How to hem jeans

For most sewers, the most frequently response heard when they notify someone of their skill is, “Can you hem my pants for me?” Hemming pants is a valuable skill that can transform the look of your legs and your outfit as a whole when properly done.

If you have short legs like I do, you are a victim of rolling your jeans, paying $20 for a hem at a tailor or have mastered the faux hem – as I call it – where you fold the pants inward and upward at the bottom to look like they’re hemmed.

Here is an easy-to-follow guide for hemming your jeans with a sewing machine:

Supplies: Mirror, iron, safety pin, chalk or marker, scissors, measuring tape, sewing machine, matching thread

1. Determine your desired pant leg length. Put your jeans on and fold the bottom of one leg up until you have determined the desired length of your pant leg. Always wear a pair of shoes when marking where you want your pants to fall. Play around with the hem, stand up straight and look at it from all angles in the mirror. Wardrobe Oxygen has a nice guide of suggested pant lengths for all styles. But, what really matters is what makes you feel best!
2. Mark the length of your pant leg. Once you have folded your jeans up to the desired length, use a safety pin to mark it. Secure the pin right at the fold. Take your jeans off and turn them inside out. With your measuring tape, measure the distance from the pants original bottom, to the safety pin. Use chalk or a light marker to mark that length on the inner seam and outer seam of your pants, then connect with a straight line across. Transfer the marking onto the opposite pant leg using the same measurement and technique.
3. Mark the fold lines. Measure the width of the original hem to determine how much length you need to roll to create the hem and where to cut excess fabric. The width of this hem is 1/2 inch (or 4/8″) so measure 1/2 inch down from your previous marking and draw another line. This line will be the fold line. Next, measure another 1/2 inch down from the fold line and mark another line across. This line will be where you cut your jeans.
4. Roll and pin. After you’ve cut on the cut line, fold your jeans up twice using the fold line to create the rolled hem. Pin and press in place with an iron.
5. Sew. Set your machine to 3.5 length on a straight stitch. Using matching thread and 3/8″ seam allowance, begin sewing.

Your finished hem will look professional and breathe new life into your look!

Saunio Cardigan

This month’s Sew My Style project was the Saunio Cardigan from Named Clothing. The over-sized cardi is a quick sew and took only an hour to put together and finish after cutting my fabric.

The best part of this project for me was that it was a stash sew (woo!). You may recognize the wool I used for the front panels from my Osaka Skirt. The pattern calls for a thick knit with 30 – 60 percent stretch. I opted for a black ponte knit for the sleeves and back and used the wool for the front panels to create a sturdier jacket rather than a cardigan.

I’ve seen a couple variations where people have added significant length to the pattern to make a longer wrap cardigan, which I plan to give a whirl. I can’t wait to see what other #sewmystyle participants made for their Saunio Cardigans!

Brooks Bell Bernie Sanders mural outside Sweettooth at 4th and Bainbridge Street.

Linden Sweatshirt

My Valentine’s Day sewing project this year was in dedication to myself and my furry four-legged sidekick who has been by my side for the last eight years. I whipped up a quick Linden Sweatshirt from Grainline Studio and matching dog jacket.

This is the easiest garment to construct thanks to the relaxed fit and raglan sleeves. It’s perfect for novice sewers.

I’ve seen a lot of wonderful variations for this sweatshirt. I chose to keep it simple with a thick sweater knit and contrasting black cuffs, neckband and waistband. Can you see the little hearts in the sweater knit?

For the dog jacket, I traced an existing coat I already had onto construction paper and added a 5/8 along the outline for seam allowance.

For the sake of meeting someone new to sew for next Valentine’s Day, I don’t plan to match my dog on the regular. But, that’s not to say we won’t each be getting good use of our sweatshirts individually.

The park on Front Street that we walk through every morning.

Toaster Sweater #2

January has flown by, but I’m proud to say that I’ve gotten my feet wet with at least two of my New Year’s sewing resolutions thanks to my Osaka skirt (“tackle more tailored projects”), which I posted a few weeks ago, and now with my first garment for Project Sew My Style (“join more sewing communities”).

