How to sew trousers: a few simple tips. How to properly sew trousers at home Working on a machine

Changing trousers from one size to another adjacent size is not difficult. It should be borne in mind that trousers can be altered to a larger size only if there is an allowance, the so-called reserve. For example, size 48 can be converted to 46, and size 46 can be converted to 48 only if there is stock.

Sometimes you can alter trousers by size, for example 48 to 44, that is, significantly reduce their main details. In this case, the amount of work will increase.

It is impossible to change trousers of size 52 to 48, and size 54 to 50 without recutting.

Large trousers can be altered without alteration only to an adjacent smaller size or an adjacent larger size if there is a fabric allowance along the crotch and seat edges.

Below is a description of the most common method of altering pants from a larger size to a smaller one.

The size of the main parts is changed along the girth line of the waist, hips and girth at the groin level. To do this, rip off the lining of the belt in the area of the seat seam, rip out the seat seam and the crotch seams, and rip out the latter to the knee girth line. The edges of the opened seams are thoroughly cleaned of stitches and thread ends and ironed. After this, the size of the belt is determined according to the measurement of the waist circumference (point 1, Fig. 44); The length of the belt can be reduced by no more than 2 cm on each side.

Accordingly, reduce the size of the width of the rear half along the step edge between points 2 and 3; it reaches its greatest contraction at point 2. Then a chalk line is drawn between points 1 and 2, which indicates a decrease in the width of the back half along the hip line.

On the edges of the rear half between points 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8 there are lines to reduce the size of the parts; 5, 6 - fold line.

The edges of the right and left parts of the trousers are swept along the chalk lines, then they are ground down and the seams are pressed tightly.

Simultaneously with ironing the step seams, the back halves are ironed, giving them the required shape.

Using a chalk line, mark the edges of the seat of the trousers and grind them down. Sometimes a seam can be sewn without basting first. The seam must be elastic, so to fill it, the machine should be well adjusted so that the interlacing of stitches occurs in the thickness of the fabric.

The seat seam is ironed on a special block until the edges of the seam fit snugly. After this, straighten the belt lining and sew it with hand hemming stitches to the edge of the belt at the seat seam area. The finished trousers are ironed and steamed.

When altering trousers of the 46th size to the 42nd, the lining of the right part of the waistband is ripped off to the sewing of the hem, and the left part - to the codpiece (point 4, Fig. 44), then the seat seam and crotch seams are ripped out.

Before ripping out the crotch seams, check marks are placed on the front and back halves using chalk strokes or hand stitches.

The control marks necessary for the correct connection of the halves of the trousers after changing their width are placed at a distance of 12-15 cm from the seam of the seat and 10-12 cm from the bottom of the trousers.

The edges of the parts are carefully cleaned from the ends of the threads and ironed well. In the middle of each half, on the wrong side, mark a line of 5-6 folds, as shown in Fig. 44.

The depth of the fold is made from 1 to 1.5 cm. Folds are laid on each front half and secured with running stitches on segments 5-6 and 7-8 (Fig. 45). In most cases, in accordance with the structure of the figure, the length of the back half is reduced along the upper cut in segment 7-8, as shown in Fig. 44.

I - before repair; II - after repairing trousers with folds at the waist along line B, 6 and 7, 8.

The length of the rear half is reduced to 2 cm at point 1, located in the upper corner of the part.

The cut ends of the belt parts are basted and then stitched using a regular machine stitch. The seam of the sewing parts of the belt is tightly ironed, the free ends of the lining are basted to the belt and the seam of the belt is unstitched in the usual way.

After this, reduce the width of the right and left rear halves, and also mark the seam line of the seat (Fig. 44).

Using control marks, sweep the edges of the front and back halves and grind them down. The crotch seams of the right and left parts are ironed, and the halves of the trousers are generally ironed, giving them the required shape.

The joining of the edges of the seat, the design of the ripped hem of the trousers and their general finishing, ironing and steaming are carried out in the usual ways.

If you need to remake large size trousers, for example. 54th or 56th to 48th, then they are completely ripped open, the edges are cleared of the ends of the threads, ironed, all the details are redrawn and again sewn according to the accepted methods.

