How To: Shorten a Pair of Jeans (without making them look homemade)

Altering the length on jeans can be a little more tricky than other types of pants or skirts. This is due to the thick denim, the thicker, contrasting thread, and the wash and distressed look on the finished pair. You really can't lengthen jeans, at least without it being super obvious and probably not looking very good, but you can shorten them. There are a couple of ways to do this, but I will only be showing one today.

I found this pair of jeans at the thrift store for $8. I was in need of new jeans and they fit me perfectly everywhere except the length. After giving them a good look over in the fitting room, I decided I would go ahead and buy them and alter them to the right length.

Here's what you need:
Measuring tape
Tailors chalk or marking pencil
Scissors
Straight pins
Hammer
Matching thread in both regular and heavy-duty or top-stitching weights (you may choose a contrasting color for your top-stitching thread depending on your pair of jeans).
Sewing machine
Heavy duty machine needle

1. Try on the pair of jeans and evaluate how you would like them to look. I didn't like how this pair was so bunchy at my ankles and knew right away that I would need to shorten them by at least 2 or 3 inches.

2. Measure the inseam of another pair of jeans that fits you the way you like. The pair I measured has an inseam of 29" so I knew that would be about the length I was going for.

3. Measure the inseam of the jeans you are going to alter. My new jeans measured 32", three inches longer than my ideal pair.

4. Mark with tailors chalk or a making pencil the length to match your ideal pair. Since there was 3" difference in the two pairs, I measured from the bottom of the jean up 3 inches and made a mark. Repeat this all the way around the jeans.

5. Fold and pin your jean up to the mark and try on the jeans again. Because various pairs of jeans will fit differently due to different styles and brands it's important to try them on several times before cutting. When I tried my pair on after pinning it up 3", I found that they looked a little shorter than I wanted, even though they were now a 29" inseam like my ideal pair. I decided to shorten them by only 2" instead of 3".

6. I repeated step 4, but measured up only 2" from the bottom. If your pair fit the way you wanted after the first marking then skip this step and go to step 7.

7.Once you have determined the right length, measure one inch longer than that line and mark, this will be your cut line. So if you plan to make your jeans 4" shorter, make a mark at 4" for your fold line and 3" for your cut line. Cut your jeans at your cut line.

8. Fold your jeans up half an inch and then again another half inch and pin in place. Iron the fold to help it stay put.

9. This step may be optional, but I have found it to be really helpful, especially if you don't have a heavy duty machine. Hammer the new folded hem of your jeans, especially on the seams where it is extra thick. This will flatten out the thick area and allow you to run it through your sewing machine more easily. It's best if you place your jeans on a hard surface (but not your hardwood floors), I just use a small piece of plywood left over from another project. Then hammer away until your seams are good and flat. Careful not to hammer right on your pins!

10. With jeans inside out, sew a straight stitch all the way around and close to the top of the hem using a matching thread. Then, turn your jeans right side out and use a top-stitching or heavy-duty thread to sew right on top of your first stitches, again following them all the way around.

11. Now it's time to distress your jeans. First, fold your hem inward along the stitch line. Using a light grain sand paper, sand gently all the way around this fold. Unfold your jeans and sand all the way around the very bottom fold of the jeans. Then sand a little here and there between the stitch line and the bottom fold of the jeans. The lighter blue color in the pictures below show the areas that I sanded. You may notice that some dye or fibers come off on your sand paper, this is normal.

12. Once you have sanded to your liking, run your jeans through a wash and dry cycle (or hang dry if you prefer). If you want more distressing, sand some more and wash your jeans again. My jeans turned out like this:

All done!

Money Wise: Living Like No One Else

Note: I originally wrote this and other posts about our finances on a personal blog but have decided to share them here. The original publishing date is shown below.  

