Methods of sewing jeans at the waist on the sides

Even if jeans fit perfectly overall, if they are too big at the waist, they will be uncomfortable to wear. It is no secret that jeans are sewn according to strictly established standards. This means that even if your figure deviates only slightly from the generally accepted parameters, choosing jeans will be problematic. But the problem is easy to solve if you have a sewing machine at home and understand how to use it. However, even without a sewing mechanism, you can reduce your waist manually using such simple tools as a needle and thread.

How much can you reduce it?

Even the best quality jeans lose their shape and stretch as they are worn. This is absolutely no reason to rush to make home pants out of them. Any denim wardrobe item can easily be made a size or even two smaller. All you need to do is prepare the necessary tools and stock up on time and patience.

How to take in at the waist

The process of sewing jeans on your own is not particularly difficult. This can be done in different ways: in the waistband along the back seam, using darts, using a zipper at the back, or using an elastic band. To work in all of the above cases, you will need the following materials and tools:

• thread;
• needle;
• scissors;
• pattern;
• ruler;
• chalk;
• pins;
• sewing machine;
• overlock;
• elastic/zipper.

How to sew in the waistband along the back seam

The correct way to take in jeans at the waist along the back seam looks something like this:

1. Try on jeans.
2. Pin (with someone's help) along the center seam, removing excess fabric that will need to be hemmed.
3. Use chalk to mark the places where the pins will be attached.
4. Carefully rip off the belt and make a cut in the center.
5. Rip the middle seam on the jeans.
6. Using the control marks drawn earlier with chalk on the inside, draw a new middle seam using a template and a ruler.
7. Add seam allowance of approximately 1.5 cm.
8. Cut off excess fabric and pin everything together.
9. Sweep the new center seam.
10. Try on jeans.
11. If everything is OK, stitch the seams on the machine.
12. Overcast the edges using an overlock machine.
13. Iron the seam carefully.
14. If necessary, sew decorative stitches on the front side using contrasting threads for sewing jeans.
15. Cut off the excess from the waistband, leaving seam allowances.
16. Sew the pieces together and sew in the belt, not forgetting to sew on the belt loop.

This is one of the answers to the question of how to take in jeans. Despite the fact that the taking in is done at the back, the pants or shorts will also sit tighter at the sides.

How to reduce with darts

Darts will help you change the size of your jeans to a smaller one. This is the easiest way to adjust the pants to your figure so that both your hips and waist fit like a glove.

The step-by-step sewing principle involves performing the following steps in a clear sequence:

1. Provide an initial fitting to understand the actual size of the trousers and how much they will need to be taken in.
2. Using pins (with someone's help), mark the places where the darts will be least noticeable. As a rule, the least noticeable area is in the buttocks area.
3. Measure how many centimeters need to be removed.
4. Unravel the belt where the darts will be, making small cuts.
5. Sweep the darts.
6. Try on a wardrobe item.
7. Make a neat seam using a machine or by hand.
8. Cut off excess fabric on the waistband.
9. Process the edges of the fabric.
10. Sew the cuts together.

It would be an exaggeration to say that even a child can handle the work described, but if you have minimal sewing experience, performing the described manipulations will not be difficult.

How to sew in with a zipper at the back

Another interesting way to reduce the waist of jeans is to use a zipper. This is not the fastest process and requires some experience.

In this case, the following tools and materials will come to the rescue:

• seam ripper or blade;
• threads;
• needle;
• zipper of suitable length;
• chalk;
• pins;
• sewing machine.

The stitching itself is carried out as follows:

1. Try on the jeans and measure how many centimeters you need to remove.
2. Secure the fold carefully with pins.
3. Take off your jeans and draw lines along which you will sew in the zipper.
4. Carefully rip out the back seam.
5. Cut the belt.
6. Turn up the edges of the back part.
7. Stitch with contrasting thread.
8. Apply and sweep the zipper.
9. Try on the product.
10. Remove the zipper and stitch the folded edges, simultaneously grabbing the belt parts.
11. Baste the zipper again and sew it on.

