My client had a pair of pants she almost really liked. See these odd pleats across the knees? And then the legs were wide but too wide without being wide enough to be cute, flared legs – know what I mean? I told her I thought we could help her out.
I started by pressing, then pinning the pleats closed. I sewed a simple black straight stitch across the pleats to hold them in place. Looks much better already, right?
The pants fit well in the thigh, so I started at the top of the knee – right about where the pleats are on the front of the pant. I turned the pants inside out and chalked a line into a slight taper – so the pants are still wide leg and not restrictive. I opened the hem – just enough to do the change work. No need to re-sew the entire hem! Once I was happy with the chalk line, just a simple straight stitch down the inseam brought the legs to a better shape. I used my serger to cut away the extra fabric and give a tidy finish to the seam. Then, I folded the hem back into place and stitched it down.
The pants look so much better, my client is happy, and still has plenty of room for comfort and storage in the pockets. Voila!
