Cutting Down Clothes

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Hi everyone, I have a question for you all, keep in mind before I ask this question, I am a man who does not know how to sew. Here is the question; Over the past several months I have lost over 50lbs. I use to wear pants that were a size 42. Now I am around 36/38. My wife sews but I don't want to ask her to alter all these big pants because she busy sewing the Girls stuff for Christmas. How do you do it? How do you cut them down and re-sew?

In His service, Todd O. <>< IA

-- Todd Osborn (Tosborn@cccglobal.com), November 30, 2000

Answers

I can't answer your sewing question, but I want to congratulate you one your weight loss. I've lost enough to downsize some clothes, but not enough to be where I want. Blessings, Cindy

-- Cindy (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), November 30, 2000.

Todd, I'm a resigned home economics teacher (long story why I'm resigned not retired) who has also tailored suits for my husband. Most of men's clothes are made close to size with some minimal fitting for waist in the center back seam. If you look at a pair of suit pants you will notice the seam widens from the crotch to the waist. This is so that pants can be let out rather than taken up. Since you lost so much weight, my guess is that the pants just need to be a smaller size-period. Considering pockets, fly, etc., you may just have too much fabric in all pieces and would need to nearly disassemble the whole thing, cut down with an appropriate sized pattern and sew it back up. For me this would be more work than the fabric was probably worth.

Don't let me discourage you. Start with that back waist seam, see if you can take it in enough that the waist fits but the rest of the pants fall correctly too. Taking in the whole amount in the back waist seam could move your back pockets too close the the center and the side seams too far towards the back. Good luck.

-- marilyn (rainbow@ktis.net), November 30, 2000.


This is a tricky job which I also agree is probably more trouble than it's worth. But I think I may be able to add a suggestion or two here.

First, if you're going to take in the back seam, remember that taking in any part of the crotch seam will DEEPEN it.

And second, don't forget about pleats! If you opt to take the back seam in, it would be a fairly simple matter to deepen existing front pleats or, if you have enough material, to create new ones.

In any case, the waistband will need to be removed (at least partially), and a fair amount of tinkering done. If you hear a loud crash, it's probably your wife hurling the sewing machine out the window.

-- Leslie A. (lesliea@home.com), November 30, 2000.


Todd, I've sewn a little and if my husband lost 50lb (btw Congrats and PTL!) I would donate the clothes to the Mission Store and look for replacements at the same place. One or two nice new pair would suffice for church if necessary.

I found a very nice wool suit with a fine pin stripe for Terry at the Mission Store. It was "fill a bag for $5" day and I got the suit and some other items into one bag.

-- Heather (heathergorden@hotmail.com), November 30, 2000.


Todd, Depending on the pants, you might be able to just sew up the distance on the outside seams. What I mean is, run the machine, lets say, 2 inches inside the exsisting seam then cut off the excess material. Make sure you go all the way up the waist. Reinforce the starting threads (run back over the starting seam then forward again to lock in the thread)and by the waist. Again, it depends on the pants.

Congratulations on the weight loss!

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), November 30, 2000.



Congratulations to you Todd. How did you do it? Hope it wasn't from illnes tho'. I agree. You deserve new britches and wife can make quilts from the old ones.

-- Clare Baldwin (clare_baldwin@hotmail.com), December 03, 2000.

Todd, if you lost all the weight by determination and hard work you deserve a couple of new pairs. Congrats. PS How'd ya do it? I am struggling like crazy. Tanx

-- Sindy (queenbuffness@hotmail.com), December 05, 2000.

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