How to shrink jeans with elastic

If the waistband is not too big, you can solve the problem with a regular wide elastic band. To sew it in, you need to do the following:

1. Rip the waistband of the jeans on the inside at the back.
2. Cut off the elastic.
3. Attach the elastic to the waistband using pins.
4. Try it on and reduce the length of the elastic if necessary.
5. Sew it to the belt.
6. Sew on the belt itself.

As a result of the actions taken, only a small gather will be visible on the back of the jeans, and the trousers themselves will fit perfectly at the waist.

Tightening at the hips

Another home method for how to tighten jeans at the waist without resorting to the services of professionals is to reduce them at the sides.

Before starting work, the item must be thoroughly washed and ironed, regardless of whether the item of clothing being remade is old or new.

The algorithm of actions should be approximately as follows:

1. Turn the pants inside out.
2. Try them on like this.
3. Use pins to mark the places where the side of the product should be reduced in volume.
4. Take off your jeans and carefully lay them out on any horizontal surface.
5. Use chalk to draw a line along the pins where the seam will be.
6. Hand sew the jeans along the marked lines.
7. Turn the pants right side out and try them on. Important: you must try to sit down.
8. If you do not feel any discomfort, you can continue working.
9. Unravel the waistband at the bottom and the side waistband.
10. Trim off excess fabric, leaving 1.5 cm for seam allowances.
11. Stitch jeans.
12. Finish the edge (overlock or zigzag stitch).
13. Use a steamer to smooth out the side edges.
14. Finish the side seam using contrasting threads.
15. Remove extra centimeters from the waist.
16. Sew the previously ripped area.
17. Iron the item completely.
18. Perform similar actions on the other side.
19. Try the product on finally.

How to shrink with washing

In the absence of sewing machines, overlocks and other equipment, you can try to reduce the size of jeans using an old proven remedy. Home and home conditions are also quite suitable for its use. We are talking about washing.

If old jeans were durable and did not stretch when worn, then the use of new technologies led to the fact that the rough fabric became more elastic. And since each leg bends at the knee when walking, and the waist part of the product stretches when bending, there was a need to find a way to return jeans to their original appearance.

Many people do not see the need and do not want to get out sewing tools and, using a blind stitch, sew up excess fabric. There is a simple life hack that allows you to quickly and effectively reduce jeans, at least by a size. We are talking about washing. In this case, washing can be either hand or machine washing.

Hand wash

Hand washing is a great way to shrink jeans by a size. To do this, give them a contrast shower, turning them from hot to cold water and back when rinsing. Soaking the item for a couple of hours first in cold and then in hot water will shrink the fabric even more. When the washing process is complete, the trousers should be wrung out very hard and for a long time until your hand gets tired. It is better to dry the item in a dryer and set the hot drying mode.

Machine wash

Machine washing will be no less effective in solving the problem of reducing the size of jeans. As in the previous case, shrinkage occurs due to the use of hot water. Under the influence of heat, the fibers are compressed, and the product becomes a little smaller. It is recommended to wash the product in the machine as follows:

1. Throw the pants into the washing machine drum.
2. Set the washing machine to the maximum temperature and high spin speed mode.
3. Add any detergent and rinse aid.
4. After washing, leave the item in the dryer also at maximum temperature.
5. Repeat the procedure until the desired result is achieved.

Features of work

Working with denim requires knowledge of some secrets and nuances.

We are primarily talking about the following points:

1. Before cutting out the denim garment, it is essential to wash it. Washing will soften the fabric and make it much easier to work with.
2. Scissors should be used only well sharpened. And you need to be prepared for the fact that after cutting they will most likely become dull.
3. The sewing machine must be equipped with special thick needles that will not become dull or break.
4. It is recommended to use extra strong threads. If you cannot find special threads for denim fabrics, they can be replaced with polyester or strong cotton ones.
5. On particularly thick areas, do not sew using the machine's foot pedal. It will be easier and safer to sew such thick areas by slowly turning the wheel by hand.
6. Seam allowances must be ironed open.
7. It will be easier to stitch jeans with a stitch of increased length.

Although sewing jeans is not the most difficult process, it does require certain skills. If someone has minimal or no sewing experience, it is strongly recommended not to experiment. It would be much wiser to seek help from specialists who will quickly and efficiently adjust any denim wardrobe item to the desired size.