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(On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I share a photo and just a few words.)
It’s the story of life with three slim girls, especially when the middle one has a particularly small frame.
Not much fits off the rack unless it has adjustable elastic around the waist (thank heavens for that invention!), so I end up doing a lot of waistband modifications…a little tuck for Lisey, a little more for Sonia, and then when it’s Zoe’s turn, I usually need to rip out a tuck or two.
(By the way, these pink jeans/pants were a hand-me-down, and they had super flared legs, which Sonia didn’t like. So, last year when I was modifying the waist for Sonia, I also made the legs more like skinny jeans than bell-bottoms, and I have to give Sonia props for her fashion sense…they do look way better with less flare.)
STL Mom
Saturday 12th of October 2013
Here's a link to a bunch of tutorials on altering jeans (and other pants): http://tipnut.com/customize-jeans/
I've used the "ending bum crack" tutorial from Patchwork Posse many times on my daughter's pants and my own.
I plan on trying the "clever fix for waist too large" from Burdastyle for some waists that are too big or bulky to look good elasticized.
Julie
Thursday 10th of October 2013
I wish I had your sewing skills! Do you darn socks as well? Know of a good tutorial?
Dawn
Thursday 10th of October 2013
Whoever thought up the adjustable elastic waistbands in kids' clothes ought to get a medal! My boys don't like wearing belts all the time. Their favorite pants have the adjustable elastic/button waistbands.
To go along with the waist alteration subject--I've fixed skirts that were too big around the waist by cutting a slit on the inside of the waist band, sliding in however much elastic I thought was necessary, and stitching across each end of the elastic (right through the waistband) to hold it in place. I hand stitch the slit I made on the inside to close it up--nothing fancy. The stitches holding the elastic will show on the outside, but if you match the thread, it isn't usually a problem. The elastic distributes the extra fabric evenly across a greater area and works better than a tuck in some kinds of clothing. I've done both--it depends on what I'm dealing with and how I want it to look when I get done.
Katie
Thursday 10th of October 2013
Have you tried Dapper Snappers? They are wonderful at adjusting waistlines in temporarily. My son has the same pants conundrum, and these solve it! Helps us to stay in one size longer as well!
Jen
Monday 28th of October 2013
Thanks for recommending Dapper Snappers! We love that! I know they are on every pair of my son's pants!
Sheila Laurence
Thursday 10th of October 2013
You may already know this, but I'm going to say it because I didn't. :) You can buy the button elastic used for adjustable pants and easily put that in the pants yourself to make the pants adjustable. I did this for my husband, actually. You just make a slit inside the waist band on each side, insert the elastic and add a button on each side. You could whip the edges where you made the slit, but I just used fray check. I also made a tiny stitch in the middle back under the belt loop to hold the elastic in place. Hopefully this makes sense. I saw a tutorial on it somewhere, but now have no idea where it was.