How to Taper Pants/Jeans - Make Legs Narrower - Turn Wide Legs into Straight or Skinny
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- Опубліковано 8 вер 2024
- This tutorial will show all the steps and tools needed to take in the legs on jeans and other casual style pants to get a sleeker look. You can transform wider leg pants like boot-cut into a straight leg or even skinny pant.
Tutorial includes a PDF with pictures and written instructions: drive.google.c...
Recommended tools list: docs.google.co...
This video is available to you for free. If you enjoyed the content and found it useful, consider leaving us a tip through Venmo - @trestertailor.
Thanks for watching!
Very thorough and clear. Really appreciate the attention to home sewists not always having all the same equipment, and showing how to still get a nice looking product.
Thank you! I try to keep things accessible. I have to think back to when I first started tailoring to try to keep it simple.
@@TailorItYourself Many years ago, in the school syllabus the children had to do needle work for girls and carpentry for boys.
Why don't the schools bring it back at schools again.
That is a trade,we as people need, once you get older in life,for employment and also for Do it yourself.
I was just about to Goodwill my pair of purple jeans that were too wide and weird looking in the legs. Then I thought, why not try to fix them? And I found your video! Your clear instructions were easy to follow and voila! My jeans are now super cool! I'm looking forward to watching more of your videos! Thank you!
That's awesome! I'm glad you decided to give a try and had success. Thanks for watching!
Very detailed and easy to follow explanation. After viewing the entire lesson, I’m encouraged to take on tapering the legs of my baggy jeans!
Thank you for your kind words. Best of luck!
Love your style of teaching. Nice and clear, easy to follow, without all the audio and visual noise of so many others. Thanks!
You bet! Thanks for the kind feedback.
You definitely know your stuff. Your voice is very calming and your directions are spot on.
Thank you very much! Glad you enjoyed it.
Thank you so much for making this video!! I love how your instructions are clear, detailed and geared towards beginners who often don't have sergers or have the common knowledge/skills that experienced sewers would (ie know how to transfer the marking on one pant leg to another etc, when to leave the excess fabric on or cut it off)
Thank you for the feedback! My intention was to make it accessible for all. I'm glad you found it helpful!
Thanks for the tutorial. I like the technique you taught us about using two threads!
Glad you found it helpful! Thanks for watching.
Thank you so much for this straightforward video! I don’t have much sewing experience but this was very helpful! I successfully fixed my first pair of pants. They look great. 🥰💚
That's awesome! Congrats on giving it a try and having success!
I've never sewn before but have always wanted to try. Now I've found a machine, this channel, and some baggy pants to try on. Thanks.
That's great! I wish you the best of luck with your projects. Thanks for watching!
Great video. Definitely beyond my skill level which is “can’t sew at all”. I think I’ll just go to the tailor.
It certainly take a little practice, just depends on what it's worth to you. Thanks for the feedback!
Don't give up try first.
This was so helpful! It's so hard to find pants that fit me that I've decided to start tailoring some old ones for practice. This was way more helpful than going in unknowing. Thanks so much!💛💜🖤
No problem! If you ever have specific questions you can email me at tailorityourself@gmail.com
I really needed this informative video. A few days ago I marked multiple pairs of pants and jeans. I opened the seams on some of them. The info about finishing off the jeans with a zigzag stitch off the edge is going to be especially helpful!
That's great! I'm glad it was helpful. Good luck with the rest of the project!
Thank you for an in-depth, detailed tutorial. I watched a few and this one was the easiest to follow with no skipped steps. Thank you.
Thank you very much! Glad you found them helpful.
Thank you, I was a hippy once and purchased wide legged full bell trousers. You inspired me. Happy new year.
You may want to hold onto those! Wide legs are coming back in style. =)
Thank you for sharing your talent, 1st time to try to repair my pants..
Best of luck! Thanks for watching.
Premium. This video had all the answers I couldn’t find in other videos
I'm glad you found it helpful! Thanks for watching.