This is another quick project from Sew House Seven. You may have caught my recent post with my Toaster Sweater #1, which I can’t stop wearing. Toaster Sweater #2 is probably going to get just as much use. The neckline is unique and beautiful and extremely easy to sew. I wish I would have opted for a fabric a tad thicker to pronounce the funnel shape, but I couldn’t resist the texture of this light sweatshirt material with raised blue fleece stripes.

My favorite feature of this design is the mitered hem. It’s so clean and a nice accent to the sweater’s boxier shape. I’ll be using this technique to hack other tops in the future for sure. I’ll also extend the hem about two inches for my next take on this sweater, as it was a little short for my longer waste.

To check out all of the AMAZING — seriously amazing, I’m so impressed by others’ sweaters — Toaster Sweater #2 creations as part of Project Sew My Style, search the hashtag #sewmystyle.

Thank god for selfie sticks on days when no one is around to take your picture. At my apartment on Monroe Street in Queen Village.

New Year’s sewing resolutions

Here we go January 1, 2017! If you’re like me, you’ll forgot you even had a resolution by the second week of January. Luckily (maybe…), this year I have my blog to hold me accountable. These are my sewing goals for 2017:

Join more sewing communities. Project #SewMyStyle will be my first endeavor. Kicking off in the new year, it’s designed to raise awareness about the slow fashion movement and encourage young women to take up sewing with photos of participants’ handmade wardrobes on Instagram.

Clean my machines more often. A.k.a. don’t wait until they’re jammed up. All hail the compressed air duster.

Try ordering fabric online. There are so many beautiful fabric houses online, but I haven’t taken the leap of faith of ordering yet. Granted, I do live down the street from Philadelphia’s famous Fabric Row, where there is an assortment of fabric stores. Still, some fabrics, like boiled wool, are tough to come by. A few fabric retailers online that have caught my eye include Spindle and Rose, Maker Mountain Fabrics and Spoonflower.

Tackle more tailored projects. It’s no secret that I love sewing with knits. It’s just so easy and quick! But, if I’m going to improve my sewing skills, I need to take on more challenging projects that require making muslins and fitting the garment to my body. 

Practice hand stitching. Overcast stitch. Slip stitch. Catch stitch. Hemming stitch. Invisible stitch. Back stitch. Blanket stitch. I can’t keep them straight and I can’t sew them straight.

What are your sewing resolutions for the new year?

*gifs via giphy.com

Sewing with leather

Last week I posted my latest project, The Butcher Bag, which was my first time sewing with leather. It was nerve-racking, but something I’ve been dying to try. Naturally, I did a ton of research before my foray into working with leather. Here’s what I learned:

Where do you buy leather?
Big box craft stores, like Jo-Ann Fabrics, typically don’t carry leather. I’m fortunate to live near Philadelphia’s Fabric Row, so there are multiple family-owned fabric stores that source a unique assortment of fabrics and materials, including leather.

For those non-Philly dwellers, ask a local upholsterer for suggestions. They should know where to purchase leather. Stores like Mood Fabrics, also have an assortment of leathers and suede that you can order online.

French medium tan goat leather from Mood Fabrics.

How do you buy leather?
As you can imagine, leather isn’t sold in bolts. It’s a hide, so you’re often limited in how much you can buy. The leather I purchased was sold by the square foot.

How much does leather cost?
There are many different types of leather and they vary in price depending on the animal, suppleness, softness and overall quality of the hide. I purchased cow leather that cost $10 a square foot. Other leathers, such as lamb or goat, are more expensive.

What type of leather should you buy?
Different types of leather are better suited for different projects, mainly because of the durability factor. Cow and pig hides are tougher and therefore preferable for bags or other items that might be tossed around. Lambskin and goat is thought of as more luxurious and their softness will be easier to work with and wear as a leather blazer or skirt.

What do you need to sew leather?
All that you truly need to sew with leather is the appropriate needle. The suggested needle size for sewing with leather is 14. I purchased the Singer Heavy Duty Machine Needles pack, which has needles for denim, leather and generally heavier fabrics.

