Thread: putting slits in harem pants... how many ways can i screw this up?

i am having serious sewing drama/shenanigans. i don't really know what i'm doing. we have a BIG show coming up that requires me to do ass-loads of sewing. and again, i don't know what i'm doing!!!

my next project (that i have no clue on what to do) is putting side slits in my silk l rose harem pants. the pants do not have seams on the outside, cuz even though that would be less attractive, it would make my life too easy!

a fellow dancer in a very breezy way mentioned something about a rolled hem and how easy that would be... i know 'of' rolled hems, though i don't know what they are exactly. i don't know if my uber-beginner level sewing machine can do a rolled hem. since i still can't sew a straight line, i'm not too excited about this opiton.

i am tempted (by the dark side) to cut and fray check and call it good. help!

ps-y'all rock! i lurk the 'what are you working on' threads to ogle and feel jealous...l;,

In the interest in cutting the ass loads of sewing- have you tried hem adhesive tape? It comes in several widths. You iron a strip on where you want the slit, rotary cut a slit down the middle of the tape, fold over, iron, you're done, in seconds. It's pretty sturdy.

Originally Posted by cheerybelly

In the interest in cutting the ass loads of sewing- have you tried hem adhesive tape? It comes in several widths. You iron a strip on where you want the slit, rotary cut a slit down the middle of the tape, fold over, iron, you're done, in seconds. It's pretty sturdy.

that sounds amazing!!!! easy and somewhat impossible to screw up!!! is it called 'hem adhesive tape'?

A rolled hem is a very tiny hem, so tiny the "fold" is more like a "roll".

This will probably work ok for the long slit edges, but at the top and bottom of the slit there will be nothing to fold or roll.

The fraycheck idea will work but .. you said silk? So I am assuming these are a nice pair of pants? If they are a nice silk pair this is risky - the fray check could stiffen them and they might end up looking a tad weird.

My suggestion would be to make a facing out of a scrap of lightweight silk or even a soft, flowing poly, but nothing stiff or crisp or heavy. Even a package of seam binding in a matching color will work.

1. Pin two pieces of seam binding on the pant leg, right next to each other, on either side of the slit-to-be. Kinda like you are putting decorative trim along the edges of the slit, except there is no slit yet. Hope this makes sense!
2. Start at either the top or the bottom, and stitch the seam binding to the pant, very close to the edge of the seam binding right next to the slit-to-be.
3. Stitch the other piece of seam binding the same way, making sure to lock or overlap the stitching at the top and bottom.
4. Slit the pant leg in between the strips of seam binding
5. Turn the seam binding to the inside, and topstich right along the very edge of the fold.

Removing the elastic or drawstring at the ankle might make it easier to do this. Also, if these are nice silk pants, I'd add a second row of narrow zigzag stitches along the edges, just outside the stitches in steps 3 & 4

Key factor here is the texture and weight of the seam binding or whatever fabric you choose to use as a facing. Bias tape, for example, is too crisp for silk.

If you want to get really creative, use a thicker facing or wider seam binding, in a contrasting color. Instead of turning all the binding to the inside, leave a narrow strip showing on the outside of the pants.

Yes, the one I have is by HeatnBond, but there are several brands. I think I picked this up at WalMart.

cheerybelly-i may not go this route after reading nitewindz response, but i will definitely get my hands on this stuff and use on other projects!

thanks for posting!

nitewindz-that was a great explanation! the phrase 'slit-to-be' is really funny to me right now ..l;, must be the stress making me crazy!

here's some questions:

i have a silk veil that my instructor ripped a hole in. could use that for the seam binding? it is a lighter silk than the silk of the harem pants.

should the 2 pieces of seam binding be almost next to each other? is the idea that the seam binding will fold back on itself? or should they be further apart, the idea being that the pant material will fold over a single layer of seam binding? does my question make sense?..l;,

i knew there would be a problem with my fray check idea! you are right, the stiffness would be really funky. thanks for your help.

always good to have a back up plan!

Originally Posted by cheerybelly

always good to have a back up plan!

lol so true!

Another option which is slightly more involved would be to open up the existing hems and waist and cut down the sides so you could put in your own side seams with slits. Most of the time harem pants are wide enough that you could trim a half inch to an inch out of each leg without making much of a difference in the drape of the fabric. This would give you the flexibility to put in whatever size slit you like, and you could use the same edge finish (serge, zigzag, whatever) as if you were making the pants from scratch.

How about just taking them to a tailor with a couple of pictures showing what you want? I was astounded at what my tailor could do with a photocopy, vague description and $20.

I say cut those suckers straight up the sides and hand roll the edges or serge them.

