DIY boot-cut to skinny jeans

When I was pregnant with Layla I had FOUR girlfriends who had just had babies and were wonderful enough to give me all of their maternity clothes.  I wound up with about 15 pairs of jeans.  Since this was 2011, most all of these were either boot-cut or straight legged and I wore them until the day I delivered...and if we're being honest here, for a few weeks after delivery.

Now that it's 2015 and I'm pregnant with another princess, my style has changed a bit.  Instead of going out and spending a small fortune on jeans that I'll wear for 4 or 5 months, I've decided to alter the ones I was so graciously gifted and make them exactly what I want, and here's how you can do it, too:

Turn the jeans you're wishing to alter inside out, and lie flat. (Keep in mind, this can be done to ANY jean, not just maternity!)

Top your fixer-upper pair with a jean whose leg you love.  Again, this can be anything from a jegging to fave pair you haven't been able to button since Clinton was in office, as long as the leg fit is right!  Line them up crotch to crotch, outer seam to outer seam, as shown.

Mark your new inner seam

Using a straight stitch on your machine, follow the line you made while holding the leg tight so the outer seam doesn't roll on you, keep the fabric taut and flat.

After straight stitching, the extra fabric can be removed, and a I used a zig-zag stitch to finish the raw edges so fraying will be at a minimum.

Now stand back and admire your work!

This also works perfectly for jeans that are too short, or any whose hem has been damaged, since taking them in at the ankle elongates them significantly.  I'm tall so I never have an issue with jeans being too long but if I didn't anticipate rolling these at the bottom every time I wear them I would definitely need to take an inch or two off of the bottom! This would be a great thing to do for kids who outgrow their length before their waist!

Until next time!

XOXO!