I just got an email from a reader whose husbands pants are hanging too low in the crotch area.
Ever need to make that alteration?
I thought about how to show you with a pair of slacks, but I think you’ll catch the idea much better and faster with a diagram.
It’s a very easy alteration.
First, figure out how much material needs to be taken in.
That would be awkward for you to pin up on a customer, so have them do it before they get to your establishment.
Once that is known, then you are going to open up the area where the crotch seams and the inseams intersect.
Open up at least twice the amount you’ll need to take in.
In other words, if you are taking in two inches total, then open up about 4 inches of the crotch seam.
Don’t open up the inseam though.
Keep that intact.
The only sewing done will be on the inseam.
Now, if you need to take up a total of two inches in the crotch, you’ll need to take in one inch on each inner leg seam as illustrated in this diagram:
You can eyeball the new seam based on the dotted line in the diagram.
This may seem like a strange way to alter the crotch seam, but trust me, this works!
Once you have made the new seams, you can trim the seam allowances if you need to.
Otherwise, you may have too much bulk.
Now, stitch up the original crotch seam along the original seam line.
That’s all there is to it!
As I’ve stated in other posts, if you have to alter a garment more than two sizes, you may not have great results, but this is excellent for pants that hang a little low.
Filed under: Alterations Tagged: | business, men's pants, seamstress, suits, tailor, tailoring
That’s great. What about if the crotch is too short? Any solutions ?
An anonymous reader wrote in to say that you should put a gusset in there. I agree. Are you familiar with what a gusset is and how to put one in?
Sorry that was suppose to read sounds like a logical solution. Thank you
Thanks for the gusset tip. Sounds ligi all solution. Thank you.
Your timing is excellent. I have a request to do this alteration today and I wasn’t sure how to go about it. Thank you so much!
Great! Glad it helped and was timely.
I do alterations and just recently found your site and love it.
So glad to hear that. There are over a hundred posts now, so hopefully, you’ll always find what you’re looking for!
Sounds interesting I will try this next time I have that alteration. Thanks for all the great tips. I used the gusset tips last week and it worked great!
Hi Lynn, thank you so much. I am glad that helped. My daughter is in Zambia now and the mamas LOVED the supplies you sent. Thank you and all your friends! They will get the sewing machines soon, maybe even this week!
Thank you so much for this information! I would have thought this was an impossible task but your diagram makes it very clear!
I do have one question though. You said if the total amount you need to shorten is 2 inches then you would take one inch off of each inseam. Would this not be a total of 4 inches? I am used to thinking you would take 1/2 inch of each seam front and back to equal 2 inches. Perhaps that calculation does not apply to this case?
If you think of it in terms of front and back (whether it’s inseam or crotch seam) then you’ll be taking one inch from the front and one inch from the back and then the crotch seams will match up. Try it on a sample and see if it makes sense.
Thanks,
Linda
HI Linda,
Your method is great on dress pants. What I have encountered on jeans,is that they are constructed with the inner leg seam last and you have to take the all apart to get to the crotch seam.It is a common problem and it is so great to see you teach these things. Hope the Mammas loved what we all sent to them.
thank you
Judy H sewing in NH
Thanks Judy, for the comment and for all the things you sent for the mamas. Michelle is still in Zambia and said she took video of the mamas reaction to receiving the items. When she gets back and sends it to me, I will post it for all to see. Thanks again for your part in making the mamas dream come true!
Sorry for the dumb question; I’m still new at this. What is the difference between a crotch seam and an inseam? in other words, where those four seams intersect at the apex, which two do I undo? and, for bonus points, how do I do that *easily*? The way these things are double-stitched, over-stitched, top-stitched and/or serged, it takes me 3 hours to accomplish anything; the first two spent undoing factory stitching. Thanks for any help.
Your question is not dumb. The inseam is the inner leg seam that runs from the crotch area to the hem. The crotch seam runs from the back at the waist, down through the crotch area and up to the waist in the front. Does that make sense? You should only have to rip out the crotch seam. Just leave the inseam alone. You still have to make the alterations on the inseam, but you don’t have to take any stitches out.
Are you taking stitches out on jeans? Those tend to be the most difficult, but sometimes they have a chain stitch. A chain stitch can be pulled out quickly by pulling on one of the threads. Otherwise, it just takes practice to get those stitches out quickly. However, I’m surprised it is taking two hours. That is a long time. Are you using a seam ripper? I do have a post on using seam rippers. Have you read it? If not, read that and then let me know how your ripping out differs.
Thanks, Linda
The alteration you are speaking of is called the “Rise” and the best way to measure your clients for this altertion is to go to the back of the pants about 2″ down from the Center Back Belt Loop and pinch out horizontally across the back seam the amount your pants need to be altered. Then ask your client is the crotch feels better or if you need to pinch out more or less. ( if you pinch out 2″ , then this is the amount to take out as per you diagram!) I have had my alteration store for 18 years and I am still learning new things from you! Have you found a source for the heavy white thread for all the new jean hems?