That’s the very best tutorial I found, thanks for the very good explanations for newbies! I don’t sew much, but my mother has given me a few pairs of old jeans that fit me nicely around the waist, but I’m not a fan of those wide elephant legs 😅 I’ll try to fix them, I’m not losing much if I fail.
Thank you for your kind words! I wish you luck work your projects!
outstanding! thank you! Very easy to understand and just what I needed. I also love your machine:)
Thank you very much! I'm glad you found it helpful.
This is an excellent video! It is so clear and you show every step. Thank you for uploading this for a beginner like me! I wanted to taper some cotton yoga pants and will follow this tutorial step by step. I need to take in a lot more than 2" but they only have a seam on one side, the inside of the leg, and they're not jeans but stretchy cotton/spandex bootcut yoga pants, so I will give it a try.
Glad you found it helpful! If you're doing yoga pants you can probably just sew right through the bottom rather than taking it apart like you would jeans. I hope it works out for you!
@@TailorItYourself Thank you so much for the tip, I'll definitely do that then! Also, do you think that the "belling" you described will happen in yoga pants that have only one side leg seam to work with, or because it's not a jean material, it would maybe be all right to do tapering by only cutting from one side?
@@pearlsandstars829 If you severely taper any pant leg on one side in too short a distance you can get the bend. The further up the leg you go the more distance you have to make a smooth transition.
That was very helpful, now off to take in my pants! Thank you!
Awesome, good luck!
Excellent, clear, concise...the best I've seen. Starting to sew again. this is so good- thank you. Want to see your other videos.
Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed.
Very cool video. I have a ton of tactical pants that I would like to have tailored. I was watching just to see what was involved. I can appreciate why the price to have my pants taken up in the length as well as having the width of the legs taken in cost what they do. Thank you for the video, it was cool to watch the process.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Such a good produced, thorough and clear tutorial !!! Thank you so much for this :)
You're very welcome! Thanks for watching.
No way! Hey Dani from high-school! Thanks for helping me fix my pants!
Well howdy do! It's a small world =)
Great video and very helpful info I had never seen before! I have a few pairs of jeans that need this fix! Thanks!
You're welcome! Happy sewing =)
Very good video. You have the talent of presenting and breaking down a complicate project into many simple and manageable tasks. Thank you.
Thank you very much! I appreciate the kind feedback.
Thank you so much for this very informative video. Oftentimes these kind of tutorials skip kota of parts, like how to mark the jeans and then flip the markings to the other side and if you have no experience how could you possibly know that it could be done this way. Thanks again, gonna be working on my pair of jeans today and the video really helped!
Thank you for the kind feedback! I'm glad you found it helpful. Best of luck with your project!
What a great teacher you are! thanks so much
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed.
I like how you tapered these jeans.
Thank you!
Thank you! Very explicit instruction. Well done!
I appreciate the kind words! Thanks for watching.
You're talking about what I have to do straight off: take in 4". So you answered my biggest worries straight away. I can just use the outside seam, don't have to do both. But I just need to take the taper right up Great. I got softish fabric, not jeans, maybe chino ? ( I am very much a novice ) uniform pants. With drawstring elastic at the bottom. That looks like a hassle. :)
You can potentially take in 4" from one seam, but it will require going further up the leg to smoothly taper into the rest of the leg. If you've got elastic at the bottom, redoing the hem will be a little more complicated, but doable.
@@TailorItYourself I now find the outside seam is top stitched. I never knew about that. I see what you mean. We can't do that without taking both seams apart. So I'll have to use the inside seam. :)
Male 38 here🙋🏼♂️ Just started with sewing machine. Turned out that regular chalk did not (same with pen and pencil..) work out at all 😅 I do need that chalk you got there! ☺️
You make great tutorial videos, good job 👍🏻
Kudos for giving it a try! You can find a recommended tools list in the description for a link for the chalk. Good luck with your projects!
Thank you for the great tutorial. Double threads!! Who knew?!
Depending on your machine, you can even do triple threads!
Such a helpful video! Love your way of teaching and explaining, very clear. Thanks!