4/1/14

My parents never have had a lot of money, so growing up I learned that I couldn't always have everything I wanted. In fact, I never had everything I wanted. But I always had everything I needed. My mom stayed home to raise my brothers and I and did a great job stretching every penny. She was crafty and made our Halloween costumes, birthday decorations, and yummy meals. My dad worked hard to provide for us each day at work, and then came home and worked some more to make our house and yard a home. I have never looked back and wished I had more toys or more clothes or that we travelled to more places. We were a happy family with what we had, even if it wasn't as much as the Joneses.

Now that I have a little family of my own, I have grown to appreciate my upbringing even more. I realize how valuable it was for me to live in a family who worked hard to make do with what we had, and never placed to much emphasis on money (or the fact that we didn't have much). I'm not saying my parents were perfect with money. Now that I'm older and can talk about money with them, I have learned that they didn't always make the best financial choices either. They racked up some credit cards and spent more on things here and there than they should have. But, they still taught my brothers and I to be careful and wise with the money that we earned.

Now, with over $100,000 in debt, my dream is to just have a home for my family like I had growing up. I don't need to be a millionaire. The future is unknown to us and there is no way to know now how much money we have in the future. That is not really important to me, and never has been. I just want enough to have the things we need. It can be hard sometimes to differentiate between want and need. I love to shop. I love to get new clothes and things for our house. I love to sew and buy patterns and fabric. I like to travel and see new places. But those things all cost money, and truthfully, as much as I want those things, I don't need them.

Some may wonder what the big deal is. Why not just live like everyone else? "Make your monthly payments on your loans, get a credit card and charge a trip to Disney on it, finance new furniture, and don't worry about buying new clothes, you deserve them!" Isn't that what we all hear all the time? Well the fact is, I just don't want to spend my life making payments. I don't want to worry about falling behind on a credit card and getting called by debt collectors. I want to own the things that I have in my house. And I don't want to feel guilty every time I put on that shirt that I really didn't have the money for. I don't want to live like everyone else. Its just not worth it. Our goal is to pay off our loans in 5 years, that may sound crazy, but I know that we can do it. Like Dave Ramsey always says, we will have to "live like no one else, so that later we can live like no one else." And we will.

I Think These "Mommy Wars" Are All in Our Heads

I don't think a week goes by that I don't see some article or blog post talking about the so-called "mommy wars". Mommy bloggers everywhere keep writing, saying things like, "let's all just stop judging each other for our choices as mothers."  I agree with the sentiment, but now that I've been a mom for almost a year (longer if you count pregnancy) I'm starting to wonder if all this "judging" people are talking about even exists.

Recently I read an article, "5 Mom-Shaming Trends That Need to Stop Now" that a friend linked to on Facebook. The author begins her post saying, "I am beyond exhausted listening to all of the mom-shaming going on these days" and then proceeds to talk about the apparent mom-shaming she has seen or experienced when it comes to breastfeeding, organic snacks, Pinterest parties, mom jeans, and working moms vs. stay-at-home moms. On the surface this article seems great. You read it and think, "That's right! All those moms need to stop shaming each other!"

Here's the thing, though. I have never, not even once, been the victim or any kind of "mom-shaming". In fact, I have had nothing but good experiences with other people and my little one. I have breastfed in public, I have formula fed in public, I have flown with the little one on airplanes, taken him to nice restaurants, fed him unhealthy snacks, worn less than flattering outfits in public, made things (and failed making things) from Pinterest ideas, and worked outside of the home after he was born.  I have done all these things that supposedly moms are shaming each other for and no one has even batted an eyelash. 

I also don't have a single friend that has told me of any shaming they have experienced, and almost all of my friends have kids.  Doesn't that seem strange to you?

After thinking this over a bit, I started to reflect that while I have never actually experienced shaming, I have worried about experiencing shaming. When I prepared to go out in public and knew I would have to breastfeed, I wondered if anyone might comment on me feeding him like that in public. Then, when I knew I would have to give him formula in a bottle, I worried that someone might comment that I should still be breastfeeding and not formula feeding. When I flew with him to visit my family I worried that his noise would disturb others and cause them to glare at or shush me. When I pack up the crackers and goldfish I wonder if others will think badly of me that I didn't pack fruit and veggies instead. When I hurry out to do my errands, not showered, hair in ponytail and no makeup, I worry about the impression I might give to those I see. When I decided to go back to work for a short time, I wondered if my friends my judge me for leaving Luke when he was still so small. 

