How do you sew your flare leg jeans into skinny leg jeans?

Answer

Rip out the inside and outside seams until you get above the knee area. For straight-leg pants, mark new seams to be the same width as the leg near the knee area. For a tighter cuff, mark the cuffs to be a little thinner than the knee area and then mark new seams between your cuff marks and the knee area seams. For a boot-cut or normal cut, mark the cuffs to be a little wider than the knee area and then mark the seams between your cuff marks and the knee area seams. Finally, sew your seams along the marks. Once you are satisfied with the look, trim the extra fabric.

New Answer

1) Put jeans on inside out.
2) Stand in front of a mirror. You will want the hem on one side of the leg to remain as it is, and you will be creating a new, narrower seam to replace the seam on the other side. To create the new seam start with your right leg and grab the bottom hem of your jeans to pull them taut against your leg.
3) Using straight pins, begin pinning the new seam from the bottom up. Use your first pin to make sure that the bottom hem lines up; this way the cuff will be even when you sew. Work your way up the leg, pinning every couple of inches and blending back into the original seam at the knee. You should use your hands to smooth the fabric around your leg as you pin. Be careful not to pin too close, or you won't be able to take off your jeans. Check out your work in the mirror before you take off the jeans. If the fabric is puckering or the bottom doesn't line up, take out the pins and start again. It is also helpful to take a permanent marker and draw a line following the new silhouette of your leg up to your knee. This will make it more clear how to sew the new seam. Repeat on the left leg.
4) Take off the jeans, being careful of the pins. If you aren't able to, repin the seam. Cut off a tiny square of what is now excess fabric -- the part that you will cut off after making your new seam -- and use it to test the thread tension of your machine before you sew your jeans. Use your sewing machine guide to help you determine how to change the settings if your test stitches come out bad.
5) Begin stitching the new seam. Line the foot up so that the marker line you drew is right outside the edge of the presser foot (be sure to do this in such a way that you are sewing a line that is slightly larger than what you pinned, not slightly smaller). Follow the line up to the point at the knee where you blended back into the original seam. Take out the pins and check out your work in the mirror. Do the pants go over your heel? Do they look right, without bunching? Does the bottom cuff match up? If not, take out your stitches and start again. If so, congratulations! Take the jeans off and cut off the excess fabric, leaving about a half inch past where you stitched. For extra support of your new seam, you should sew a second seam that is parallel to your first stitch (on the side that is away, not next to, your leg).
6) Repeat on the other side.
7) Trim all excess threads; you've now got a pair of skinny jeans!

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