I still don't know how to create that look, so I decided to keep it. I'm going to show you how to hem your jeans, but keep that original hem. Don't stress, it's easy. Really, really, easy!
Start with a pair of jeans that are the length you want. Lay the shorter pair on top, making sure the tops, hips and crotch lines are all matching.
Using a pin or a pen, mark on the longer jeans where the stitching for the hem on the shorter pair hits. Not the bottom of the jean, but where the yellowish stitching is. This is where you will sew the stitches of the longer jean.
Now, fold the leg of the longer jeans up until the bottom of the original hem lines up with the mark you made. Pin in place.
Make sure the stitch lines that run up and down the leg line up.
Pin it in place.
Line up the other side as well. Pin in place.
Do this on both pant legs.
With a sewing machine, stitch along the original hem line. As close to the fold as you can, without going onto the fold. Stitch all the way around each leg.
As you sew around, make sure your lines are still matching as you stitch.
When you have stitched all the way around, you can fold the excess inside the pant leg. At this point you should be getting excited! Look at that beautiful orginal hem. Look how those lines match up perfectly.
Heat up your iron and press your stitches from the inside and out. Make sure your fold is where you want it to be.
At this point you should find a thread that is a blue/grey. It doesn't have to match perfectly, but you don't want to use white (or pink). I use this same thread for dark and light jeans, and it hides just fine.
Bring your nicely pressed jeans back to the sewing machine. Stitch all the way around the leg bottom as close to the fold as you can.
Feel your heart swell with pride as you see your lines lined up perfectly.
Remind your husband how lucky he is to have married a catch like you!
This is BRILLIANT. My husband is 5' 4" and it's all upper body. I hate how the hems on his pants always look homemade. Now I know how to keep them looking stylish!
Posted by: Risae | January 21, 2012 at 02:29 PM
This is great! I have a pair of jeans I hemmed myself and now I can go un-pick it and start over. Thanks!
Posted by: Bobby | January 22, 2012 at 08:55 AM