In fact, sometimes I worried about those things so much, that I created a whole scenario in my mind of what might happen and how I would respond. But, not to my surprise, I never needed my thought-out responses because no one has ever said anything about the choices I have made as a mother. 

To be fair, I know that people can be unkind, so this isn't to say that no mother has ever experienced judgement from another. But is it really as prevalent as we claim? Or are we just so worried about what others might think that we are trying to beat them to the punch by writing non-stop about not shaming? Or maybe, and I think even more likely, is it that we tend to be a little oversensitive, especially when it comes to our children and our parenting, and we take offense when there has been none? So what if your friend posts and article about breastfeeding and you formula fed from the start? So what if you are a stay-at-home mom and your neighbor works full-time? Their different choices doesn't mean they are judging you for yours. 

Of course we all want to be good moms! Of course we want the approval of others! We can't help but to hope that we do what is best for our children, and it can be painful when we fall short. Maybe we feel guilty because we haven't been able to do everything as a mother that we hoped we could. And maybe that guilt is causing us all to think that someone else is judging us, when really the only person judging you, is you. 

So, moms. Be honest. Is there a chance that you are actually being too hard on yourself? Stop worrying so much about the so-called shaming and judging of others, because chances are, no one is shaming you at all. Give others the benefit of the doubt, most people really are kind, and really do mean well. Maybe when they look at you across the park, or restaurant, or airport, they aren't judging you, but admiring you for being a mom and doing the very best you can.

Finding Joy

I don't always love being a homemaker.

Sometimes I think about other things that I could have done instead of getting married, having children and staying home. I could have travelled more. I could have worked at my dream job in a big city. I could have continued my education or started my own business. 

Sometimes, just sometimes, I think about those things. Or sometimes I just think it would be nice to not have worry about anyone but myself. I could get up when I want, not when I hear cries of hunger or boredom. I could wear whatever clothes I want without worrying about getting food spilled on them or trying to run after a toddler in uncomfortable shoes. I could go shopping peacefully and spend all the time I want trying on clothes or browsing the aisle. I could do all of those things if I hadn't chosen to become a homemaker.

But, when I really start to think about all those other things that I could have done, it doesn't actually seem that great. Is sleeping in and wearing fancy clothes really more fun than seeing your little one laugh as they attempt their first steps? Is traveling and working more fulfilling that creating a beautiful, comfortable home where your family can gather and enjoy time together? Maybe for some, but not for me.

I love my job. I love that I get to be here for all the little things that Luke does each day. I love that I get to clean the house and cook dinner so that my husband can come home after a long day and enjoy a good meal with us and relax in a comfortable living room. I love that my job lets me read books, sew up projects, paint furniture, and repair household items. I get to do a little bit of everything.

I know that not all women will choose to be homemakers. Some can't have or don't want children. Some prefer to work outside of the home. Some are making the best of single parenthood and don't get to stay home. But for those that are homemakers, or those who wonder if it's worth it, it is. On those days when you might be tempted to dream about all the other things you could have done, choose instead to find joy in the things you already do.

Money Wise: More on the Debt

Note: I originally wrote this and other posts about our finances on a personal blog but have decided to share them here. The original publishing date is shown below.  

3/26/14

Even though we knew it wasn't good to have debt, we didn't really feel it was all bad either. It just seemed like a necessary evil. However, we are both naturally frugal and so didn't spend a lot of money on other things and always tried to live within our means in other areas of our life.

