How to properly sew in the sides of men's and women's jeans?
Important: It’s worth saying right away that sewing jeans on your own is not as easy as it might seem at first glance. If you are not confident in your abilities, it makes sense to contact a studio. Otherwise, you can simply ruin the thing.
However, if you think that your sewing machine should not just gather dust, but work, you can try it. Just don’t forget, this is the same case when they say “Measure twice, cut once!” .
How to sew jeans yourself
To work you will need:
- Sewing machine
- Scissors
- Tailor's pins
- Threads
- Overlock
- Steamer
- Chalk or bar of soap
- Iron
First, try on your jeans to decide where you need to sew the product. If you need to remove excess tissue only on the sides, this is one way, but if you need, for example, to sew in the hips, there will be a different technique.
Let's discuss all the options one by one. Let us immediately note that women's and men's jeans are sewn in the same way.
You can often find extremely simple tips on how to quickly sew in the sides of jeans. The idea comes down to this: place a model that fits your size on top of your old jeans, cut off the excess and stitch. Of course, this should never be done.
Important: You won’t be able to sew the jeans only along the side seam; you must sew both the side seam and the inside. Otherwise, the product will turn out twisted.
If your jeans fit perfectly at your waist and you need to remove some fabric from the sides, you can do this:
- Put your jeans on with the wrong side facing out.
- Using tailor's pins, mark the places where you need to sew, first on one leg.
- Do this with the inner seam and the outer seam.
- Without ripping or cutting anything, remove the jeans.
- Use chalk or soap to mark a line for the stitching.
- Sweep the product by hand.
- Try on the jeans again, sit down, walk around.
- Make sure your jeans fit properly.
- Only after this can you cut off the excess 1 cm further from the future seam.
- Now it’s time to machine stitch the jeans with threads that match the color.
- Sew a finishing stitch along the outer edge of the jeans using double thread.
- Iron your jeans thoroughly.
- Finish the cut edges with an overlocker.
Sewing jeans: step 1
Sewing jeans: step 2
Sewing jeans: step 3
Sewing jeans: step 4
Sewing jeans: step 5
How to narrow your jeans at home yourself
How to sew jeans in the hips?
You can try sewing jeans only at the hips. This is appropriate in the case when the hips are narrow, and only in the hips are the jeans too big, but on the legs they fit normally.
Important: You can sew in jeans at the hips if you need to remove no more than 4 cm. Otherwise, you will have to flog the codpiece, which is often beyond the power of a novice needlewoman.
You can sew in jeans by a few centimeters
You can remove excess tissue on the hips in this way:
- Open the side seams.
- Open the middle seam in the buttock area.
- Sew taking into account the necessary preliminary measurements.
- It is necessary to sew the edges strictly in the same style as the old seams, otherwise it will look ridiculous.
Important: It is almost impossible to sew finishing stitches without experience. Therefore, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with this process by watching the video tutorial.
Basic methods
Every housewife knows that it is necessary to wash a thing so that it shrinks. This is a known fact that works on cotton clothes. It is enough to remember your feelings when you put a clean thing on your body. There is always a feeling that she has become small.
Washing in boiling water
At high temperatures, natural fibers are compressed, shrinkage occurs, and the fabric loses a little in size. To change the size of jeans, you need to use two methods: washing by hand or in a washing machine, but in boiling water.
Wash by hand
This method should be used if there is no washing machine in the house. You will have to use boiling water to achieve the desired result. You should be careful not to get burned by the steam or decoction. You will need to put the jeans in a wide basin or even a bathtub and fill it with boiling water. The temperature should be ninety degrees. Clothes are soaked for several hours. To consolidate the result, it is better to change the water several times.
In an automatic machine
This is the best and safest way. Not only will a person not have to come into contact with hot water, but also all phases of washing will be carried out automatically. In order for jeans to shrink one or two sizes, you need to load your pants into the tank and select the mode where the boiling process takes place. You can add powder, but essentially, if the clothes are clean and you only need to remove a few centimeters from the waist, then you can do without detergents.
See also
How to properly stick protective glass on a tablet at home
Spray
This method is good because it only reduces a certain area on the jeans. If the waist or hips are stretched, then they need to be affected. A spray bottle will help to target the problem area on your jeans. Warm water is filled into it with a portion of conditioner added. Shake until the solution becomes homogeneous. The resulting liquid should be sprayed onto the stretched area. Next, you will need to quickly dry the wet areas so that they quickly dry out. If drying does not give the desired result at one time, you can repeat the procedure again.
Varenki
The name makes it clear what actions will be carried out. This method was once popular. Fashionistas specially boiled jeans so that they acquired a characteristic color. Now this method allows you to remove the size on your pants.
