making skinnies tutorial - YouLookFab Forum

after practicing on an old pair of jeans, I learned some little tricks and then was brave enough to narrow the legs of a brand new pair of jeans. here's how I did it...

you will need:
jeans, pins, sharpie, yardstick (or meter stick for the rest of the world :-), scizzors, sewing machine.

first- put the jeans on and mark with straight pins the point where you want to start narrowing (most likely right at your knees)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/4.....493548645/

next, turn the jeans inside out, lay flat on a table, front side up, and remark those same spots
http://www.flickr.com/photos/4.....494188398/

If you can afford to lose an inch in the length, cut the current hem off. if not, you will need to rip out the hem stitching and take down the hem (iron it smooth).
http://www.flickr.com/photos/4.....otostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/4.....otostream/

Note that when your jeans are laying flat, the seams aren't on the sides, but are in a bit from where you have them folded. this is because the side seams of jeans are sewn slightly forward to create a more slender look. The back width of the jeans leg is a bit wider than the front width. We are going to keep this proportion with out newly narrowed jeans.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/4.....493552449/

now, you need to determine the finished width that you want at the hem of your new pants. I measured my current favorite pair and noted that the width at the hem is 5 3/4 inches (note, this is the width with the jeans laying flat, not the circumference)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/4.....493549687/

measure the current width of the pair you are altering in the same way. I measured mine at 8 3/4 inches.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/4.....otostream/

subtract the width you are wanting from the width you currently have and divide by 2. In my case.... 8 3/4 minus 5 3/4 = 3 inches. Divide that number by 2.... 3 inches divided by 2 is 1 1/2 inches. This final number is how far you are going to measure in from both seams at the hemline. Mark (in my case 1 1/2 inches) in from both side seams.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/4.....494432714/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/4.....otostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/4.....otostream/

Now, use your yard stick to draw a straight line from the straight pin at the knee, to the mark at the hem. Yur line will begin AT THE SEAM of your knee point.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/4.....493554347/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/4.....494194532/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/4.....otostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/4.....494193852/

your jeans should now look like this.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/4.....493556697/

Before you sew along the lines you drew, note that you will be readjusting the seams at the side. You will fold along the current seams before you begin sewiing. this will allow your finished jeans to maintain the proportion of the front panel being narrower than the back. I hope this makes sense to you.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/4.....494327352/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/4.....otostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/4.....otostream/

Now you are ready to sew along the lines you drew. trim the edges (I use pinking shears) and re- hem the bottom of your jeans.

Please feel free to ask if you have any questions. I hope my explanation has been clear. Have fun and happy sewing!

15 years ago

Maya

Veteran

Wow, I am so impressed with your tutorial Kim! What a spectacular effort. I am clueless about sewing so I will not dare attempt this, but I'm sure it will come in handy for others.

taylor

What a fabulous and detailed tutorial!! You are amazing and talented.

I giggled when you mentioned the sharpie...that is what I use too.:) We have similar technique, however I could have never explained it in such a clear and interesting way as you!! VERY nice job, they look beautiful on you!!

Queen Mum

thanks Maya and Taylor.
I should note that I did NOT use a black sharpie on my white jeans. I used a yellow magic marker instead.

Haaaa !!! I figured, I only use them on blue/black denim.

Kate

Fascinating!

When I made my skinnies, I put the jeans on inside out and pinned along the inseam, like this: http://juniperjames.files.word.....#038;h=263

Using this method, they better fit the contour of my body, and are just as skinny as I want them to be for the various places on my legs. The downside to this method is that you have to be careful taking the pants off - be sure to place the pins pointing upwards so that they don't stab you when you take the jeans off.

Also, you should sew along either the inseam or the outseam, depending on how the jeans were made.

Sew along the seam that looks like this: http://i54.photobucket.com/alb.....oto116.jpg

Not the seam that looks like this: http://i54.photobucket.com/alb.....oto117.jpg

Finally, be sure to try the jeans on before cutting off material and re-hemming the bottom! It's possible to rip out the stitches and start over if you haven't cut the fabric yet!

Theresa

(website)

Great Tutorial Kim!

If I manage to find another pair to alter (not having much luck at the moment), I'll probably follow your more precise method than my *rougher* method for my first pair LOL

shana

Ooh, Kim, what a great tutorial - I so wish I could sew! Once my life settles down a bit, I am going to learn. I will have to refer back to this - hopefully skinnies are still in fashion!!!

I have a favorite pair of skinnies that I use as a template, and sew down the outside seam only . This seems to work best for me.

Angie

Fashion Stylist

YOU ROCK!!!

You just won the next YLF award, Kim. What an extremely thoughtful, creative and helpful thread. I am in awe.

awe, thanks Angie. I love YLF awards
Taylor and Kate- doesn't only sewing down the outside seam of your jeans pull the grain askew? I took in evenly from both sides to keep the grain of the fabric running straight down my leg.

Mac

Can't wait to try this - Thanks!

Katiepea

Wow - what an amazing tutorial! You now have me eyeing off a pair of bootlegs that have been hiding in my wardrobe for a while and pondering "I wonder......"

Wow! I am so impressed! Thanks for putting this post together for us! I was able to mentally follow along until you said:

Before you sew along the lines you drew, note that you will be readjusting the seams at the side. You will fold along the current seams before you begin sewiing.

You lost me there, but if I ever attempt to do this, I will be asking you lots of questions. : )

Kim, I did have one leg on a pair of jeans that the seam slightly twisted...is that what you mean? I couldn't figure out why that happend...you are on to something. Seriously, I am not as skilled as you, so It never occurred to me:) I assumed the seam may have been slightly twisted to begin with,

AJ- that was a hard one for me to try to verbalize- what I meant was that rather than sew in from the seamline with the jeans still laying flat and the back panel "wrapped around" like in this picture...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/4.....493552449/

you would lay your jeans flat with the seam at the edge (I don't know how else to say that) and sew in from that seam.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/4.....494327352/
You sew in from each side seam like this.

If you take a pair of jeans, turn them inside out and lay them on a table, you might see better what I'm talking about.
Does that help, or confuse you even more?

Kim, I think I'm getting what you're saying. I would turn the leg so that the seam is on the edge instead of the seam facing inward?

Inge

Moderator

I just cannot get over the fact that you did this yourself! (and you too Kate!!) Wow, there are some talented people on the YLF forum!-))

Thank you for explaining this in such detail for us Kim, I am staying clear of needles and sewing machines, but I'm sure a lot of the handy lasses here will benefit from this excellent tutorial.

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