Sewing question

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I bought a great pair of black knit pants at Coldwater Creek.

Perfect for wearing with a shell and a shirt as a jacket, or with tunics.

After wearing them a couple of times, I've decided the legs are just a little too wide. They're supposed to be loose and flowing, but they would be more flattering on me if they were taken in a bit.

I've taken in seams on shirts by hand stitching, so I know how to make invisible stitches, and have had excellent results.

I've never done pants. These should be easy because the knit runs with a tiny vertical weave, which I can just follow down.

My question is, do I take them in on the out seam, or inner seam?

At first I was thinking the outer seam, because I could actually start the taking in either at the waist, or at the point just below the navel, since that's where they start to be a little too side. Wouldn't matter if the stitching starts at that lower point, because it'll be covered by shirts or tunics.

But looking online, they alway seem to talk about taking in the inner seam. I haven't check it out by putting them on, but it would seem that would make it possibly binding in the crouch. They are perfect there now.

Or, do I take a little in from both inner and outer?

Thanks

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@chai2,

Take them in on the outer seam, so that they will hand properly. How a pair of pants hangs depends upon who well the crotch and butt have been provided for in the original design. It's going to be easier to take in the outer seam, and leave the inner seam to hang as it was originally intended. Sewing a crotch, or an inseam, and making it fit, is a bitch.

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@chai2,

I think doing inner makes more sense. Don't take anything in at the very top... just stitch right on top of the existing seam. Then gradually go inwards from there.

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@sozobe,

Maybe baste it first and see how it hangs before committing to anything.

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soz, I'm leaning towards set's logic.

why do you say inner?

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@chai2,

the pants will be dry in 10 minutes!!!!

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@chai2,

Yeah, Set's logic makes sense, I don't know anything in particular about this... wasn't rebutting him, his post wasn't there yet when I typed (I'm zoomin' around today and doing drive-by postings now and then...)

Inner just seems simpler to me... less stuff going on on the inside rather than the outside. Plus you didn't say they were too big overall, just that the legs were a bit too wide. It seems like you'd want to keep the leg line straight on the outside, rather than getting a taper effect (curving inwards after the hip).

So that made me think that doing it on the inside would temper the leg fullness a bit without messing with the fit around the waist/ butt/ etc., and keeping that straight fall from the hip instead of a weird taper.

I'd have to actually have the pants and mess with 'em to see how it would actually work though.

Have you done anything yet?

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@sozobe,

Yes, I've started, doing the out bit, and it's working out ok.

The legs don't taper, that's why it seemed the outer seam was easier.

Anywho, I had to get involved with some other household task, so I put it aside, Maybe I'll do a bit more tonight, maybe not.

Thanks, both of you!

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@chai2,

Right, I didn't think they currently taper, just that they fit around the waist et al... right?... and so you're just bringing the legs in. If you're just bringing the legs in, that might create a taper. (Coming in at the hip instead of going straight down from the hip.)

I'm entirely self-taught when it comes to sewing-type stuff and tend to get tripped up on terminology. Sorry if it's confusing.

If what you're doing seems to be working, carry on!

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(I'll say quietly as an old sewer that I'd skip it with the pants. No offense.)

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Here is a sampling of opinions I found by doing a search on "how to tailor pant legs"

Quote:

when tapering legs, the new seams are sewn first then the old seam is removed and the seams are press opened. each of the four seams must be taken in an equal amount. this is so that the pant legs stay balanced. if only the inseam is taken in then the crease will not be centered.

Quote:

When I do it, I leave the inseam stitched and just stitch a new line tighter in. Try them on inside out to see how they fit, and if they are okay, I undo the original inseam. If it's more than a little bit, I take a little more from the back part than the front since the back part is always bigger and I try to maintain the balance. Once I'm happy with them I re-press the seams and creases.

Quote:

How to Tailor Your Pants
A sampling of what your local tailor can do.
Length: Pant legs can usually be let down 1 1/2 inches. Ideally, hem pants up two inches maximum (the proportions will be off if more than that is taken up).
Rise: A tailor can take in or let out the rise as long as there is 3/4 inch of fabric to work with.
Pockets: Pockets that gape can be sewn shut or removed.
Waist: A tailor can take in the waist up to 1 1/2 inches at the back or along the side seams. If pants are snug, usually 1/2 inch of fabric can be let out.
Tapering: Slightly narrowing the legs is possible, but you can’t turn bell-bottoms into skinny pants without causing fit issues.

There is a 12-part video on tailoring here. The section on tailoring pant legs starts at part 4.

http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to/video/how-to-get-basic-tailoring-tips-226774/

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@sozobe,

I'd love to learn to sew.

My tastes are simple.
I'd love to be able to fit something to my body, not what someone wants my body to look like.

you're right about the terminology. That's where I get goofed up.

osso...what do you mean? you'd just leave them too wide?

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@chai2,

Yes, I would. They have a certain hemline and line up the leg. Making a modification takes some expertise to not look dumb. Good luck on fooling with that. To me, give the pants away or deal with the design "of the times". I don't like wide pant legs and often laugh at Sartorialist.com with the the models on high heels and wide pants. Me, I see them as how to get knickers in a twist.

Oh, but that was a few months ago.

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@Butrflynet,

On the video, part 4 is where she shows how to pin the pants to find the measurement for the amount of tailoring on the side seams. In part 9 she shows how to transfer that to the side seams and begin the sewing of it.

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@Butrflynet,

Video didn't make it into the post bfrfly
I'm curious to see it.

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@Butrflynet,

It's in my earlier post.

Here it is again:

Quote:

There is a 12-part video on tailoring here. The section on tailoring pant legs starts at part 4.

http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to/video/how-to-get-basic-tailoring-tips-226774/

Just got done watching it all. She isn't very entertaining, but she does know her stuff.

In part 4 she shows how and where to mark up the tailoring line with pins while the pants are being worn. In parts 9 thru 12 she shows how to transfer those marks to the side seams and how to do the seam ripping and sewing so the end product does not look like the pants have been altered.

1 Reply

@Butrflynet,

Butrflynet wrote:

It's in my earlier post.

Here it is again:

Quote:
There is a 12-part video on tailoring here. The section on tailoring pant legs starts at part 4.

http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to/video/how-to-get-basic-tailoring-tips-226774/

Just got done watching it all. She isn't very entertaining, but she does know her stuff.

In part 4 she shows how and where to mark up the tailoring line with pins while the pants are being worn. In parts 9 thru 12 she shows how to transfer those marks to the side seams and how to do the seam ripping and sewing so the end product does not look like the pants have been altered.

WOW!

That was the most useful video I've seen re tailoring pants and shirts.

I've watched others, but they would never cover it from soup to nuts like she did.

Especially great her showing how to wear the clothes and pin them by yourself.

Basically, this is what I've been doing for myself, but it's good to know my thinking was correct.

Over time, I just figured out to draw lines to guide. I'll lay out the garment, figure out where point A and point B are, then place a strip of masking tape with one end on A and one end on B and use that as a drawing line. Sometime that works better (at least for me, than a ruler)

Thanks Butrflynet, that was Really Useful.

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