favors
 

I'm getting a bit aggravated. I was asked by a friend at church to hem several pairs of jeans. Well like most of you, I don't sew clothes, just quilts. I've made some curtains, as a matter of fact, that's what I was doing when he asked me. Hemming curtains for the youth room. Anyway, I said yes, much to my frustration now.
I'm about ready to give them back to him and tell him I just can't get it done. I'm having trouble getting them even and both legs the same. I want them to look nice and do an excellent job. I'm just not sure I'm skilled enough.
Does anyone have any advice or tips for me? I would so appreciate some. Thanks, Gina

There is a way of hemming jeans that leaves the original hem intact, and the new seam is practically invisible. You have to have a good, heavy-duty machine to do it though, because it has to sew through the side seams. This is how I've been hemming my family's jeans for the last few years.

A written tute I found: http://www.daciaray.com/?p=38

And here's a video tute, might be easier to follow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giOkJUcc2wg

I use my serger.

learn to say no!
 

Gina, I've hemmed many a pair of jeans, I have three sons and three grandsons. I didn't worry about perfection. I just measured from the bottom of the leg , whatever I needed to shorten, marked and allowed for the double fold hem, and cut and sewed. I did buy a gold color jeans thread for the hemming. My thought was the jeans should have been hemmed by the manufacturer evenly, so I was following their measurements. Don't stress over it!! I've had too many favors asked of me over the years by friends who don't sew, and they think I should be glad to help. I learned early on not to say yes all the time .

maybe not perfect is the result this person needs to see.

We are in the middle of nowhere and the town seamstress charges $10.00 a pair to hem pants. Which is fair, you can't do them in 5 minutes after all.
No one can take advantage of you without your permission..I'm sorry I can't is a perfectly acceptable answer to that kind of request.

All sound advice given above, relax and do what you can do; obviously that is more than the person who asked you can do for themselves.

"Oh, dear, the last time I tried hemming pants they came out just TERRIBLE!!! you had better find someone else to ask!"

Makes it sound like you are being UNselfish in not doing it. I agree, jeans are awful to work on. I have to say, it is kind of nervy to ask you to do several pairs, without offering to pay for it.

Maybe he would prefer cut-offs.....

I like what PTQUILTS would say. That's a good one for next time! And I have a hard time saying no myself.

I hate hemming pants for the same reason. If I can't just "turn them up" without cutting first, forget it.

Why do people think because we make quilts, we do mending? I can't tell you how many time I have been asked to hem something or put in a new zipper etc. as soon as they find out I sew. I used to make clothing but not anymore, unless it's a CQ vest. I just very politely say No I don't have the time.

I have people asking me all the time to hem jeans/pants. I tell them that I don't even do my husbands pants, he has to send them out just like everyone else. They get the idea!!!

Pat in MN

Hmmm, I'm sorry, after reading the other responses, I'm thinking maybe I misunderstood the original question. Were you asking for help with the hemming, or how not to take on such a chore next time?

I no longer sew clothing. It is a chore to sew a button on.

no is really a simple, simple 2 letter word...for some reason so many people have such a hard time using it...it is better to simply say, 'no, i'm sorry- I really do not do (clothing sewing)' much better to simply decline than to deal with all the frustration, guilt when you are not able, hard feelings all around...honesty is a much better solution for everyone involved. even though I do try often to fulfill requests I also do not have a problem declining when it is something I either do not want to do, or truly do not have time to do. if you agree to do something that you really do not know how to do, or do not like doing before you know it everyone around wants you to do it for them too...better to leave that 'can of worms' closed.

I smile and laugh and tell them I don't even hem my own jeans. They get the point and I'm don't give a rude response. Last night I had a friend say she wanted to make a quilt, now that, I feel confident enough to help.

Same here. I will give my husband's pants to Goodwill before I will hem them! I did do some jeans the easy way (posted earlier in this thread) several years ago. It really is easier to do them that way.

Peckish--Thank you for this link! I've heard of this method but have never seen how it was done. My husband needs his jeans hemmed and I've refused to do it. Next time he is gone for the day I'm going to try this on a pair and see if he notices anything different!

Mike's Girl -- I've been asked many times to do other peoples sewing and mending -- the answer is a firm NO. I then tell them that the local quilt shop has a list of people who will do alterations, etc. Hopefully you have those pesky jeans hemmed and out of your hair (or rather your sewing room)!

What to do is learn to say....NO.

Yes, I do. Give them back and say" I'm sorry, but my machine just won't handle the thickness of this denim fabric. But 'so and so tailors' does alterations and they might be able to help you". You wouldn't ask someone to mow your yard just because they own a mower, so we don't need to feel we have to do the world's alterations just because we sew.

Mike'sgirl, I have hemmed jeans for several years the same way as Peckish. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giOkJUcc2wg I have hemmed or my daughters, their husbands, grand children, but mostly for myself. Works great!

However, I have found that once a friend finds out, they ask me to hem their pants, too. I love sewing, but I hate mending or hemming. I have a hard time refusing, so when I am asked, I tell them I will try my best, but only if they sit with me while I do it. That way they see how time consuming it is and I get to visit with them. They ask less often.

