see the problem in the above photo ? the pant legs on this pair of jeans are way too long...
so I folded them up to where I wanted them to be...
a lot needed to be taken up. I came across this fabulous tutorial on how to hem jeans which keeps the preexisting hem intact. can you believe it's a blog post from 6 years ago !?! in blog land that's ancient history, but don't worry, it's an oldie, but goodie :)
so it said to measure how much length you'd like to have taken off & divide it by 2. take that new measurement, pin around, & sew right next to the preexisting hem using a zipper foot (btw, right after I took the above photo the sewing needle broke ~ ugh!)
good advice was given to only do one leg at a time, the first pant leg turned out perfect, so then I did the second one...
next I added some peel n stick fabric fuse because I didn't want the excess fabric hanging out.
I ironed it to adhere the excess material to the inside of the jeans.
amazing results ! AND now I will never hesitate in the future to buy jeans that are too long.
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Thursday, October 27, 2011
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Altered Couture magazine
I was delightfully surprised when I looked into my mailbox this afternoon (something arrived earlier than I had expected).
Many thanks to Altered Couture magazine for publishing the ruffled peasant dress that I sewed for my daughter, it's found on pages 80-81of the NOV/DEC/JAN 2012 issue. In my write-up I shared how I turned a men's dress shirt into a cute little dress embellished with ruffles, including all the tools & materials needed, step-by-step instructions, as well as some helpful tips. I'm thrilled to be included among many wonderful artists with fabulous projects !
Thanks so much for joining me this week @ nest full of eggs !
PS Altered Couture magazine is available for purchase at JoAnn, Michaels, Barnes & Nobles stores... it's also available through subscription.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
flannel pajama pants
{kids clothes week}
:: flannel pajama pants, they will be very useful during the fall, winter, & spring
:: McCall's 3906, size Xsm
:: super easy to sew
:: next on the list for kids clothes week: school photo dress
:: happy sewing everyone !
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
wool felt & fleece flower headband
{kids clothes week}
:: I had leftovers of mustard yellow wool felt & gray fleece from the Abby Jacket I sewed, so I decided to make a matching flower headband
:: I had this mustard yellow elastic (approximately 16 inches) I think it came from a box of chocolates ? not sure... the gray button was from my stash
:: to make one...
:: cut out circles in various sizes, I used some circle paper punches for a few, none of the circles are perfect, I made 4 circles from the mustard yellow wool felt & 1 from the gray fleece
:: snip into each circle all around (something similar to a fringe) to add some texture, then stack up the circles & place a coordinating button on top
:: zig-zag the ends of the elastic together, twice
:: take some coordinating embroidery floss & sew the flower onto the elastic (if you want you can sew it over the spot where you zig-zag stitched the elastic together that way the zig-zag stitch won't show giving it a more polished look)
:: voila, you're done... you don't need to worry about fraying since wool felt & fleece don't fray :)
:: making a headband like this was so simple, I don't know why I hadn't made one before, but will keep this in mind when I have leftovers from future sewing projects
:: next on the list for kids clothes week ? flannel pajama pants...
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Abby Jacket
{kids clothes week}
:: Abby Jacket size 4T
:: I used gray fleece, mustard yellow wool felt, 4 modern gray buttons, 2 mustard yellow vintage buttons, & gray embroidery floss
:: my button hole maker attachment on my sewing machine wasn't working, so I made the button holes using this hand-worked button holes tutorial
:: cute jacket with style & detail, so soft with the fleece & I really like the high collar
Monday, October 10, 2011
art smock
{kids clothes week}
:: it feels good to be creating again, making things = happy me :)
:: art smock from Oliver + S Little Things to Sew: 20 Classic Accessories and Toys for Children by Liesl Gibson
:: hoping to reduce the stains on long sleeve shirts, this art smock is for school, I'd like to sew another one for home
:: fabrics look familiar ? they are from the JoAnn DS quilt collection: Sugar Creek Whimsy Bouquet Meadow & Picnic Dots Red/Pink
:: this is the second item I've sewn from this book, the first was the tutu
:: I can't say enough about any pattern from Oliver + S, they are great ! really like the finishing touches on this art smock, lots of French seams so the inside looks polished
:: back to sewing I go ~ happy sewing everyone !