Thank you, glad you enjoyed.
Thank you for another great tutorial. I have 3 jeans to taper so this one will come in handy for sure. Thank you for the extra tips like to the bottom cuff look like it was not altered. I appreciate you showing us how to enclose the raw edges using home sewing machine as not all of us has a serger (i wish i have one 😊). Thank you for the detailed explanation and visual so we can follow easily especially me who is new to sewing. Thank you so much and take care!
You bet! Thank you for your appreciation.
You are a very good instructor.
Thank you very much!
This is amazing! Definitely gonna subscribe! This channel seems very thorough and informative. Glad I came across this video today!
Thanks Joel!
Excellent tutorial thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for watching!
Sophie from South Africa I really found your way of explaining the process very easy to follow and I hope we will hear more from you!! Sophie from South Africa
Thanks Sophie! I'm glad it was helpful for you.
Wow, great tutorial--I learned the finer/proper way to taper! Thanks!
Thanks Brenda!
An excellent video with great tutorial & detailing skills.A good demonstration of Training & Development. 👍
Thank you so much! Glad to enjoyed it.
This is an excellent video. Thanks so much for your clear explanation & demonstration 🙂👍
Thank you for the kind words!
very goood information. The young Lady is nice to listen and follow. I am subscribing Thank you Kamilla Canada
Thanks Kamilla!
Well done and clearly explained. Thank you.
You're most welcome! Thank you for your kind words and for watching!
Thanks for explaining this. Great channel.
Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed it.
...first timer here...I F#$%&NG LOVE your channel!!!! You are a GENIUS!!! Seriously, if I could imagine the perfect tutorial video, you hit every mark! [Including your work room setup and your channel name and logo, the pdf tutorials with materials list, its all perfectly "tailored" ;) for anyone who wants to learn the right way to do these things. I couldnt ask for anything else. Your love of the craft and the enormous effort you put into this is so appreciated. thanks so much for what your doing. Subbed 4 life!
OMG...I just realized you replied a thank you to ALL of your comments! You are an angel.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful informative video. It is well appreciated Blessings
No problem, thanks for watching!
Just found your site and you explain things and show them very well without a lot of distracting stuff. Thanks for that I have subscribed and will look forward to learning some more cool stuff.
Welcome! Thanks for watching =)
wow, fantastic tutorial, so easy to understand, I really like your style. I tried to rip with my left hand to make this so much easier, but alas, not happening.
Sometimes you just gotta practice! I've found I can use both hands over the years.
Two informative points here: Doubling the threads and "walking" over the thick parts of the hem. With these practices, you can avoid breaking the needle and the thread easily. One more subscribe and thumb up for ya!
Thank you very much!
Thank you so much. Your videos are incredibly helpful.
You're very welcome. Thanks for watching.
I could see the reemergence of the tailor to be frequently utilized and a bigger part of the contemporary fashion paradigm. many reasons. global clothing market serves all countries that have varying body shapes and microtrends. meaning that you order the jeans online with the idea that theyre 'half baked' like a bake at home pizza. theyre wearable as is but theyre not 'finished' until properly tailored to fit. this also offers individual uniqueness even though everyone else has bought the same jeans/whatever. there's the 'green' trend/mandate. people can utilize older clothes buy tailoring to the modern fit or modifying it. noe I wish there was a tailor on my block. id use them once a month minimum.
Hey Anthony, thanks for that comment. This is sort of already happening, it's just that there's a lot of people that don't realize they can have things tailored/repaired. And having a tailor near you is also essential, which is becoming harder and harder as older tailors are retiring and it's not a very popular profession.
Thanks for this video! Have you ever thought of actually cutting up to the point where you are taking the leg in. I thought maybe I could remove a little more from the back of the leg that way. Seems like some of the flare legged pants are much wider in the back than the front of the leg.
You can certainly take the seam apart and remove more from either the front or the back. You may have a seam that's not balanced though- it may have a curve in it or not hang straight along the leg.
Many tips to show us top clas tailoring..... Thank u
Thank you very much! I appreciate the kind words. Thanks for watching!
