Hemming Suit Pants

Regardless of how the pictures look, these are gray pants. Not brown, not blue. That being said, I did these at all different times of the day, so there’s all sorts of different lighting. Moving on. My hubby is short. I’m short. Our kids are doomed. He got a suit for Christmas. It was unhemmed, and WAY too long! So, I had him try them on with the shoes he would most likely wear, and then pinned them where he likes them to fall, which is right about where the sole starts. I always use safety pins so that they won’t fall out when they’re rustled all over, and hopefully won’t poke anyone.

After he did that, I measured with a tape measure along the inseam to make sure they would end up the same length. That’s kind of important. A lot of pants aren’t the same exact length. They may only be slightly different, but one leg is usually longer than the other, so you can’t measure from the bottom up. Once that measurement is good, check the outside seam. Just to make sure. Then, I press everything really good to show him all things will lay, and I re-safety pin it and have him try it on. He decided he wanted it shorter, so I folded it up the amount he wanted, which was about an inch, and pinned it, pressed it, and made him try it on again.

That’s the key, keep trying things on before you go to lots of work for nothing. That’d be frustrating, eh? See the pins on the inside of the pants? That was the first pinning after press, and then he wanted them shorter, so I created the cuff look. Comprende? Okay, this is where I did an experiment that didn’t work, so I’ll show you that and then show you what I really did. I thought I could just sew them on my machine, going along the top of the cuff line to press it down. So I sewed it.

And then when I turned it back up, it looked really weird. And flat. And not cuff like, so I undid that. What did work was a blind stitch every 1/3”-1/2” on the inside catching the cuff at the top.

I did that all on the bottom. Now, I did another mess up. The first time around, I didn’t unpick the side seams like you can see in that picture. I just sewed the bottom of the pants on with a blind stitch, and when I went to press them, they weren’t flat. Duh. Pants taper. I should have realized that. So, unpick that I did. This time, I unpicked all the way down to the cuff seam, and then pinned everything down uber-flat.

And then carefully hand-sew it so it would lay flat. I lined up the middle press line too.

And made him try them on again. Then, I pressed things flat. The picture still shows puckers because guess what? I’m not a professional seamstress/tailor/what have you.

I did my best, and I’ll try to add a picture of the hubster wearing his newly hemmed pants. He’s just glad they finally got done. Hey it’s less than a year, since it’s not Christmas yet! And we have moved twice since he got them. So yes, it’s intimidating, but the most important thing is to start. I messed up at least 3 times, but they’re finished and wearable, and no one will notice if there’s a stitch or 2 that shows or a few puckers. Know what I mean? Who’s looking at his feet?

What I Wore Sunday: Week 34

…52 weeks of shaking up the wardrobe…

The Rules:

1. Wear a different outfit every Sunday.

2. Incorporate at least one article of clothing or accessory that was either refashioned, sewn myself, or handmade.

3. Outfits can be worn more than once; just not the same way.

4. Think outside the box and be creative!

This is what I wore Sunday:

Cute skirt, right?  Wanna see what it looked like before I got to it?

Yep.  It was an old lady nightgown I got at the thrift store for $3.00.  It was brand spankin’ new and even had the original price tags on it.  It was originally $5.00 from Woolworth’s--a store that hasn’t been in this area since I moved here 22 years ago.  It was long gone before my family moved here.

Want some close ups of my new skirt?

 

I kept the original side pocket.  I made a belt out of the sleeves. 

I shirred the waistband, and added a flounce on the bottom of the skirt.

The verdict?!  I love it!  Not only is it super cute and fun, but it is so so comfortable!  :)

(Well, duh!  It was a nightgown…)

…and I promise; that feature post is coming soon.  Soon.  Very soon.  We’ve just been dealing with a lot of health issues in my family.  No fun.  I’m hoping I’ll have time sometime soon.

Anywho…on to the party!  What did you wear?!

Link up to anything you have refashioned or sewn yourself.  It doesn’t have to be dressy, and it doesn’t have to be worn on a Sunday.  It doesn’t even have to be worn by you.  Show it off!

• No links to shops or giveaways, please.

• Link back to Crafty Cousins on your blog too, okay?!

• Bonus points for following Crafty Cousins or liking us on Facebook!  :)

• Tell your friends about the What I Wore Sunday Link Party.  What’s a party without lots of partiers?

Can’t wait to see what you’ve got!  :)

Fab 5 Friday

I used to work for a company where we designed children’s Halloween costumes. While there, we had a conference in Vegas, so we flew down and stayed at the Wynn hotel. Super nice. I think the best part was the cheese Danish that I had there. I’m all about the food. When I saw this cheese Danish on Mel’s Kitchen Café, it brought back the memories, and I want to make some. Stat.

I think I need to make this skirt for my girl who just started dance. She’d love it. I actually had one this style in high school. Super easy and quick! Over at Make it and Love it.

I recently found out about Inspired by Charm, and I love the decorations he put on Eighteen 25’s Spooktacular September. It’s inspired by the Wizard of Oz. So fun!

I am kind of thinking Silhouette should give me a cameo. Don’t you think so? I’ve been using my mom’s Cricut, and while there’s still a learning curve, I’m not in love with it. I see all these amazing things people make with the Cameo, and I totally want one. There’s only 3 ways that will happen though. I somehow save up money, Silhouette decides I’m awesome enough to deserve one, or the stars align and I win one of the contests I enter. But, aren’t these labels so awesome? I want some! Over at Craftaholics Anonymous.

Someone pinned this, and I loved the handiness of this guide! So helpful to use when planning a party! Over at Chickabug blog.

There’s my top 5 this week. I haven’t had much time to do Pinterest and blogging this week, but these stood out! How about you? What have you pinned?

Homemade Salsa

Sounds yummy, right?

I love homemade salsa.  It’s home grown, too!  :)

I love the salsa, but did you know you can use it as a base for several different soups and chilies?  Well, now you do! 

Now I’ll show you how you can make your own.

Ready?

I have a confession before we start--The Hubsters ran off with the camera when The Queen and I were making the salsa.  I don’t have many pictures, but I will show you this one from the four-wheeler trip that The Hubsters and his dad took with Jingus and Crocky:

Sigh…I love rural Utah.  Too bad I was bottling salsa all day and missed the trip.  Oh well.  Next time!  :)

So, since I don’t have many pictures, I’ll share the recipe with you.

 

Homemade Salsa -Makes 7 Quarts

• 25 cups of peeled tomatoes (scald them like we did the peaches; it’s easier)
• 6 large (chopped) onions  (remember the sunglasses trick!  :)
• 6 large (chopped) green peppers  (I like to add a variety of peppers.  It just needs to be 6 cups)
• 1-2 cans of green chilies
• 1/2 cup salt
• 1 cup vinegar
• 3 tablespoons chili powder (I always use more…)
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 3 tablespoons cumin (Ash’s favorite…)
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder (or minced garlic--you decide)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup instant Clear Jell (or other thickening agent)

Chop tomatoes, onions and peppers.  Combine vegetables, vinegar and spices in a large pot.  Bring to a boil. 

Meanwhile, combine the sugar and the Clear Jell into a separate bowl.  Boil the Salsa for 8-10 minutes, then slowly add the sugar mixture.  Cook until the salsa reaches your desired thickness.  We usually cook it for about 45 minutes.

Make sure all of your canning jars are clean and sterilized.  You need new lids, and enough rings for your bottles.

Follow all of the canning directions from the peaches post. 

Process the salsa for 40 minutes--again; that’s the recommended time for high altitude.  You may need to adjust your processing time.

As always, before you put the salsa away, admire your handiwork!  :)