How many times have you left a great looking, worn down pair of denim in to the shop because the legs are too long? They just don´t lok the same if you just cut them shorter...
Denim pants with an abraded hem need to be shortened with a seam. Bootcut jeans cannot be shortened with a straight seam because the sewing lines are not the same length. In this tutorial you´ll see how to shorten jeans with a curved seam - no matter how flare legged your bootcut jeas are!
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Try the denim on with both flat and hig heeled shoes. I usually mark the denim about hanf an inch (2cm) longer than my heel. If the denim is a regular bootcut the front will be about 3/4 inches (3cm)longer. If the denim is a bell-bottom it will be even longer from the front.
The heel measurement is the important one! After I know how much must be taken off, I draw (usually with a ballpoint pen) a straight line 0,5cm above the hem turn. Measure how wide your leg is on this line. This will be your bottom sewing line.
Then measure the shortening-measurement up from here (in picture: left legpiece). Now draw a curvy line towards the front.

Now try your denim on to make sure the legs are the right length (try both flats and high heels on). You can still open the seam and make adjustments if necessary, because nothing has been cut out yet.
If the denim fits, you can cut open the allowances. Do not make them narrow yet! Iron the seam open. Sew a top stitch a few millimeters from your seam on both sides of the seam to hold allowances in place better.

DONE!
The jeans are now about 3 cm shorter from the heel than in front, but they seem to be the same lentgh when you have the denims on. Except that the heel won´t slip under your foot all the time. :) Finally you have bootcut jeans that can be worn with flats and high heels.
And nobody notices the extra seam in the bottom...
Sorry...
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Cat Morley
Apr 27, 2008 9:34pm
Great how-to, this will help with all the tattered edges.
JuliaFuentes
Apr 28, 2008 1:19am
thanks for sharingg:]
Ryden
Apr 28, 2008 12:24pm
Thanks! Great tutorial!
Little Yggy
May 14, 2008 3:19am
Great! Tnx!