Restricting the bask to directly under the heat lamp.Filed under: Fixed it, How to do it, Sewed it, Thrifted it | Tags: hem, how to, pants
You can shorten a pant hem by unpicking the existing hem, measuring, cutting, folding pinning… or you can sometimes cheat like this. This little technique works on fabrics that aren’t too heavy – then you end up with too much bulk. I used it the other night on the thrifted gray flannel babies you see below.
Here, you pin, stitch, press and tack.
1. First make sure this’ll work. So fold the existing hem up and check the length. If it does, you can rock the shortcut. If not – if you need to shorten less – you’ll have to go the long way.
2. Fold the hem under. Then fold the whole thing up to the outside. Flatten the original hem so it’s a hem-length away from the folded edge. Pin.
3. Stitch along the finished edge of the original hem, which should be about halfway between the original hem and the fold.
4. Fold over. Press.
5. Pin the new hem down flat.
6. Tack it with the machine or by hand.
Voila!
Filed under: Finished it, Fixed it, Refashioned it, Sewed it, Thrifted it | Tags: blouse, button, hem, pants, Philadelphia, refashion, Stella, Svengoolie, thrifted, wardrobe refashion
I can’t stand the clutter in my apartment and closet anymore! It’s been dragging me down and occupying more mental energy than it is worth. Plus it’s that time of year in Chicago where I’m itching to put on more than my winter black turtleneck and dark cords.
Of course, I’m all supposed to be working on this other little project, but I’ve reached a point where I need another set of hands. And I’m too germy tonight to ask her, new mama of a teeny baby, to risk infection.
So this eve, I’m home with Svengoolie — tonight showing The Blob starring Steve McQueen and a sweet Burt Bacharach theme song all from 1958 — and the sewing machine, wrapping up all those little oddball repairs and fixes that have rendered so much clothing a total drag to wear.
This little sheer purple thrifted blouse had its ugly old button stuck on by the previous owner for ornamental purposes replaced with a cutie little flowered one.
It’s really see through and needs its own proper slip to wear underneath. I’ll table that for the next time SvenG shoes the Creature from the Black Lagoon.
Some gray flannel pants needed a good hem. I shortened them with a little cheat technique I’ll post soon.
I started taking in a black top with some gold and purple irises on the front. Started pinning in some darts in the back to give the thing some shape. Then I thought about maybe just posting the thing on etsy as is.
And some black knit thrifted pants that were too big got taken in by the rear seam. Not a glamorous enough repair to photograph.
Must say that Svengoolie makes for excellent company.
I didn’t grow up here with him on Saturday nights. In Philadelphia, we had a similar cheeseball horror show called Saturday Night Dead featuring a busty hostess called Stella. Only Svengoolie has better songs than I remember on SND. And he starts at like 9 p.m. instead of 1 a.m.
Here’s hoping somebody ponies up the cash for the glow-in-the-dark Svengoolie t-shirt in time for my birthday. Though I think I’ve blown my t-shirt karma around here in a stack of boxy shirts destined for refashions but still sitting in the pile.
Coming so soon!
One of the few projects I finished this summer. I took the most unflattering dark jeans and turned them into a skirt I wear constantly.
Filed under: FOIAd it, Fixed it, Love it, Made it | Tags: bill blass, cords, denim, FOIA, pants, pink, straighten, sunshine week
Not sewing as much as usual – work has heated up with a giant Freedom of Information project. I love the FOIA and the 1st Amendment and open government as reporter tools, and have wanted to conduct such an audit for a long time. So that’s good news. But here’s why editors wouldn’t let me do it before – it’s incredibly time consuming keeping track of so many document requests. More to come as Sunshine Week approaches.
That having been said, I have managed to straighten some pants, which is easy to do just because it can be done one small step at a time.
- Sliced the boot cut off dark denim pants inherited from my sister
- Un-booted gray cords I wear practically as reporter uniform
- Tightened up a gorgeous pair of vintage Bill Blass jeans
- Tried to taper the bells on these thrifted muddy pink cords because the waist construction is stunning and very solidly done.
So they’re pink, I know, after I just whined about stupid pink. (What’s with all the best thrift store stuff being pink?) But they are of such quality that I thought I’d try out dyeing on them since they were $1. Will try gray or brown or black. Nothing crazy.
The beauty of this work is that it can be done in pieces. Short attention spans welcome. Got 10 minutes to sew? You too can straighten pants. Click here for the step-by-step.
Filed under: Do it, Fixed it, How to do it, Love it, Refashioned it, Sewed it | Tags: cords, How to do it, jeans, pants, refashion, straighten, wardrobe refashion
Straightening pants is pretty easy and can be done in 10-minute chunks. I have a bunch of cords and jeans that flare into boot-cut bottoms and they fit well up top; they just don’t feel cool anymore. Here’s how to un-bell bottoms into straight legs like this:
1. Put the pants on and figure out where you want the straightening to begin. If they’re belled or boot cut, it’s usually around the knee. Mark the spot with a pin.
2. Flip pants inside out. Pick out the hem. Don’t be lazy now; your work will go smoother and look more professional in the end.
3. With a ruler and chalk/pencil, draw straight lines down to the hem from the pin mark. ***If you’re doing jeans, one seam probably will be topstitched. Deal with the seam that isn’t.
4. Pin the pants at the chalk lines and sew. Trim the edges and finish them as you like. With heavy fabrics, I do two seam lines then serge, but a wide zig zag will secure the edges, too.
5. Mark and pin up the hem. Stitch it as you like. On cords and jeans, I like a straight top seam all the way around.
In the works is a how-to on how to insert zippers into the bottoms of *really* skinny jeans. You remember.
