Well, I didn't get much done today. I did finally break out the stitch witchery (pic) to hem a pair of boyfriend's work pants. They are the cotton twill wannabe-denim fabric that makes my machine wheeze. I really need to get a sharper needle for fabrics like that. For now though I am using the iron hem stuff to get the job done.
Of course I forgot to take a before picture. I just cut right in. The bottom edge of the hem had frayed through in several places and the bottom edge kept growing fringe. Plus they were too long. Boyfriend disagrees, but when you always wear the pants cuffed once to the point they are wearing a line, the pants are too long.
So I got out my trusty seam ripper - great fun on this project - and ripped out all of the neat little stitches holding the hem up. Then I cut the hem allowance off. The frayed through and worn edge made that a snap. The stitching had left a track of little holes that made a convenient reference point for folding up a new hem since the current-new bottom edge was uneven from all the fraying. I folded up to about 1/4" above the stitch line. Two rows of bonding web in between, I went section by section around each leg. Once I finished the hemming, I used more bonding web to put hem tape over the raw edge like so:
You can see the inside of the hem on top and the outside below. Unfortunately, until I get the sharper needle I can't try to put a line a stitching to make the pants look natural. For now they look like they were hemmed, but that is better than looking ratty I think. Boyfriend will have to deal. This saves him from buying a whole new pair of pants. And they're the right length now, bonus! If he wears through this hem I'll probably have to go all the way and cut them off for shorts. I can't take them up any more or they'll look too short. It's the little projects that keep you going between bigger stuff.
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