There are quite a few tutes out there on how to take in denim and while I looked at them, in the end I did it completely different and so I thought I’d share my way with you all in case it’s helpful. I’ll also share a mistake I made so that you don’t go down that road also.

I wanted them to fit above the knee just like a pair of leggings and since these are stretch denim I was able to use a pair of leggings laid on top of them for a pattern.

chill out cute leggings - imitation is flattery

Since my seam was going to be only on the outside of the jeans I didn’t center the leggings on my jeans, but rather moved them so that they were right in line with the inside leg of the jeans. I used straight pins to pin the jeans just outside the outline of the leggings, then tried the jeans on inside out to see how they fit.  I made a few adjustments then sewed them up using a sewing machine.

straight pins hurt - safety pins do not

sportin' my new jeans

and from the side

and from the other side

And since you made it all the way through a bunch of pics showing me in jeans I’m going to award you all with a special bonus – how to care for your jeans! Some of you may already be aware of these tips but since we’re on the subject I thought I may as well throw these tidbits into the mix. So here goes:

Always turn them inside out to wash them. This not only protects your jeans but protects the other clothing in your laundry from getting roughed up by the rivets and other hardware on your jeans.

Wash in cold water with white vinegar or a handful of salt. The vinegar or salt helps to hold the color in.

Keeping them inside out hang to dry. The dryer breaks down clothing fibers.