You will need a saucepan or metal basin. Jeans are placed in it. Water is poured in and a lot of washing powder is added. Turn on the stove and set the heat to medium. The clothes need to be periodically turned over and changed position in the bowl so that the color does not boil out on only one side. You need to cook from thirty minutes to an hour. Next, remove the jeans with tongs and rinse them in cold water. This method actually shrinks jeans several sizes. The only drawback is the color change.
Swimming with clothes on
Those who want their jeans to fit precisely must sacrifice a little comfort. You will need to put on trousers and fasten them with all zippers and buttons. Draw a bath. The water should be as hot as possible, so that it can be tolerated. Next, the person lies down in the bath directly in his clothes. This bathing continues until the water begins to cool. This will be the signal that it is time to leave. You can't take off your jeans right away. It is important to dry them properly. You will have to stand under air conditioning, a hairdryer or in the sun so that the item dries evenly.
The sensations are not the most pleasant, but the model will now fit exactly to your figure.
Cold and hot shower
Everyone knows that a contrast shower has a beneficial effect on the skin. In the case of clothes, the same story. In order for her to sit down and stop stretching, you will need to prepare two bowls. Pour boiling water and cold water into them. Clean jeans are first transferred to a vat of cold water for a few minutes, then into hot water. You need to “rearrange” it several times to get the item to shrink, then dry it quickly.
How to sew jeans on the butt along the back seam at home?
To sew the back seam of jeans, you will need the sewing tools listed above. It will not be possible to sew the jeans by hand in this place.
So let's get started:
- Start by putting on jeans.
- It is inconvenient to make bastings in this part of the body on your own; ask someone to help you remove the excess and make bastings with pins.
- Then you need to undo the belt.
- After which you will have to rip the back seam, it is not difficult to rip it out.
- Using a ruler, measure the same distance between the old seam and the pins on both sides.
- Use soap to draw a cutting line, don’t forget to leave a 1 cm allowance.
- After this, baste the seam, then try on the jeans.
- If the jeans fit well, you can sew the seam using a machine.
- Finish the cut using an overlocker.
- Make finishing stitches on the front side.
How to Taper Jeans at the Back Seam
Jeans need to be ripped at the seam
How to sew jeans on the butt
Now you need to properly trim the belt:
- Shorten it to the required length by cutting the fabric on both sides.
- Sew the sides of the waistband together.
- Then sew the waistband to the jeans and make a finishing stitch.
Finishing the waistband is the final touch to sewing jeans along the back seam
Drying denim trousers: rules and features
If you couldn’t shrink your pants, and washing has completely ruined them, you have only one option left - sew in your pants. You can do it yourself or take it to a studio.
Usually trousers are sewn in from the sides. First you need to measure your waist circumference, choose an elastic band, it should be less in length than the volume. Sew a wide elastic band from the inside out into the waistband of your jeans. Try it on. If everything is in order, sew the belt, passing the elastic inside.
Next, proceed to the sides. “Mark” unnecessary centimeters with chalk. Open up the waistband and pockets. Make a preliminary seam and try it on. If everything suits you, sew the details of the clothing.
The most common problem is that it is in this part of the jeans that the sizes usually do not suit you. The hardest part here is leaving a nice seam and finish. To “reduce” your hips, start from the top, then proceed to the waist and sides. Use threads that are close in color to the shade of your trousers.
How to sew jeans in the waist, belt?
If the jeans are too big at the waist, it is best to sew them in as described above - along the back seam. If everything is done correctly, they will sit well on the butt.
If your jeans are too big in the waistband and you don't want to bother, you can narrow the waistband a little in an easier way.
You will need:
- Rubber
- Scissors
- Sewing machine
- Regular pin (in other words, safety pin)
Let's get started:
- Take a small piece of elastic. The length depends on how much you want to shorten the belt.
- Make slits in the belt in two places (the distance between the slits is several cm longer than the elastic band).
- Now thread the pin through the elastic and pull it and the elastic between the slits.
- Pin it to the jeans so that the end of the elastic does not “run away”.
- Using a sewing machine, make two stitches at both ends.
How to sew elastic into jeans
Make holes with a ripper
Pull the elastic band inside
Stitch the edges of the holes
How to sew jeans into a waistband: before and after
How to sew and narrow the legs of flared jeans, straight to skinny at home?
Nowadays, unfashionable flared jeans can be narrowed and you get modern skinny jeans.
Important: You should not try to make skinny jeans out of flared jeans if the flare is initially too wide. The cut is completely different, the result will not please you.
It makes sense to narrow the flare by a few centimeters (3-4 cm). In this case, arm yourself with sewing tools and get to work:
- Iron your jeans and try them on.
- Have someone help you use pins to mark the inseam and crotch.
- Open up the hems, as well as the side and crotch seams.
- Mark the seam lines with chalk or a bar of soap.