I've found that we are too critical of our work and most people can't tell the difference when something isn't perfect. How many pairs of pants do you own that are perfect? Do your best and if he has a problem with it he got what he paid for. My son is a cop and he always needs his uniforms hemmed, either the pants or the long sleeved shirts. I will do the pants but not the shirts. He understands and pays someone for that. I don't do zippers so when he wanted a pair of old coveralls repaired with a 20 inch zipper I put in Velcro instead. He owns a farm and the animals don't care. He likes it so much better than a zipper. So we just do what we can!

I just say. I won't do it, but I'll show you how so you can. They can't get out the door fast enough :)

Send them out and pay someone else to do them.

Give the jeans back, tell him you are having trouble getting them done right, and don't want to mess them up.

This was an imposition, and I would not worry about offending him. Just smile as you return them and stick to your little speech.

I gave a quilt to one of out tenants. The other day she asked me to make pads for the crib. Just told her I could PROBABLY do it but it might be 1/2 a$$ed. She declined.

I'm short and everything I buy has to be hemmed. That's why there is a pile of 'new' pants sitting in the closet unworn. I hate to hem. I would have to say, if someone ask me, that I not only don't have the skill, but I have my little 'pile' that has been waiting for a couple of years. We both need to find a tailor.

I loved and laughed at some of the answers to this thread. When my daughter brings her sons clothes to be fixed, I tell her she knows where the sewing machine is

DUH! why didn't I think of this a couple weeks ago? Thanks... I have one more pair to hem. Easy-peasy now.

Now why didn't I think of that. I have several pairs of fleece pants to hem. Now I have an easier way.

Had a lady insist I should put a new zipper in her jeans, they were very tight and she busted out of them. She is under the assumption that since I sew, I like to mend (not a chance) and that I need the money to pay off my machines (paid in full when purchased). Or I need extra income (why, so can pay more taxes than I already paid, duh?) I told her it would cost $100.00, per pair, for me to replace her zipper. She was flabbergasted and angry! Asked me why, told her "because". (No other explanation). She then in a huffy voices she said, " well I can buy 3 new pairs of jeans for that price". My response? "Well, buy the correct size this time and you won't break the zipper." I giggled when she walked off in a huff.

DH used to ask me to hem his jeans. I complained and complained, but he insisted that since I hemmed my own, I should be able to hem his. I finally explained to him that men's jeans come in lengths with 1" increments. Women's jeans don't, and I'm short, so I need to hem my own. He should buy his in the right length! Since then, that's what he does. If they don't have the right length, he has to keep shopping till he finds them.

Anyway, I hope you can get your problem solved by either figuring out how to do them or returning them with a polite explanation. If you do them yourself, be sure to use the correct needle in your machine. I think there are ones designed for jeans.

Clearly you've started one pair already. If you want, return the jeans to the person and say "I tried. However, hemming jeans and sewing/piecing/quilting are NOT the same. I'm sure there's a tailor in town you can bring the rest of the jeans to. This is where I go for my tailoring needs..." or "I do not make alterations. I'm not a tailor. This is where we go..."

I feel for you. I hem pants (jeans), all the time. What I found works the best for me is I do it just like a tailor would. I measure the inseam (not ALL pants are the same, some times they are shorter on one leg - BUT the inseam on someone is always the same), then I measure the inseam on the jeans and then add extra for turning under. I've marked the spot that will end up being the bottom of the hem, this way I get my folds and I can iron my folds. This has never failed me and I hem 8 or 10 pairs of pants a week. Good luck

I don't mind doing it, actually. I have several friends that I've offered to do it for, as they don't sew, its so expensive to have it done, and they really appreciate it. Each time we go visit our kids (they live in another state), I always have several things to alter, too, as I remind them ahead of time to go through their things for repairs, hems, etc. It's an act of love for me to do it for friends & family and I love sewing, in all forms. I can work on the items as I'm visiting or watching a movie.

With pant hems, I prefer to pin the pants in the front and back while the person is wearing it with the shoes they'd wear. The front of the pants hem should be slightly shorter than the back of the pants hem so that the pants hang properly and don't bunch up at the front of the shoes. There are some great video's online that show a quick way to hem jeans, which I'll remember the next time I hem jeans as I like how they turn out. There is always something new to learn, and I love that!

Here you go. This is it! This is the truth after all, so no harm done. Except maybe to his wallet...and why didn't he buy them in the right length to begin with?

I guess my answer that "I am a quilter, not a tailor" serves me well when I get these requests. I waited years to own a really nice quilting machine, and am just not willing to use it for sewing repairs, when I could be making something fun. I used to just name a crazy piece rate, but too many took me up on it.
I am a I short, fat, person and I can buy jeans the right length. If I can, they can. Lord knows with all the brands of jeans out there, they could do a better job of finding their own size.
I guess I just think life is too short to waste it doing things I hate. I do repairs for DH, but he repays me a thousand times I a day, so I don't mind.
Feel free to use my line if you like.