In addition to the methods described above, there may be other ways to alter clothes from one size to another. In some cases, to reduce the size of the product, buttons are moved on the brim of the product, back straps, darts, folds, gathers, additional seams, etc. are made.

When choosing the most rational method of altering clothes, you should take into account the type of product, its size and style, the nature of the finish, etc., and most importantly, the customer’s requirement.

We can safely say that fashion changes almost daily. But not every person can keep up with its trends, because a rare wallet can withstand it. However, you can solve this problem simply by using your hands. This article will tell you how to sew in trousers and turn them into fashionable new pants.

Sewing flared trousers: preparation

First of all, let’s figure out which bottoms are flared (after all, no one wears pants of this style anymore), and make them classic. To do this, you need to turn the product inside out and lay it out on a flat surface. Next, you need to decide on the width of the trouser leg itself. This is important, because this is exactly the width of the bottom of the trousers. The next step: you need to use sewing chalk (or a thin soap) to draw lines on the wrong side of the trouser leg, which indicate the location of the seam. This must be done carefully, evenly and as accurately as possible. Further along this line, the trouser legs are pinned or simply swept away. The unnecessary edge of the trousers is cut off about a centimeter from the seam.

Working on a typewriter

Now about how to sew trousers on a sewing machine. First of all, you need to sew a line along the drawn line, setting the stitch length as desired. Next you need to wrap the seam allowance. This can be done in different ways:

The seams can be laid out and wrapped each separately, or they can be folded and processed together, it depends on the style of the trousers and the thickness of the fabric.
As for the overlocker itself, if there is no such device, you can do it with a regular sewing machine. And here again there are two simple options for how to do this:

using a special one that is found in all new machines;
using a zigzag stitch, while setting the smallest step width.

The last, no less important stage is to iron the finished product. After steaming, the chalk line will disappear. The pants are ready!

Making tight trousers

Today, pants that are narrower at the bottom are fashionable. Of course, you can buy them, but you can do something more cunning - create such beauty with your own hands. Now we will talk about how to sew in trousers at the bottom and make them tapered. To do everything correctly, you need to perform several very simple steps, similar to the previous ones:

First of all, you need to open the hem of the bottom so that you can work with the entire length of the pant leg.
At this stage, it is important to decide how many centimeters the trousers will be sutured, because the method of suturing depends on this.
If you need to narrow your pants just a little, you can do this only on one side - the outer or inner, depending on where it is easier to work with the seam (sometimes on one side it is decorative, and it is very difficult to imitate it at home).
The principle of operation is the same as described above: you need to turn the product inside out, draw a seam line with soap (on one side), fasten the legs (with pins or basting), cut off excess fabric, stitch, and wrap the edges.
To ensure that trousers that are tapered down to a significant width are not distorted, it is necessary to sew them in on both sides. The principle of operation is similar, however, lines are drawn near both seams, internal and external, and always at an equal distance. This is important, because otherwise the pants will look ugly.
Bottom hem. You can lay a line or in the same place. However, today somewhat cropped trousers (on the bone) are in fashion, why not make your skinny trousers just like that?
The last stage is ironing the product.

Belt: method one

Information on how to sew in trousers at the waist by a couple of centimeters will also be very useful. First of all, you definitely need to decide how much you need to reduce the product. Then you need to cut off the waistband on the sides so as to make small darts (their size depends on how many cm the product will be reduced by). The bottom of the darts will go into the side seams. The next step: we outline the darts and sew them with a machine stitch. As for the belt, it needs to be cut on the sides, excess fabric cut off, stitched along short sections and sewn to the product along the old lines.

Belt: method two

Is it possible to repair trousers if the item needs to be sewn down a couple of sizes? Of course! To do this, you need to undo the belt at the very beginning. They need to be sutured along the side seams along the entire length of the legs from the very top to the bottom (symmetrically on both sides). This is done as described above. If you want to significantly reduce the waist of your trousers, you will also need to sew them in along the back seam. As for the belt, excess fabric is cut off from it, and it is sewn along the upper edge of the trousers in its old place. The product is ready!

