So sorry for the delay in today’s post. Our little Chloe has been having issues with her asthma and it became unmanageable here at home late last night. So I had to take here to the ER in the middle of the night (can’t Urgent Care stay open a little later?!) and she ended up needing an IV with steroids and a few breathing treatments to regulate her breathing! Poor thing. But good news, she’s home and we’re giving her treatments here! She’s a champ, this one! :)
These pics were taken from my Instagram account…more info over there!
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Now that our calendar pages have flipped to September, do you suddenly feel the change in the weather? Even here in Oklahoma (where it was so drippy-humid hot all summer…..wowza!), the days aren’t quite so hot and are noticeably more pleasant. We have even had a day or two in the past couple weeks that have been overcast and kinda drizzly (…like earlier today!). I’m kind of loving this ever so slight ramp up for a season swap-out!! Bring on the fall!
Anyway, I have been digging through kids’ clothes, and have been setting aside clothes that are too small and either donating or passing onto the next child. I noticed all of Oliver’s jeans from the spring are now too short, so I added “jeans” to my shopping list. But then I decided to delete that from the list, and make these little jeans of his stretch a little further…..and turn them into SKINNY JEANS!!!
I know, I know….some of you might not be a super huge fan of skinny jeans (hi mom!) and could care less about what’s trending in the fashion world right now, but for the sake of making Oliver’s jeans last a little longer, it totally works! (Plus, it also works for you if you have some old jeans in your closet that you hate the cut of….and want to experiment with turning them into skinny jeans.)
These straight leg jeans fit him just fine in the spring but when I tried them on him the other day….they looked like a classic case of high-waters! HOWEVER, skinny jeans are intended to be ankle length…..so taking them in just a bit to follow the fashion trend, worked perfectly! No longer considered “high-waters”!! And remember, skinny jeans are popular for all ages and both genders…..so this tutorial is for YOU TOO!!!! :)
Even though it took me some time to jump on the skinny jean train, we’re on it…..riding at full speed (except for Steve, he’ll never wear them)! And I can’t help it, but I’m in love with little baby “skinny’s”!!
The perfect way to keep the fall wardrobe on the cheaper side, and to give those high-waters some added life…..grab the high-waters! Plus, come on…..how cute are those little legs?!
And while we’re at it, how cute is that smoochy little face?! :)
And even if the pants were not designed to be skinny jeans and don’t have much stretch in the fabric, don’t worry. This will still work. You may need to allow for a little extra room, but you can still alter the current jeans and make it work….while still being comfortable to move in.
On a side not, have I mentioned lately that this kid kinda runs the house? And I secretly giggle every time he shows some dominance….because it’s hilarious to see him play the “survival of the fittest” game with his older siblings. Yes, we still discipline this kiddo, but man it takes extra effort to hide our smiles! ;)
So whether you are altering jeans that were supposed to be skinny but weren’t quite skinny enough, are changing some “standard” cut jeans into skinny jeans, or are turning some high water jeans into some skinny jeans……the method is all the same. And EXTREMELY EASY to do!
Okay, let me show you how!
First of all, grab your pair of jeans. Stretch them and see how much give the fabric has. If there’s spandex in the fabric, you can make these pretty snug. If not, you’ll need to allow for a little extra movement, plus make sure you don’t make the bottom of the pants too small for the foot to squeeze through.
Try your pants on your subject (or yourself) and pinch the pant leg around the inner leg, and measure how much you need to remover from the INSIDE of each pant leg.
Turn the pants inside out and lay flat along the seam along both inner legs. Sew a straight line up one leg and down the other. If the crotch area is plenty baggy, you’ll need to sew up a little in the crotch area to remove some of the excess fabric. If not, you’ll need to gradually meet up with the existing crotch seam and then gradually sew outward down the other leg. ***A really good tip is to not sew in quite as far as you think you’ll need to, try the pants on, and if it’s still to baggy…..sew again, increasing the amount of fabric you’re sewing closed. Repeat as needed.
Be sure the pants fit just like you want….and then trim off any excess fabric. Use a zig-zag stitch and sew the raw edges closed.
Here’s a closer peek…
Turn right side out, press the seam open…..and that’s it!
Your new skinny’s are ready to be worn!!!
Enjoy!
-Ashley
Hi, I’m Ashley—the DIY-enthusiast behind this crazy blog!