Very helpful--thanks! Would like a tutorial including inseam tapering as well. My previous attempts have been pretty awkward.
Basically the same, you just need to remove the topstitching before you sew the new seam, and topstitch it back down when you're done.
Oh my God I did this with my sewing machine back in the 80s when things went from wide legs to tapered legs and showed my friends how to reinvent their jeans
Excellent! It's stood the test of time.
Girl! You're the best!
Thanks!
Excellent tutorial! Very detailed and easy to follow. Thank you!!!
Thank you very much! Glad you enjoyed it.
Thank you very much for this video, very useful.
No problem, thanks for watching!
Thanks a lot ! Very precise and pleasant to watch
Thanks!
I wish all my teachers were so good. 👍
Thank you so much! That's very kind.
Thank you for your tutorials. Most of us sew but are not tailors and don't know all the tricks to making alterations look better. I have a ruffled hem on a dress that needs hemming. Help! Can you do a video? It's a high/low skirt bottom.
That's a rather tricky thing to try and explain here. And these videos take A LONG time to make, so I likely will not be doing a video of something that specific. But if you want to email me pictures I can try to provide guidance - tailorityourself@gmail.com
Great quality video!! Thanks!!! 🤗🤗
Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed it.
Nice job, very informative video. Thank you 🙂
You're welcome, thanks for watching.
Nice tutorial!
Thank you!
Thank you so much, I've learnt something new 👏👏👏
That's great!
Thank you :)
You're welcome! Thanks for watching.
Great instructions!! I am going to taper a pair of leather, jean style pants and this way of doing it looks perfect. Do you have any tips for leather? (I do know not to iron!!) thanks
Make sure you fit them properly. Once you stitch into leather it'll make holes, so if you need to undo or let out your work, you'll see it. Measure twice, cut/sew once! You can actually press leather lightly if you're using steam along with the iron. If it's faux leather, be very careful not to melt it.
I'd love to see the one where you taper only the thigh part of the jeans (the other pants you showed earlier in the video), was kinda expecting to see it haha
Doesn't matter where along the seam you're taking it in, the same technique applies.
Awesome
Thanks!
Great job thanks
No problem, glad you enjoyed!
Thanks... I have a new serger and learning to upcycle... I butchered the first pair... Now.. I can try again with more information. You must have had training. Where did you get your education?
I have a bachelor's degree in textile and apparel design, but I learned the tailoring trade working for another tailor for over 8 years.
Thanks so much. I learned a lot. I wonder if you could do a close up of 'tying the threads together'? I can't envision how the knot would go through the needle.
If you're referring to tying the threads together to thread the machine more easily, sometimes you can pull the knot through the needle. Sometimes it won't pull through, in which case you just snip the knot off once you've pulled it through the rest of the machine and thread the needle with the cut end.
@@TailorItYourself Ahh. Thanks, that helps.
Super cool info on the double threads!! I have a 1955 Singer that will do 2 needles & has 2 spool rods. So that is not an issue for me BUT I could NOT figure out how you could sew with 2 needles/threads & only have one tension set-up & bobbin thread. It isn't in the manual. You just answered that question. Surprise bonus info!! The vid is super! I had to do both sides to go from boot cut to straight. BUT luckily the jeans didn't have the flat stitching on the outer side, just a tiny topstitch so I figured it out. THANK YOU!!
You're the only one who talks about the bent legs problem. I guess I do have to taper both sides. Kinda complicated.
It certainly makes the job bigger, but it can be done.
Great video! What iron do you have? I like the vintage look to it. Also what is the model of the Brother sewing machine as well. Thank you!
I use a Reliable professional boiler. I think my Brother is a DB2. I can't remember exactly off hand.
Wow awesome 💕
lovely. thanks. :)
You're welcome! Thanks for watching.
Nice job! I’m curious as to what kind of steam iron you are using and your ironing board?
