Materials
- Sewing Machine
- Scissors
- Pins
- Jeans (I used Skinny Jeans from JC Penny)
- Straight edge
- Pencil
This is how to place your straight edge on one leg of the jeans
Step 1: Cutting
Place your jeans on a flat surface. Place your straight edge on the jeans at a 90 degree angle from the outside seam at a length approximately an inch and a half longer than you want your shorts to be. Trace a line along the top of the straight edge with your pencil. Repeat on the other leg.
Check to make sure you have the marks about even lengths from the crotch. You may need to adjust your marks as needed.
When your marks are even, cut through both layers of jeans (front and back) along the lines.
Place your jeans on a flat surface. Place your straight edge on the jeans at a 90 degree angle from the outside seam at a length approximately an inch and a half longer than you want your shorts to be. Trace a line along the top of the straight edge with your pencil. Repeat on the other leg.
Check to make sure you have the marks about even lengths from the crotch. You may need to adjust your marks as needed.
When your marks are even, cut through both layers of jeans (front and back) along the lines.
Step 2: Pinning
First, you need to turn the shorts inside out. Then fold a new hem. I fold mine over about an inch. You want to make sure that it is the same length on each seam, but it doesn't really matter if the hem is even in the front and back, because nobody cuts perfectly straight.
Then, of course, you want to pin it in place.
First, you need to turn the shorts inside out. Then fold a new hem. I fold mine over about an inch. You want to make sure that it is the same length on each seam, but it doesn't really matter if the hem is even in the front and back, because nobody cuts perfectly straight.
Then, of course, you want to pin it in place.
Step 3: Sewing
First (if possible) remove the little box in the back of the sewing machine so that you can rotate the legs of the shorts more easily.
Sew the hem at the desired seam allowance. I used 15 mm seam allowance which is about 1/2 an inch. Sew all the way around the leg, backstitching at the beginning and end of each hem.
First (if possible) remove the little box in the back of the sewing machine so that you can rotate the legs of the shorts more easily.
Sew the hem at the desired seam allowance. I used 15 mm seam allowance which is about 1/2 an inch. Sew all the way around the leg, backstitching at the beginning and end of each hem.
Step 4: Finishing touches
To finish, cut all of the loose threads off and cut the excess fabric along the hem.
To finish, cut all of the loose threads off and cut the excess fabric along the hem.
And Voila! a cute pair of shorts.