Simple rules

And now about the fact that for any repair of trousers there are certain rules:

One thing to keep in mind is that there are different styles of trousers, not all of them can be altered the way you want, and not all of them will end up looking good.
When cutting, you need to use ordinary household soap, this way you won’t need to wash the product, because the lines can be easily removed by steaming with an iron.
If you need to baste, it is better to do it exclusively with white threads, regardless of the color of the pants. They do not shed because they are not colored.
There is no need to despair if you don’t have an overlock machine at home; for this you can use the overlock foot that comes with every sewing machine, or simply work in a zigzag manner.
When hemming trousers (especially denim ones), you need to remember that the stitching should be laid with the same stitch length as on other decorative seams.
At the end, you must iron the product.

Not every woman can decide to alter her own clothes, because this process requires certain skills, experience, and abilities, albeit at an initial level. Mostly we encounter similar problems when buying trousers, when we cannot choose the ideal length. They have to be hemmed to make them look more neat, stylish, and beautiful. Another problem that often arises is that the waistband of the pants is too wide, so they have to be sewn in. By the way, more often such troubles arise in women who are actively working on their own figure, because even on an ideal figure, things often look saggy. Sewing custom-made clothes is quite an expensive proposition, so it would be more logical to learn how to sew in (narrow) the sides of trousers at home. There are many ways to reduce trousers in width and length, and they are all different and require a special approach.

The most popular options for reducing trousers

How to alter trousers yourself? What difficulties may arise? Is it worth taking on the matter yourself? Only at first glance, it seems that sewing purchased pants in the waistband or on the sides is simple, since there are a lot of nuances that need to be given due attention. But with a small supply of strength, patience, and skills in working with sewing accessories, you can turn your plans into reality.

In particular they relate to the following:

You can sew up trousers no more than two sizes, otherwise the trouser legs will simply warp or the model itself will deteriorate.
If you really see that the product will have to be sutured thoroughly, then cutting can not be avoided. You will have to rip it apart at the seams, apply completely new patterns, and make a pattern specifically for them. Therefore, assess your strength soberly, otherwise your clothes will be completely ruined.
If the legs are reduced, you will have to work completely on all seams - side, back and inside. If you only need to remove a little fabric from the hips, you can sew them in along the outer seam.
Do not rush to grab a needle, thread, or scissors, because first you should turn the product inside out and put it on yourself. Using pins, mark the places where the pants do not fit well, sweep them away by hand, and try them on again on the front side. If you like what you see, then only then can you take up the sewing machine.
When the model is quite a bit large, most likely, it will be possible to make do with small sacrifices - suturing only the side seam. First, try on the trousers, pin the outer seam, move slightly or squat to understand exactly where the pull is.
In any case, the fitting takes place first, and only then all excess is removed.

Below are all the possible options for reducing trousers, which differ from each other only in the place where the stitching or hemming will take place.

How to make pants smaller on the sides and waist?

There are three methods that are used to reduce the waist and waist of pants; you need to choose one of them:

Sew them in the area of the side folds.
Reduce with darts.
Eliminate excess fabric by reducing the middle seam.

Method 1

Now let's look at an example of how to properly sew women's trousers with a belt in a couple of sizes, step by step, using the method of processing the middle seam:

First you need to undo the belt loop, then the belt and cut it in half at the back.
This is followed by spreading the finishing stitch on the middle seam, after which the seam itself is sutured.
Then all excess is removed from the belt, it is sewn together, the belt loop and decorative stitching on the belt are restored.

Everything is ready, your pants will fit you like a glove!

Method 2

The next example will concern reducing the product on the sides. There is nothing complicated about this if you strictly follow the instructions:

You need to put on your pants wrong side out, stand in front of a mirror, measure out all the excess on your buttocks, hips, and pant legs.
Make temporary stitches on only one leg, try on the product again, then compare the legs.
If all the outlines are made correctly, then the pants are removed again, unnecessary lines are ripped out, and everything is sewn along the intended lines. To preserve the model, you will have to sew all the seams in the same way - external and internal.
Then the fitting takes place again. If everything is fine, then you can iron the trousers, cut off seam allowances, and overcast the edges.

How to sew bell-bottom pants yourself?

In many cases, the pants fit just perfectly on top, but look a little ridiculous at the bottom of the legs. Therefore, it would also be appropriate to learn how to taper your trousers at home. How to turn classic bell-bottoms into skinny ones?

Important! You can follow this pattern not only in the case of a bell-bottom model, but also a regular straight one.

