How to taper jean legs when they're too wide: essential clothing alteration know-how! 

Glad it was helpful to you :)

Hi there! Thanks for asking your question. I'm not sure I completely understand what you need to know, but I'll try to answer what I think you're asking ;) You might be referring to the inner seam, where that thick seam has been folded (on the inside) and tacked down with a top stitch. I just need to pluck out the top stitching to release the bulk of the folded over seam, so things can get marked more easily. I don't need to take out the rest...in fact if I leave in the original seam stitching, it holds it together for me and the layers won't wiggle around. Please let me know where it seams (yet here another pun!) that the front marking is deeper than the back. They both should end up being the same. In fact I only really mark the front (that's why on the inner seamline, though the back pokes out beyond the front, I measure from the pin to the folded edge and divide that measurement in half. That's the measurement I can safely use on both front and back sides from the actual side seam.) Hopefully I didn't completely confuse you! Feel free to ask your question again, if I didn't get it. Thanks so much for watching!

@@SewDarnedFun I thought the back leg piece of pants was always a little wider than the front piece. My understanding is that what you do to the front you must also do to the back. I’ll watch the video again but I thought I saw you mark the front leg and insert the pin through to the back and mark where the pin lined up. If the back is indeed cut larger than the front, didn’t you just take a little more off the back than the front? The outside seam was rolled onto the front pant leg. I was thinking to do exactly the same you would have to measure the front chalk mark to the seam line and mark the back from the seam line the same amount all up the leg until you meet the width you will sew to. I’m doing my best. 🤞 Maybe I should watch again once you reply.

I think you have the right idea. The outer leg seam was laying flat, with the seam exactly on the very edge, so I was able to put the pins through both layers (even though I only needed to mark one side. Now the inner leg (the one with the seam allowance that was top-stitched down) is the one that can't lie flat for marking. That's the one where you see the back portion peeking out, as yes indeed, the back is a tiny bit wider on this pair. It was only the inner seam that I measured to the folded edge to the peeking-out-back-portion, then divided by two, in order to get the amount that I actually needed my new mark to be at. Make sense? I think you get the logic to this! :) Once you get your markings made on the front of your jeans, you don't need to mark the back. You only need the mark on the side that will be facing UP when you sew. And the front and back will be taken in exactly the same amount along those seam lines. Does that make sense? @@megadylanthomas

Hi there! Try pinning your jeans in at the hip area and taper down the leg (to knee perhaps?) to see if that will alleviate the problem. If so, then use the same process I have shown to take in that part of the seam. If you aren't able to take enough in through just the outside seam, then also pin them in a bit on the inner thigh, but don't go all the way up to the crotch. Hopefully you won't have to do both inner and outer seams, as that's quite an overhaul! I hope I am understanding your dilemma correctly and that my comments might be helpful. Let me know if there's any more questions you have. Good luck!

If I get a pair in the studio with the same issue, I certainly will cover that. If there’s only an elastic at the bottom then you could take out the casing, narrow the pant leg like this video shows, then put the casing and elastic back on. Sort of reverse engineering how it’s already sewn. I don’t know if that helps, but thank you for your suggestion and comment!

@@SewDarnedFun I'm very tentative and apprehensive being completely new to it all but I guess it'll work out alright. I've very impressed by what all you sewers do on a routine basis. I currently find it somewhat staggering. Vast subject when you start to get into it, isn't it? Vast. Thanks for your reply. :)

@abrogard142 Yes you are right. And there are so many different areas of sewing. I think for most, it needs to be approached one step at a time. You need to have grace for yourself and allow mistakes to be ok. Also…. A seam ripper will be your best friend ;) I have to redo stuff all the time, but I keep pressing on knowing that I can get it right. Good luck, my friend! ❤️

Thanks for watching ❤️

I would just use a wide zig zag stitch, if I didn't have a serger. You just want to keep the fabric from fraying. If you have a different stitch you think would work better, you can use that one instead. But pretty much I would imagine that everyone has the ability to do a zig zag. Hope that helps! Thanks for your good question!!! :)

You're welcome! Thanks for watching :)

Good point! The great thing about the modern electronic age is that you can easily skip past the first 3 minutes ;) This is one of my very first videos, and like all other RU-vidrs, we learn as we go. This might be heavy on explanation before jumping into the actual table-work, but beginner sewists might appreciate some explanation. But as a matter of course, I have tried to lighten up on lots of explanation as my videos have (hopefully!) progressed. I still have a lot to learn, as my strength is actually in alterations, not video producing or editing. Hope that helps answer your 'why' question a bit!

As a new sewist the dialogue was useful and as I re watch I could easily fast forward past the explanation to see your process. Thank you!

Thank you 🥰

Because if she doesn't then people like you are going to be asking all the questions she just answered