Originally Posted by Tourbeau

Another option which is slightly more involved would be to open up the existing hems and waist and cut down the sides so you could put in your own side seams with slits. Most of the time harem pants are wide enough that you could trim a half inch to an inch out of each leg without making much of a difference in the drape of the fabric. This would give you the flexibility to put in whatever size slit you like, and you could use the same edge finish (serge, zigzag, whatever) as if you were making the pants from scratch.

for some reason this sounds really scary to me. if i had a little more experience and could sew a straight line with confidence, i could see doing it this way. but, i'm just not ballsy enough! thanks for the suggestion though.

Originally Posted by BELLA_BELLA

How about just taking them to a tailor with a couple of pictures showing what you want? I was astounded at what my tailor could do with a photocopy, vague description and $20.

i thought about that. but i've already sunk over $150 into this show, (which in all likely hood i will get no money from) and another $20 just makes me feel, idk, used? ..l;,

i have free time and these projects are teaching me a lot about sewing. if i royally f*** it up, i know a good tailor in town!

Originally Posted by eshtabellydance

I say cut those suckers straight up the sides and hand roll the edges or serge them.

ok, i googled 'hand roll edges' and the instructions say to first sew a line next to the edge. does that do anything other than keeping your line straight? could i use chalk instead? again, can't really sew a straight line with my machine, i could hand sew a straight line...

btw, i'm waiting for a full body pic of me in my eshta original! i will send it to you when i get it...

Originally Posted by emtink

i have a silk veil that my instructor ripped a hole in. could use that for the seam binding? it is a lighter silk than the silk of the harem pants.

Yes, that will work fine. The goal is to use something that moves & flows like the silk. The purpose is to give you a touch more fabric to work with when finishing the slit.

Originally Posted by emtink

should the 2 pieces of seam binding be almost next to each other? is the idea that the seam binding will fold back on itself? or should they be further apart, the idea being that the pant material will fold over a single layer of seam binding? does my question make sense?..l;,

Yes, the long edges of the seam binding should be almost next to each other, they could even touch, just make sure to cut only pants and not seam binding when making the slit.

The only tricky spots are the top & bottoms of the slit. Keep the seam binding close, even touching, but don't overlap at these points.

The seam binding is applied to the RIGHT side of the pant leg, then folded through the slit to the wrong side. The seam will be on the inside of the pant, hidden between the seam binding and the fabric.

Now, it's ok to tweak the binding at top & bottom so they touch or overlap a teeny bit on the INSIDE of the pants before topstiching everything in place.

Basically, this is just a modified bound buttonhole.

Originally Posted by emtink

for some reason this sounds really scary to me. if i had a little more experience and could sew a straight line with confidence, i could see doing it this way. but, i'm just not ballsy enough! thanks for the suggestion though.

Until I started sewing on a serger, I assumed the problem with not being able to sew straight seams was entirely do to my lack of expertise as a seamstress, but the machine can play a big part in things. If the feed dogs pull unevenly (out of alignment, cheap hardware,...), even the best seamstresses would find it challenging to sew straight seams on that machine. In other words, the problem may not be entirely due to your sewing skills.

Regardless of your machine, I'm not sure how you're going to pull this off if you can't sew straight. Unless you're hand rolling the edges, won't crookedness still be a problem no matter how you decide to open the split?

Originally Posted by nitewindz

Yes, that will work fine. The goal is to use something that moves & flows like the silk. The purpose is to give you a touch more fabric to work with when finishing the slit.



Yes, the long edges of the seam binding should be almost next to each other, they could even touch, just make sure to cut only pants and not seam binding when making the slit.

The only tricky spots are the top & bottoms of the slit. Keep the seam binding close, even touching, but don't overlap at these points.

The seam binding is applied to the RIGHT side of the pant leg, then folded through the slit to the wrong side. The seam will be on the inside of the pant, hidden between the seam binding and the fabric.

Now, it's ok to tweak the binding at top & bottom so they touch or overlap a teeny bit on the INSIDE of the pants before topstiching everything in place.

Basically, this is just a modified bound buttonhole.

ok, i think i understand. i'm home sick today so i'll have time to fart around... thanks for your help!

Originally Posted by Tourbeau

Until I started sewing on a serger, I assumed the problem with not being able to sew straight seams was entirely do to my lack of expertise as a seamstress, but the machine can play a big part in things. If the feed dogs pull unevenly (out of alignment, cheap hardware,...), even the best seamstresses would find it challenging to sew straight seams on that machine. In other words, the problem may not be entirely due to your sewing skills.

