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Monday, October 22, 2012

Flares into Skinnies!


Hooray for cute pants!!
I snagged these great pink corduroy Abercrombie pants from a Savers near by for $5.00 the other day. I especially liked the way they fit my waist, hips and thighs, but I decided they needed to be skinny. So I finally took a stab at the whole refashioning-flared-pants-into-skinny-pants thing.
I hesitated at first because I don't have a serger. (Add that to my list of "tools" to acquire. Its right up there with getting a fricken DSLR camera.) Then I just decided to go for it anyway.

SO. Easiest project ever. Even if you are NOT a seamstress. Here's my steps in a tiny bit more detail in case anyone reading this is doubting the ease of this project. ;)

First thing I did was toss them in the wash. (Always wash thrifted clothing... just in case!)
Ok all clean. Next I checked out the seams on both sides of the pant leg to determine which side would be easier to disguise my alterations.
Then I turned them inside out, laid them out, and used a pair of skinny jeans I like as a "pattern". When the project and the pattern are lined up, pin where you will be sewing your straight line. (Here you can use chalk or a light marker to draw a line along the pins for accuracy, or you can be a rebel like me and just go for it.)
I sewed two seams for reinforcement purposes. That's what you do when you don't have a fancy-pants serger! (Going over your seam with a zig zag stitch is also a good option here.) Then I tried them on to make sure the fit was right, and I took a pic because the attractiveness just had to be documented.
Only when I was sure that the fit was right did I snip off the excess.
Turn them right side out and wear your creation with pride!
I think one of these days I may go over the seams with my mother-in-law's serger, and I might even go to the trouble of re-doing the bottom hem to make it feel a bit more pro-fesh. (shrug) Or not. They're pretty great just like this!
If anyone else does try this project, please share your results with me! I'd love to see the transformations.
Happy crafting my friends :)