Singer Universal Heavy Duty Machine Needles

You can also use all-purpose polyester thread for sewing leather, like Coats & Clarks Dual Duty All-Purpose Thread. I’ve also seen recommendations for waxed linen thread.

What do you need to know before cutting leather?
Because leather is the natural hide of an animal, it can often have imperfections. Make sure you examine the hide for scars and thin areas before you lay out your pattern pieces.

Leather also punctures, meaning you CANNOT use pins to map out your designs. Alternatively, use tape to apply pattern pieces to trace and then cut. When putting too pieces together to sew, try securing them with double-stick tape or binder clips.

Can you backstitch on leather?
No. Leather is not forgiving. Every time your needle hits the hide, you can expect a sizable hole. Backstitching can severely weaken the leather and lead to tearing or splitting at the seam.

Example of a hole made in leather from a sewing machine.

Can you use a serger/overlock machine when sewing with leather?
Again, to avoid weakening leather, do not use a serger or overlock machine when sewing hides and skins. Fortunately, leather does not fray, so finishing raw edges isn’t necessary.

Leather is a luxurious fabric, but can be challenging to work with. Do you had experience sewing leather? Share your tips and creations in the comments!

The Butcher Bag laptop case

It’s down to the holiday wire and I’m still scrambling to get gifts together. I always go into the holiday season with grand plans to make gifts for all of my friends and family. But, life often gets in the way and time just seems to fly by this time of year.

A couple weeks ago I posted about my gift-making inspirations and patterns. I decided to stray from my list and go with The Butcher Bag for my sisters. This is a free (FREE!) pattern from the local sewing studio in Philadelphia, Butcher’s Sew Shop.

My sisters live in Boston and Miami, both are always traveling and on the go, so I thought this pouch would be a good versatile gift. The pattern for this project shows it as a handbag, with D-rings, a magnetic snap and straps. I choose to forgo these materials for a more basic look and use.

I had so much fun choosing linings to suit my sisters’ personal styles. Of course, I made one for myself, too.

The upper panel is a tan denim that I added fusible interfacing to for stiffness. And, this was my first time sewing with leather! More to come on what I learned in a future blog post.

My Butcher Bag holding my laptop and wallet at OX Coffee. 616 S. 3rd Street.

Did you make your gifts this holiday season? Share pictures in the comments section!

Holiday party dress: Vogue V8766

Holiday party season is the perfect excuse to make something special by pulling out the wild fabrics, sequin and tulle!

Last year, I wore an VOGUE V8766 dress to my company holiday party. The E option was a lined dress with three quarter length sleeves that I made using a semi-stretch woven. The busy green print was 60s-esque.

This project is for intermediate sewers. I had help from a local sewing studio, Butcher’s Sew Shop, which offers classes. Some of the techniques you’ll need include creating a muslin sample for fitting, sewing darts, incorporating lining, invisible zipper installation, top stitching, under stitching and hand stitching.

This week I kicked off a new job, which has been a smooth transition so far, but I’m missing all of the wonderful friends I made at my previous job, bad! Here’s a throwback to those ladies and the dress from last year’s holiday party photo booth.

Wool kimono: New Look 6072

Kimonos are on trend and a great project for beginners. There are tons of DIY and more structured patterns out there to experiment with. I picked up the New Look 6072 Workroom Project Runway pattern from Jo-Ann Fabrics during one of their big paper pattern sales (which is seemingly every day).

New Look 6072

I loved the shape of the draped lapel option, but wanted something stiffer. The pattern calls for silks and silk types. I took a risk and chose a beautiful camel wool that was screaming my name.

You’ll learn that I love neutrals. Especially camel…

My risk paid off and I’m totally obsessed with the end result. I made a quick belt to cinch the kimono jacket at my waist. It’s a statement piece in my wardrobe that I love wearing with bright red lipstick and heels.

Headed to Southwark for an Old Fashioned. 701 S. 4th Street.