How to quickly take in your trousers (or pants)

Many of us are having to "tighten our belts". In my case literally  as I'm losing a lot of weight (at last). Ideally I should make some new trousers however at the speed the weight is coming off they'd be too big for me soon. So to save money I'm taking my trousers in by 2 inches.  Taking in your trousers doesn't take too long and is pretty straight forward, especially if your waistband is in two halves joined in the middle, like these.
If your waistband is in one piece then you have the chose of either removing the waistband, and then shortening it or cutting the waistband in half at the back of the trousers  If you do this then ensure you ware taking the trousers in enough to give you a seam allowance on the two halves of the waistband.




You will need
Pins
Chalk
a ruler
Needle
Thread
Scissors
Thread Snips
Seam unpicker/ripper

Step one 
Unpick the waistband around the back seam of your trousers and unpick the seam at the centre of the back of your trousers from about half way down from the wast band to the centre of the crotch seam.









Step two

Right sides together pin the sides of the back of your trousers together, mark with chalk how far you want the trousers brought in. Remember any amount you mark is only HALF of what your trousers will be brought in by. Sew  a gently curving line from where the original seam ends to the mark where you want your trousers brought in by. Your trousers have now been reduced, all that remains is reattaching the waistband after it has been shortened.

Step three
Place the waistband on top of the trousers and mark where the back seam meats the waistband. Add a seam allowance and trim the excess waistband.With right sides together sew the waistband back together.

Step four
With right sides together sew the outside of the waistband to the back of the trousers. Press and then stitch carefully on the outside of the trousers just under where the waistband meats the trousers. This stitches the inside of the waistband to the inside of the trousers.


Things to think about.
This is a very quick way to take in your trousers. However there are some things to be careful of.

Ensure the back  pockets are not sewn over.

Within the waistband of the trousers you will find either a cotton tape or petersham waistband. This is what stops the waistband stretching out. Ensure this is stitched together when you sew the two halves of the waistband together. Also if this is lose in the waistband make sure it does not twist. Otherwise your trousers an become uncomfortable.

Trouble Shooting Your Sewing Machine

We all have trouble with our sewing machines from time to time. Sometimes our seams are very weak, other times stitches are being skipped. Here are a few simple things to check before running to get your machine repaired.

Problem:
Fabric is not being fed through the machine.

Check to see if the "dogs" (the feeder grips) are engaged. Many times I've used my machine for free hand embroidery or sewing on a button and had to lower the dogs. I've then forgot to raise them and wondered why my machine wasn't feeding through fabric.

Problem:
Thread bunching under the fabric, weak seams or uneven seams.

When your computer is acting up your first instinct to turn it off and on again. Re threading is the equivalent for a sewing machine.

If re-threading doesn't help double check your tensions. I filmed a quick example of how incorrect tension can effect your sewing. This also means you can finally put a voice to the blog :)

Problem:
Skipped stitches, fabric  getting damaged, thread still snapping despite tensions checked.

When we start sewing the books always say "new job new sewing needle" and yet so many people never actually use a fresh needle. Needles work out at around 50p, a fraction of the cost of the fabric, thread, interfacing, buttons that we use on a sewing project. I've actually served someone in the shop who refused to sew denim because she would have to change her sewing needle, something she had not done since buying her machine 4 years ago!

  A blunt needle can cause skipped stitches and damage the fabric as you sew. An old needle can also bend slightly this can actually damage your machine! The picture shows the footplate of my sewing machine where a bent needle actually shipped away some of the footplate itself. This was left jagged and would snag fabric as it passed over. A little attention with a needle file helped solve this, but it taught me the lesson of the damage a bent needle can do.

It is also important to use the correct size needle and the correct type of needle for the task at hand. Your sewing machine manual will have a chart showing you which size and style the recommend for each fabric.

Keeping you machine in good running order is always advisable. You tend to be unable to oil modern machines (again, check your manual  but your machine will run better and for longer if you pop off the foot plate and clean the fluff out every few months.

The improved Velcro Cable Tie

A while ago I made a few cable ties out of Velcro (or other Hook/Loop tape). These worked very well but I've been thinking of a few improvements.

To begin with you will need.
Velcro loop (fuzzy side) 16cm
Velcro hook (bristly side) 6 cm
Narrow Elastic (around 11cm
Ribbon same width as Velcro or a little l narrower, 2 cm longer than your fuzzy loop side (so around 18 cm)
Scissors 
Sewing Needle
Thread.

Make a loop with the elastic and sew it on the reverse side (smooth side) of the strip of "Loop" Velcro

Turn the ribbon over for 1 cm at raw edge and sew onto the reverse side of the loop Velcro, As you get to the end of the strip turn the Velcro under on this edge too, so no raw edges are visible.

Sew the strip of bristly "hook" Velcro over the ribbon at one end. Here I sewed it on the opposite side of loop of eleastic. I've sicne descided that's a mistake, (see everyone makes them from time to time). It is better to have the Velcro next to the loop.

The elastic loop is to slip over the plug. This keeps the  cable tie in place when it isn't wrapped around the cable. I've found that this works a lot easier of the loop of elastic and the bristly Velcro are NEXT to each other.

And why are we using ribbon? Well for one it's prettier than just the backing of the Velcro. But also this means you can colour code your cable ties. Make a whole batch of red for example and use them for all the sound cables you need, and another colour for computer cables. This way you keep your draw or other storage vessel   tidy and you don't need to pull out all the cables trying to find the one you need.

Why I love to sew

Most of the blogs on this site tend to be rather factual in nature. They may be a simple "how to" tutorial, or ideas of how you can use your sewing skills in new and interesting ways. I tend not to talk too much about myself, and anyone who's met me at the shop will tell you that's quite out of character :) This blog is slightly more personal in nature, but I hope you find it useful. In past blogs I may have hinted at an interest in performing magic as well as a few physical difficulties which I face. This blog is about the latter. I'm lucky, I'm disabled but managed to land a job (with a great boss and great co-workers who help adapt things to my needs). I'm also lucky in that I sew.

  Sewing for me is incredibly therapeutic. On days when my back is good I can sit by my sewing machine and spend a day happily being creative. On other days when I'm not so well I can  lay back in a support chair and hand sew, or design new creations. Then on days when even that is too much I can read books on fashion as well as books on sewing techniques and patter drafting. Finally when I'm feeling so bad that I can not even hold a book I can look at my collection of hand crafted waistcoats and feel a sense of pride and knowledge that even if I feel bad on this one day, there are other days I can make beautiful things. The sense of achievement when finishing a garment is something I think we all can  share. However to a disabled person that sense of achievement can be tenfold.

An example of this was yesterday. I really wanted to be productive, however my back didn't want me to move much. So I picked up some medieval trousers I happened to have hanging around that needed altering. They were completely  closed at the front. I have to put a front opening and fly in, because some of the stitching as on show and this  is a medieval re-enactment garment I had to do some hand sewing.  And thus a day where I would normally have accomplished  little actually became I day when I did a fiddly little job i'd been putting off for a while.   So if you or your friends have any sort of injury or disability  have a long think. With jut a little help and adaptation you can get them involved  in our wonderfully creative craft.

Please use the comment if You can think of other ways we can help people to sew, knit or craft