Skinny Jeans Tutorial

Do you have a nice comfortable pair of jeans or pants that you love and fit you well but are no longer stylish because they are way too wide at the hemline? And you wish they were more updated? And besides, they are just too good to throw out? 

You can fix that! 

Here’s what I do: 
      1. Make sure there is a bit of stretch in them so after they're altered, you can still get     
      them on over your feet. Measure how far you want to "skinny" them up. Usually about to          the knee.

    

2.  Start at the hemline. Just take out the hem all the way around. 
     (This will make the finished garment look more professionally finished in the end.)

3.  From the bottom of the jeans, open up the side seams. You can use scissors or a  

     seam ripper. The seam ripper is preferable because it will probably be faster and 
     you won’t accidentally cut too far up or into the legs. (UGH!) Ask me how I know! Or 
     maybe not…

4.  Lay the jeans out flat so you can see how much to take out. I use a pair that fit well     
     as my guide. At the hemline and at the knee, pin both pair together so they won’t come 
     out crooked or off center!

5. Then draw with a fabric marker or chalk the outline of those pants onto the pair you are 
    altering. I used a marker so you could see the line. Do this on both legs. This will be your 
    seam line.

    6. Now cut 1/2 inch OUTSIDE the lines. Be sure to leave at least 1/2 inch! This is your 

        seam! And pin the front of the pant leg to the back pant leg as shown. The back leg 

        should be wider than the front.

   7. Starting at the bottom, sew up the pant leg being careful to tie in smoothly to the 
       original seem.  And finish the edges. I use a serger, but you can just as easily zigzag 
       the edges.

  

9.  The last thing is to hem them. Just fold and pin the hem back in where it was. Then top  
     stitch. 

    


     10. And tadah! You have just altered your pants and made them into “skinny” jeans!

Now look at the difference between the first photo and this one. 

Really not too complicated. Let me know how it worked for you.