I use a professional steam boiler from Reliable. Board is one I got at the that's extra wide. There's a link to a tools list in the video description.
very very good video
Thnaks for this tuto. Very clear ! Now I'm ready to work on my wife's jeans... without fearing instant divorce... (in fact... you never know). 😎
Ha, I wish you luck! Thanks for watching.
Nice. Ty for the tutorial. I like sewing (still a newbie) but I detest ironing with a passion. So I'll just skip that part lol
Pressing is a key part to good tailoring, so I recommend you try some good ol fashioned exposure therapy and give it a try!
@@TailorItYourself lol oh I'm not scared of ironing. I just don't like it. It's funny bc my 2 sets of grandparents and my mom all worked in dry cleaning and will do anything to avoid it. I'll just ask my mom to do it lol thanks anyway you have yourself a nice day 😊
Thank you. It would be nice if you could zoom in, or take a close picture once in a while, to be able to see some of the things that you do that cannot be seen with wide angle. 😀
Things to consider next time around!
Hi Danni are going to post anymore videos, love your videos
I am currently not. These videos are extremely time consuming to make and I just don't have the time. Looking to do more sometime in the future, but not anytime soon.
You haven't made any new videos? You are very talented seamstress and a fantastic teacher, thank you.
I have not! The last two years have been insanely busy in the shop and these videos are incredibly time consuming to make.
Well you are missed
I appreciate that! I'm hoping to get back in the saddle this winter.
Can you do a tutorial on how to make mens pants fit and flare more like women's pants? Mens fit great in the waist and butt but they need to be nipped in a little at the knee to be more flattering for women. Thanks!
You can use this same technique for that. You just take in more at the thigh and nothing at the bottom.
I miss sewing this year, kids gave me a very busy puppy last year and can never sit down long enough in peace
Ha, eventually the dog will settle down and you can focus on other things.
@@TailorItYourself
Don’t know how soon this one will settle down, I’ve always had working dogs and they don’t.
Nice. Do you also have a tutorial where you do sew the inside too to slim the pant leg ?
Not yet! But it's the same concept. If there's topstitching you'll need to remove that first before you can sew the seam. If there's a flat felled seam, that's a different story, and one that would require much more explanation.
What a fantastic video!! I bought new jeans that ended up being wide leg and too long. My goal is to make them straight leg..with a slight taper at the hem. So 2.5inches off the seam. However, the felled seams are on the outside seams. Can I adjust my inside inseams from crotch to where I want to shorten the hem..instead of altering the outside seams? Thank you so much for your video!
I would alter whatever seam that isn't flat felled.
I want to see the cream pair altered that’s what I need to do on a pair of pants 😅
If you're referring to the khaki pair I show in the video, it's the same process. Except for that one I also shortened the hem, which is a separate video you can also watch.
Any advice on how to stitch very straight? I draw a line and stitch along it but was hoping there was another way🌞
Practice! Sew on some scrap fabric and practice keeping a steady speed. Use two hands to keep the fabric in position. Sometimes the slower you go the more the fabric moves around and you can get squiggly lines.
Thanks for your advice. I love watching your channel by the way, lovely clear instruction😁
Thank you! Glad you found it helpful.
You can make a long "fence" out of Post-It notes (use an entire pad), stick it to right of needle, placed where the cut edge seam allowance will go, and guide your fabric along that "fence." This will ensure the seam is straight (also extend the "fence" behind the needle area--the longer it is the better, use several pads of Post-its). For stitching consistent distance along a curved seam, this will work for exterior curves only; interior curves you might be able to use a very small 1 x1" Post-it pad, or buy a magnetic seam guide if it will stick to your machine bed. Most modern machines are plastic, thus the Post-it Notes work better.
@@cherylanon5791 Thanks very much for your reply. You're totally right, since posting my question, i realised i was using the wrong foot and so bought a quarter inch foot and the improvement was fantastic! My sewing now looks like a professional job. Of course the other way is your suggestion so thanks for a detailed answer😁.