Regardless of your machine, I'm not sure how you're going to pull this off if you can't sew straight. Unless you're hand rolling the edges, won't crookedness still be a problem no matter how you decide to open the split?

re sewing a straight line, i bought $100 machine at target so i guess that could be part of the problem. thanks for pointing that out.

i don't plan on using the sewing machine at all for this project. i would hand sew everything just for that reason. i'm assuming i could do nitewindz method with all hand stitching, and i may practice hand rolling on some scrap silk. lucky for me, i'm sick today so i get to stay home and sew!

thanks for all the advice tourbeau!

Originally Posted by eshtabellydance

I say cut those suckers straight up the sides and hand roll the edges or serge them.

That would be my advice!

Narrow hems are a b*tch! I have lost count of how many times I have tried to get a decent-looking narrow hem on a lightweight fabric. Save yourself the headache! Plus, as far as I know, you need a special foot for your sewing machine to do a narrow hem, so there's another expense and pain in the butt.

If you don't feel up to trying Eshta's advice and you want to go the super easy route, I'd say cut just the slits on the sides and then zig-zag stitch the raw edges to keep them from fraying (as my seamstress says, a zig-zag stitch is the poor mans' serger!). Especially if the pants are going under other costume items, or won't be seen from too close of a distance, that should suffice.

Originally Posted by eshtabellydance

I say cut those suckers straight up the sides and hand roll the edges or serge them.

Another option, if you have the time, is to get a roller foot. Or send it to me and I'll do it! ;-)

{{{HUGS}}}

So, on a bit of a tangent, aren't most split harems gathered at the ankle? I have a gorgeous pair in black chiffon with gold seam binding or trim along the slit, but they are long harems that gather at the knee and I think that looks funny, to see that through the opening, you know. How hard would it be to shorten them?

I am only posting to applaud the Mr.Show sig-line.

Carry on.

Originally Posted by Anjela

That would be my advice!

Narrow hems are a b*tch! I have lost count of how many times I have tried to get a decent-looking narrow hem on a lightweight fabric. Save yourself the headache! Plus, as far as I know, you need a special foot for your sewing machine to do a narrow hem, so there's another expense and pain in the butt.

It's hard to get a good narrow hem on slick fabric by hand, too. I think that's why so many costume manufacturers started using the bead/sequin wrapped edging. With all the embellishment going on, it detracts from the small puckers that can develop on a hand-rolled hem.

If you don't feel up to trying Eshta's advice and you want to go the super easy route, I'd say cut just the slits on the sides and then zig-zag stitch the raw edges to keep them from fraying (as my seamstress says, a zig-zag stitch is the poor mans' serger!). Especially if the pants are going under other costume items, or won't be seen from too close of a distance, that should suffice.

Sometimes I just use a narrow zigzag myself instead of dragging out the serger. If you set the stitches close and small enough, it looks like a rolled hem unless you are really staring at it. It usually takes a little practice to get the stitch size/length right though--when it's wrong, it has a tendency to cabbage up.

Originally Posted by dunyah

So, on a bit of a tangent, aren't most split harems gathered at the ankle? I have a gorgeous pair in black chiffon with gold seam binding or trim along the slit, but they are long harems that gather at the knee and I think that looks funny, to see that through the opening, you know. How hard would it be to shorten them?

Can you post a picture? I'm assuming you're describing a situation where the pants are so long that when you puddle them up, the excess fabric is visible through the slit, but without seeing them, it's hard to guess at a fix.

I suppose I could just close the slit below the knee, that would be an easy fix, easier than shortening the pants. I don't have a picture. But remember (maybe you don't) the "olden days" when the elastic on your harem pants was pulled up to just below the knee, and the fabric ballooned out around your ankles. With opaque pants the leg between the calf and the ankle doesn't show. With the slit pants, you can see it.

Originally Posted by dunyah

I suppose I could just close the slit below the knee, that would be an easy fix, easier than shortening the pants. I don't have a picture. But remember (maybe you don't) the "olden days" when the elastic on your harem pants was pulled up to just below the knee, and the fabric ballooned out around your ankles. With opaque pants the leg between the calf and the ankle doesn't show. With the slit pants, you can see it.

I usually make my harem pants extra long so I can wear the hem high like that. I just don't put the slits in them, because that sort of defeats the purpose of wearing harem pants to cover up the unsightlies (varicose veins, elastic bandage on my knee, etc.).

Personally, I think the long-and-up style really only works well with opaque fabrics. Even without the slit, you would still have the problem of the excess fabric being visible with a chiffon or thin gauze. Unless you want to shorten your pants, you're pretty much limited to closing the lower half of the slit or sewing a small area of the slit closed where it covers the hem, effectively turning one long slit into two shorter ones. With the latter method, you're still going to be able to see the lower layer flopping around underneath, but at least you've camouflaged where the hem hits.