Phil felt that he needed to go to graduate school to progress his career, and I supported him. He was working at a local company as a buyer while I finished my degree. Once I graduated he planned to start a masters program. He decided that an MBA would be best and so started preparing to take the GMAT. This is where some of our sense of frugality was misplaced. We didn't want to fork out the money to pay for Phil to take a real GMAT prep class (it was around $500 if I am remembering right) so we paid something like $90 for him to take an online prep class which ended up being pretty useless. At the time we just thought we were saving money (ironic isn't it?), but we realize now that spending the money on a real class probably would have paid off in the end.

Phil is smart and has always done well in school, but isn't a great test taker (on standardized tests, that is). He took the GMAT several times and never got a great score, which really limited his options on where he could go to grad school. However, he had international experience and spoke Chinese which opened the door to Thunderbird School of Global Management, a private college in Arizona. Thunderbird was ranked #1 in International Business, and all we read about it convinced us that it would offer Phil some good opportunities to get a better job. The only downfall? Tuition and fees would total around $100,000.

We should have seen that number and turned and ran the other way. Was an MBA really worth that much? Was it really the only way to get a better job? No. Of course not. But for some reason we didn't feel the weight of having that kind of debt hanging over our heads. Its not that we didn't talk about it. We did. But ultimately we decided it was ok. We agreed we would pay it off as quickly as we could and it would be ok. We convinced ourselves that it was our only option.

Looking back now, we did have other options. Phil could have continued to work for one more year and taken a real GMAT prep course to try and better his score and increase his options. Had we stayed in Salt Lake I also would have had some better job opportunities (one that I really wanted but turned down because we were moving to AZ) and could have worked full-time and saved all of that money. Even if Phil hadn't been able to improve his GMAT score, he probably could have done an executive MBA program at the University of Utah at night and continued to work full-time. We could have cash-flowed his entire program, paid off the loans we already had, and been debt free.

Hindsight is 20/20. We made our choices and chose to come to Thunderbird and take on the debt. That is done. There is no point in dwelling on the past. But, I hope that others might learn from our mistakes. The truth is, it was easier to just get loans than to do a little work. We wanted instant gratification. Phil was tired of his job. I was ready for a new adventure. We didn't want to have to wait until he improved his score, or we had saved more money. We didn't want to stay in our same tiny apartment, or be stuck in a job that wasn't very fun.

But that is the problem with society today. We all want things right NOW. And we can get them...if we borrow the money. But, like others, we have learned the hard way that sometimes (maybe all the time) its worth it to wait. Its worth it to work. Its worth it to not have debt.

Weekly Tip: Take Care of Yourself

Have you ever noticed that you seem to get a lot more done during the day when you have taken a shower and gotten dressed than when you stay in your pajamas? Because homemakers stay home, it's easy to think it doesn't matter if you get dressed or do your hair or makeup, but doing those things does have an effect on your attitude and productivity.

I know that its not always easy to squeeze in a shower, let alone put on makeup, when there are little ones around, but if you make it a priority to make a little time for yourself each day you will be better able to care for everyone else that needs you.

Let me be clear though, when I say "do your hair and makeup" I'm not talking major work. Most days, I wear jeans and a t-shirt with a bit of mascara and I straighten or curl my hair or wear it up. On days where I know I will be going out or seeing more people, I might do a little more. Like everything, its important to find a balance. Does staying in your pajamas all day make you a bad mom? Of course not. Is it necessary to start each day in stilettos and a full blow out to be a good homemaker? Of course not. 

Treat your career as a homemaker the same way you would treat any other job. Would you show up to the office in sweats without having showered or brushed your hair?  Probably not (unless maybe your office is at the gym), so why show up to your husband and kids that way?

You would, however, show up at the office dressed in such a way that others know that you take yourself and your job seriously. It is not vain to do so, it simply says that you are a professional and that your job matters to you. Hopefully, your career as a homemaker matters to you too, and by taking the time to care for yourself each day, you show others, especially your family, that you are giving your job, and them, your best self.

Little Fox

Oh, how I love this little guy. 

Happy November!