DIY: Original Hem

Happy Monday ladies! This weekend I was asked to hem some jeans for a friend. I had to shorten the jeans by 6 inches or so on 6 different pairs. When you're in a certain height range, it's usually hard to find jeans in the right length. Yes there are brands they carry lengths in short, regular and long but that brand may not always fit every where else the way you like. So you end up always cuffing or rolling your jeans. 
Jeans can be taken to a tailor but many times it is altered by cutting off the desired amount and sewing a seam around the edge. This takes away from the original look of the jeans and it shows that it was altered. I'm going to show you how to shorten jeans while keeping the original hem and it will look exactly how you bought it. 
Supplies needed: jeans scissors Pins measuring tape sewing gauge sewing machine
Measure your inseam ( from the beginning of your inner thigh down to the end of your ankle). Measure the inseam of the jeans needing alteration. Subtract the difference. This is the amount that needs to be removed. With the jeans right side out, cuff the leg half the measurement we just took. Ex: If 4 inches were to be removed you would cuff the jeans 2 inches. Use the sewing gauge to make sure the cuff is an even measurement all around. Apply pins to hold in place. Sew around the hem of the jeans as close as possible to the threaded edge. Sew around again to reinforce. Cut off the excess fabric and iron flat.

Here are some before and after views of one of the pairs.

It's like having a new pair of jeans. Have you had your jeans shortened with the original hem in place? 

Linking up with: Visible Monday |