- Leave a centimeter allowance.
- Trim off excess fabric.
- Hand baste the seams.
- Try on the jeans again, walk around in them, try to sit down.
- If everything fits, you can sew the seams on a machine.
- Finish the edges with an overlock or zigzag stitch.
How to sew flared jeans
Flared jeans need to be sewn on both sides
The finished result
Required Tools
How to make jeans narrower, and what tools are needed for this? For high-quality work you will need a fairly large amount of materials. Denim fabric is dense, as are the seams, so you need to work with it carefully. Some tools are selected just for this density. In order to make jeans narrower, you will need:
Required Tools
- Electric sewing machine.
- If possible, use an overlocker for stitching. If it is not there, use the zigzag mode on the machine.
- Scissors. For thick fabrics, tailor's ones are best.
- Chalk or bar of soap.
- Threads and needles for sewing.
- Long ruler or centimeter.
- Iron.
If you don’t have tailor’s scissors, you can take regular ones, but working with them will be a little more difficult, especially when cutting seams.
How to sew men's and women's jeans one size smaller?
Important: You can sew jeans one size smaller, maximum 2 smaller. It's easier to sew new jeans than to sew them up more than 2 sizes.
If you do take the risk, be prepared to completely reshape your jeans.
To downsize your jeans, put them on and look closely at where exactly they fit unflatteringly.
Try to choose the simplest method of remodeling, with minimal investment of labor and the best possible result.
There are several ways to change jeans to a size smaller:
- Cutting off the excess on the sides and inside seam.
- Sew the product along the back seam.
- Remove a little in the hips only on the sides.
A few simple rules for successfully sewing jeans:
- Jeans, both women's and men's, are altered according to the same principle.
- Before starting work, wash the product and iron it.
- It is advisable to find an assistant (-tsu) to help you make correct and even outlines.
- Do not rush to cut off the excess; it is better to finally make sure that you are doing everything correctly.
- Remember, there are some models that cannot be recut.
How to sew jeans to size
Drying denim trousers: rules and features
There are three main methods of proper drying:
- standard method;
- use of additional fabric;
- use of auxiliary functions of the washing machine.
The first type of drying is standard. This is a common procedure when the item is hung lengthwise inside out. The main condition is to wring out the fabric as much as possible. The less water remains, the less it will have to flow down the fabric, therefore, the greater the chance of not stretching under the weight of the flowing water.
The second type of drying is the use of additional fabric. You need to place jeans on a flat, ventilated surface, with fabric placed on both sides. This way, the trousers will be preserved better: the water does not drain, the item does not hang, which means it will not be able to stretch and become covered with streaks from the draining water.
The third method is mechanized. The drying procedure is performed by an additional function in the washing machine - hot drying. The mode used will allow you to dry your jeans quickly and efficiently without drips or stretching, which is very convenient in terms of time and beneficial for preserving the external condition of the jeans.
We invite you to familiarize yourself with the non-blooming flower “female happiness”: why does spathiphyllum grow poorly and buds do not appear on it, how to care for it in order to correct the situation?
In fact, there are many different ways that will return stretched items to their previous appearance, but they do not always give the desired result. The recommendations and methods given are the basic and most effective. They have been tested in practice more than once. Therefore, their use is guaranteed to give high-quality results. Now the thought of what needs to be done to get your jeans to fit will never bother you again.
To prevent jeans from stretching, they need to be dried properly. That's right, that means fast. The fact is that regular drying, which takes from 5 to 10 hours, only contributes to the stretching of the fabric - the fibers have time to become straight and recover. This does not happen during fast drying. To make your jeans dry quickly:
- hang them next to the radiator or stove, or in the sun;
- put a fabric under your jeans that will absorb excess moisture;
- Use a tumble dryer if possible.
When purchasing new pants, always try them on well.
If the material stretches a lot, it is better to take a jeans size smaller. Choose quality denim or gin. Be sure to follow the washing rules. You can also stretch your jeans after washing if they have shrunk too much at home using improvised methods.
How to reduce the waist of jeans without a sewing machine?
The above tips are suitable for those who have a sewing machine. If you do not have the opportunity to machine sew your jeans, you can resort to other methods:
- Wash the product in water at a temperature of 90°, the fabric will shrink for a while, however, then the jeans will become too big again.
- Choose a suitable belt if you only need to gather it at the waist.
- Sew the elastic into the waistband by hand.
In principle, it is possible to sew the trouser legs by hand, but it will not look aesthetically pleasing, and finishing stitches cannot be done by hand either.
Finally, I would like to say that if you are not sure of a good result, it is better to take your expensive item to the studio, the professionals will do everything right. However, following these tips, you can sew up your jeans so you can wear your favorite item again. We hope everything works out for you. We suggest watching the video to better understand how to alter jeans.