The process looks like this:

As always, everything starts with fitting. The product is put on inside out, the excess is pinned with tailor's pins. We do all this on one pant leg. It is on this that you should measure the same distance from the side seams.
We take off the pants, draw a straight or tapering line downwards with a piece of soap, starting from the very first pinned point in height.
Both legs are aligned and the new stitch lines are moved to the second leg.
We sew everything together by hand and try it on again. If you are completely satisfied with the line of the new stitch, then you can safely trim off the excess fabric, retreating one centimeter from the seam.
The trouser legs are stitched, ironed, and the edges are finished with an overlocker.

How to hem pants at the bottom?

A real lifesaver will help you with this - adhesive stretch tape:

First, the bend line is determined, excess fabric is cut off, and the line after bending is fixed with an iron.
Then the tape is placed directly into this line and ironed from the wrong side.
Once the tape is secured, you can start stitching around the bottom of the pant leg. If this is not done, it may come off during washing.

Rules for reducing trousers by several sizes

Are you wondering how to change pants down a size or even two? In principle, this process does not cause any particular difficulties, although it requires compliance with basic rules. It doesn’t matter at all what trousers you choose:

Remember that not all styles of pants can be altered.
It is better to cut at home using ordinary soap.
Basting should be done only with white threads, since it does not fade.
If you don’t have an overlocker, you can use a zigzag stitch or a special attachment on a sewing machine.
It is recommended to sew the trousers starting from the top.
If there are decorative seams on the fabric, even the inner stitches must be sewn with a stitch of the same length as the decorative stitch.
Be sure to iron the product after completing all work.

There are many ways to sew in trousers - both complex and simple. It is worth saying that each method requires a responsible approach and perseverance; excessive haste can simply do harm. Ladies always strive for perfection struggling with extra pounds. And often, having achieved positive results, owners of new figures feel the need to change their wardrobe.

However, upgrading even the basic pieces in your wardrobe can put a big dent in your wallet. And here skillful hands and basic knowledge about cutting and sewing come to the rescue. The cheapest way to update your wardrobe is to alter things. Unfortunately, this method can hardly be called simple. Without sufficient knowledge and experience, you can ruin a thing. The easiest thing to alter is trousers. The main thing is not to upset the balance and not to distort the seams. If you are completely confident in your abilities and decide to change your trousers yourself, be sure to read the tips and recommendations.

How to sew pants?

One of the favorable options is if there is a need to sew in trousers no larger than 2 sizes. Then you won't have to reshape them - and this will save a lot of time.

The main problem area is the hips; suturing must be done evenly from both the side and internal seams. There is no need to save energy and time by resorting to a quick method - suturing only from the side! Even if you need to sew in just a small amount - a size or half a size, it is better to do it from the inside seam, then the trousers will not warp, and the alterations will be invisible.

How to reshape trousers?

When the housewife has lost more than 2 sizes, there is no way to avoid changing her trousers. This process is very difficult and requires no basic knowledge of sewing.

If extensive alteration of trousers is required, then you must first select areas for alteration. The first step is to rip the seams, pull out unnecessary thread residues, and thoroughly iron the elements to be remade. Next, you should pin it with pins and highlight the new desired outline. Then sweep along this contour with bright threads to make it easier to remove them later. Now put on sour cream trousers and make sure that you are completely satisfied with the result.

If even the slightest detail does not look the way you wanted, remove all the outlines and start again! Only after complete satisfaction can you trim off the excess fabric. Now you will need a sewing machine: secure the result with a stitch in the color of the fabric and overcast the sections.

The second problem area is the waist. Everything is very simple here! The main task is to evenly distribute the excess fabric and make darts in these places.

The length of trousers may need to be reduced even without dieting. There are two ways - trim or treat with special adhesive tape.
Before cutting the trousers, they must be pinned together so that they do not move during cutting. The next step is to tuck in the slightly cut ends and stitch them with a stitch on a sewing machine, and then iron them well.

To treat with adhesive tape, turn the trousers inside out, tuck the excess outwards, place adhesive tape in the resulting fold and go over it with a hot iron. The tape holds the fabric together perfectly, but only until the first wash, so be sure to secure the result with a stitch on your sewing machine.