Shortening denim jeans

hillbloom

I need to shorten a Denim jeans by at least 1 inch.When I bought it, the shop recommended a dressmaker who charged me 9e to have it turned leaving the original hem on it. Anyway it is dragging the ground, its still too long. She just measured it using a tape, I didnt put it on. Will I be able to do it myself with the Sewing machine. I dont intend spending more money!! Any help will be appreciated.

looksee

Yes, you can shorten it yourself. What kind of hem does it have? Is it the kind of orange topstitching? Its not the easiest job but it can be done. You will need a jeans needle on your machine.

First put the jeans on, put on a belt if you intend to wear one, and the shoes you will be most likely wearing. These things are essential. Then get someone to turn them up to the level you want. Don't make them too short! The turned up cuff can be turned outwards for this stage, rather than tucked in, its easier.

Mark the actual length (not including the hem) with pins on one leg, front, back and sides. Make sure they look level.

What style jeans are they, boot cut, tight or wide? You might have to make allowances for slope on the seams. I will come back to that.

Take off the jeans and carefully lay them flat, then fold one leg over the other so you can mark the other leg the same as the first. Make sure that the seams are lined up so the two legs are exactly the same. Undo the new hemline and unfold the fabric.

Now the next stage you have a choice. If the fabric is pretty thick I would cut off the fabric to about 2 cm longer than the length you marked. Use the sewing machine to do some close zigzag on the raw edge. Then turn up the 2 cm to the inside to create the hem. If the fabric is light enough, cut about 2.5cm longer, press the fabric of the hem to the inside, then turn under about a cm of fabric to create a new hem. In either case then machine round the hem to fasten it in place. As you cross the seams you may find you have to go quite slowly and persuade the needle to go through the layers of fabric.

You may have a bit of a problem if the jeans are flared - even slightly. You will find you have a bit too much material round the edge when you come to stitch down the hem. It will only be a tiny bit, but the best way is to put pins in at right angles to the hem, easing the spare fabric between them. Press firmly with an iron and a damp cloth (squash down the ripples, don't try and 'iron' it and you should be able to machine it and take up the spare fabric. If the jeans are tight fitting you will have the opposite problem, you will find if you unpick a bit of the inside seam, just a centimeter, it will allow the fabric to spread to fit - you will probably need to put a stitch in the end of the seam so it doesn't open any further.

I would not bother with the orange top stitching, it will be easier for the alteration not to show if you just stitch it with matching thread.

I hope that is clear, its a lot of explanation but its very possible to do it.

dori_dormer

Ive used this method a few times on trousers and my hubbys jeans, looks decent when done!

http://doityourselfdivas.blogspot.ie/2011/12/diy-hem-jeans-fast-easy.html?m=1

hatetherain!

Wow .... Looksee that's great advice you gave the poster, good on ya for going to so much trouble!

Daisy 55

You can buy thicker sewing thread in yellow or orange. Match it to the original hem. It will be too thick to use in the needle, so put it in the bobbin, and use it as the top! Also, when you're finished, you can scuff the edge gently with sandpaper (or maybe an emery board) to take the newly taken up look off it!!

hillbloom

Thanks a mill Boardies especially LOOKSEE. You went to so much trouble to explain!! I wonder will I be able to do it. Its my sons jeans, so its a bit wide but not flared. The seams are very thick. I think my best plan would be to print off your instructions & follow it step by step. I wont use the scissors until I am certain its ok.

wmpdd3

I take up the hem in a denim corrupted thread then put the yellow in the bobbin case as above and slowly sew a very straight line on the new hem and sandpaper the new turn.

When I do alterations I won't accept an item unless I do the measuring.

hillbloom

The dressmaker did the measuring in this case. Actually Diesel Shop where the jeans was purchased recommended her. The 9e was waste of money. I supposed if they were too short it would be worse!!

wmpdd3

Oh, thats really bad.