Okay I can do this... but I'm a little confused about the 2-thread part at the hem. Does it end up looking like ONE thick piece of thread? In which case why not use a thick thread to begin with? Just not sure of the goal w double thread. Will two threads jam my basic home sewing machine? Thank you!! :)
Combining the two threads allows you to blend colors to more closely match the original thread. You're welcome to use a heavy weight thread instead, or just one regular weight. But I find the colors rarely match on my heavy threads, so I blend two normal threads to get the right color. I can't say exactly what will work with your machine. It works on my other machines that aren't an industrial. You can try on a scrap of fabric and see what it looks like. You may need to adjust the tension with two threads.
@@TailorItYourself okay great thank you!!!
Just curious to know if you have to do a heavy taper how do you recreate the top stitching?
If you'd like to email me a picture I can give further guidance - tailorityourself@gmail.com
I have a pair of salvaged jeans do you prefer me to sew threw the salvage stitch or on the inside?I’m not taking them in that much
If you'd like to keep the selvedge you don't have to trim it off if it's not much. If you're tapering it more than an inch it may get bulky if you don't trim the seam allowances.
hi hello i just some flared pants but it’s a little loose on my thighs is it possible when i take it to the tailor to my my thigh region tighter
Yup!
For me, the easiest way to taper my pants/jeans is with the use of a yard stick. Just as you did, flip the pants inside out and lay the stick on the pants and measure how much to take out from top to bottom and mark it- all in one go.
That works of you indeed taper on a straight line. Sometimes the best fit isn't a straight line, which is why I prefer to pin along the shape of the leg.
When sewing the outer leg seam (reducing leg width) , ideally a lap seam machine is required but is there any way of sewing the outer seam when you don't have a lapseam machine?
Yes, but it's a bit of a fiddly process, which is why I recommend working on the seam that isn't felled.
so a serger will take two layers of cloth and join them together? I didn't know that either. GPT tells me it's true. Lovely.
Any sewing machine will join two or more layers of fabric. A serger joins them and also encases the cut edges.
@@TailorItYourself I expect it of a sewing machine because I'm doing that all the time after all. But the serger is a bit of complicated mystery to me - even though I have one. I got the feeling that it was measuring thread very accurately with all that business about getting tensions exactly right otherwise the overlock goes wrong. So I guess I had the feeling it was all so highly adjusted there'd be no room for increased thickness. It is a thing without adjustments beyond tension after all. Or mine is. Nice to know I'm wrong in that regard. Give me more ability doesn't it?
Perhaps you know the answer to this: I have three tension wheels each with a bar across the face that I assume when it's in the centre thats factory tension. And the frame is marked next to each wheel with a '+' and '-'. One above the other. So I can see i rotate the wheel this way or that to increase or decrease the tension.
Here's the question: must I rotate only as much as that quarter turn before the 'bar in the centre' goes out of view or we keep rotating and rotating until we get the results we want? If we rotate and rotate I can never know what a particular wheel is set at really. I could be rotated once out of view or five time. If we don't rotate that far but keep the bar in view so we know the setting then mine doesn't seem to make any difference. It is a singer U1214A
You'll want to adjust your tension so that the thread doesn't pull tight around the fabric, nor does it get loose and loopy. If you're using 3 threads you'll want the thread that runs wrong the cut edge to be right along the edge. If it's pulling towards the top side, tighten it. If it's pulling towards the bottom side, loosen it. Once you have the tension where you want it, mark it with a sharpie you so you where it's correct. I can't speak to how much to turn it. Try a little bit and see how that effects it.
I have alot of old jeans pants. I am lost alot of weight in the last few years can I ask how to "fix some of my old favorite ones that have alot of holes
I've got a video showing how to repair holes in jeans.
It is MUCH easier to try the pants on inside out then mark it than to. Keep turning it right side out then inside out back and forth and transferring marks and pins
Please don't do this. If you mark them inside out then you are marking the opposite leg it will be worn on. Please fit the pants right side out with your shoes on to get the most accurate fit.
@TIY, Oh thank you for answering because I was going to do this. It's what I was taught in school, but your explanation makes more sense.
Awesome…. Subscribed
Thanks! Much appreciated.