I have recently given in and bought some maternity jeans at H&M and of coarse my first thought as soon as I put them on was – Why did I wait so long? Unfortunately, like everything I buy ready to wear, they were way too long for my 5’3″ frame so I needed to hem them. And I took pics along the way to show you step by step how I did it.
Materials:
-sewing machine
-matching thread
-pins
-ruler
-marking tool (chalk)
-scissors
-iron
Before you start make sure that your jeans have been washed and dried on the highest heat. There is nothing worse than hemming your pants and then having them shrink later on.
Step 1
Try on your jeans right side out and fold them where you would like the hem to end. Put in a few pins to secure the fold.
Step 2
Take off your jeans and measure from your fold to the original hem (mine was 3 1/2 inches). Make sure that both legs measure the same. If not adjust them so they do.
Step 3
Make a marking with your chalk or marker 1 1/8″ up from the fold line (the extra 1/8″ is to accomodate the turn of the fabric).
Step 4
Take out pins, unfold hem, and turn your pants inside out. Cut along your markings.
Step5
Fold up your hem by 1/2″ and press.
Step 6
Fold again, this time the width of the first fold, and press and pin.
Step 7
Turn your pants right side out. Lengthen your stitch length by a bit (I changed mine from 2.5 to 3) for topstitching. Stitch at 1/2″ backstitching at both ends.
Step8
Press and wear!
Here I am loving my new, perfect for me length, maternity jeans.
And just for fun a belly shot.
7 Comments
Thanks for the tutorial Kelli! Love your outfit – you look so chic!! And of course I love the belly shot!
Thanks for the lesson! I need to do this on a few pants. I do this differently, but this seems much easier:) btw: you are so cute preggers! I’m 15 wks and barely got my bump this wk, it’s kind of an “I ate too much pizza bump,” but can’t wait ’til it actually looks like a baby bump:) lol.
btw: I have a new sewing blog if you’d love to check it out! Trying to get the word out to fellow sewers!
-Reyna
http://www.reynasews.blogspot.com
Ahhh, the jeans hemming! I always need to take up RTW pants too, my Mum calls it “duck’s disease”…having your butt too close to the ground 🙂
Ahhh! You look so cute! Thanks for the tutorial– the hem looks great!
You are absolutely glowing! Your tutorial is just how I take up my own yeacn, yay – although I buy a heavier weight thread in that special jeans beigey colour that blue jeans always have just so it matches the centre seam. I find normal thread disappears a bit.
Darling bump! Also, your wood floors are so pretty.
Thanks for the tutorial! I’m in the same boat. Bought some maternity jeans that are way too long and I’ve been putting off hemming them. I’ll definitely follow your tutorial when I do!