Monday, May 4, 2015

A quick alteration so we can match longer

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you had a good weekend. We spent ours at a bridal shower (for my nephew's bride-to-be) and a school play (another nephew was Peter Pan). Hayden and I had fun sporting our mommy and me jumpsuits a week before Mother's Day (my hubby actually did get his hands on some Lilly for Target for my birthday), and since I did this quick alteration trick, we'll be able to match for much longer.

I lucked out that my jumpsuit fit perfectly, but Hayden's was way too long. Rather than hemming it in the traditional fashion, I opted to transform the flared bottoms into elastic cuffs, utilizing the original hem.

To start, you need to remove some of the side stitching in the hemline, using a seam ripper. This provides an opening for the elastic.

Once you have your opening, begin feeding your elastic through the hem (it helps to attach a safety pin to the end of your elastic as a guide). I selected a 1/4-inch elastic, which fit perfectly in the original hem.

Continue feeding the elastic through the hem until it's all the way around and sticking out of the opening.

Decide how big around you want the ankle cuff to be. Measure for accuracy before you cut the elastic. I opted to make Hayden's ankle cuffs about 8-inches in circumference.

Cut your elastic and sew the ends together. Then, tuck the exposed elastic back in the hem and sew the opening shut.

This is how it looks when one leg is done as an elastic cuff, compared to the original flare bottom.

Follow the same steps to make the other elastic cuff and you're finished. Now this can be worn at various leg lengths. Rather than having them hemmed for an exact height (kids grow fast, especially their legs), the elastic cuffs make the bottom of this jumpsuit adjustable.

Here's how it looks on Hayden, who posed with yours truly for a pic. Now that makes it last longer.

*****

On another note, it's Star Wars Day. May the 4th be with you! Check out our blast-from-the-past Rawdorable Unbaked Star Wars Cupcakes. My kids have definitely grown since then.