Thread: Alteration crisis---I just want to cry!

..cr.: I can't believe this, and just want to cry!

I ordered a custom top and flare pants with chiffon insert from LRose for an
event this Sunday. I got it a week and a half ago, plenty of time---
but I was an idiot and obviously measured wrong, the pants are too
long.
Well, I was at work the next morning and getting ready to call to make arrangements to send them back to be shortened--hoping it could all be done it time. I was teliing my coworker about it, who is a fashion design graduate, and
does alterations on the side.

I am sure you can all see this coming........she offered to do it, that way I wouldn't be shipping it back and forth and worried about the time. She knew I
need it for Sunday and she does all this stuff for the experience, plus her
grandmother is a professional seamstress, so she has lots of guidance and
tools to work with.

TODAY she brought it back to me, and told me whe can't do it, she doesn't
have the right (whatever she called it) on her machine to do it. And the
chiffon is hard to work with. Sorry.

It's TUESDAY, I need it for SUNDAY!!!..cr.:..cr.:

What do I do?? I stopped at 2 places on the way home, but you know the
answers I got! I don't have the ability to fix this. Why, was I so stupid??
And how does someone who's supposed to become a fashion designer
do that to a person????

SO now I have an outfit specifically for an event that I can't use!!
I just want to go into a corner and cry.........

How long are they? Can you wear heels with them?

WHAT I WOULD DO: Here is the TOTAL EMERGENCY ANSWER, assuming the pant LEGS are the only thing too long, and they aren't more than a couple inches too long. (Not the rise. That needs a pro.) We're talking about stretch velour and chiffon, right?

No sew method: Cut 'em off. Cut them off a little too long, because the velour will tend to roll up somewhat. Buy a bottle of Fray Check. Very sparingly, treat the chiffon edge so it won't fray.

Hand sew method: Do as above but buy some trim to sew around the bottom edge of the pants. Turn the edge of the pants under a tiny amount as you sew the trim on top of the tiny hem. This will cover any ickyness.

Best of luck.

Tigerb is a very wise woman!

Raise the length of the leg. Scrunch the leg up at the outseams and inseams by doing a long running stitch and then pulling the thread. That gather should scrunch the fabric into an accordion fold. Stitch it secure. Easy Peasy. Just use a strong thread. Once your show is over, remove the thread and have it hemmed properly. PS if you are wearing a belt, do the scrunch higher on the hip...won't be seen. Also looks cute at the knee!!

Originally Posted by BernieV

Raise the length of the leg. Scrunch the leg up at the outseams and inseams by doing a long running stitch and then pulling the thread. That gather should scrunch the fabric into an accordion fold. Stitch it secure. Easy Peasy. Just use a strong thread. Once your show is over, remove the thread and have it hemmed properly. PS if you are wearing a belt, do the scrunch higher on the hip...won't be seen. Also looks cute at the knee!!

Great idea! This way, you can still have them professionally done later, but get them the length you need them in an evening.

I agree, if the extra length is in the leg, scrunch or fold at the knee and stitch down. It'll be cute! Then after the show, have it done properly.

{{{HUGS}}}

Are they the L. Rose chiffon gore bellbottoms? Another quick fix is to simply add a seam that goes all around the leg above the chiffon. With the pants right side out, fold the foot opening out and up, all around the leg, so the knees are inside out and the foot chiffon is up around the hips, out of your way. This leaves you looking at your inside-out stretch velour above the chiffon. If the pants are 2" too long, then sew a zig zag seam all the way around each leg, 1" above your fold. Use a zig zag stitch (not a regular straight stitch) so your seam will be stretchy. Then tack your band upward, so it doesn't flop down and show under the chiffon (just use a regular needle and thread, and put just a stitch to hold it in place on top of each seam). You or anybody with a machine could do this easily. After your performance, you can remove your stitching and fix them properly. If you plan to remove this stitching, be careful about all your knots, make them so they don't damage the fabric and also so they can be removed.

Let us know how it works out!!!!

Originally Posted by BernieV

Raise the length of the leg. Scrunch the leg up at the outseams and inseams by doing a long running stitch and then pulling the thread. That gather should scrunch the fabric into an accordion fold. Stitch it secure. Easy Peasy. Just use a strong thread. Once your show is over, remove the thread and have it hemmed properly. PS if you are wearing a belt, do the scrunch higher on the hip...won't be seen. Also looks cute at the knee!!

exactly what i was gonna say. i've done this at the knee, using carpet thread and it worked great.

I don't have anything constructive to add...just sympathy and to say that this is why Bhuz rocks. What great solutions.

I would definetely go with a temporary fix, and get it done the right way, later.

I'm guessing she didn't have the right 'foot'.

I'm not a pro, but I know I could have done it.
Sometimes there are other ways to get around, not having the right foot (I'm talking about, BEFORE these wonderful feet were invented).
This is why I HIGHLY recommend getting a VINTAGE sewing book from the 40's -50's, as well as new books.

I hope it all works out for you!
(((Hugs)))

I think these ideas are all good... but most of them won't work if the legs are SERIOUSLY long, like 6". You don't want to cut off your flares, and making a 3" tuck in the leg might be seriously uncomfortable. Whatever you decide to try -- start by pinning your solution in place and try the pants on! Dance in them. Just to make sure your solution is workable.

6 inches too long needs to be handeled in the upper thigh area. Pull up the material over itself till the length is right and tack it all around, just below the crotch - wont show at all if there is a pattern to the fabric. Will the chiffon insets then be too high?

Oh you ladies are AWESOME!!!
I came back from class and jumped right on bhuz, and here are all my answers!!
I feel much calmer after reading these great ideas.

I only need to shorten them about 2 inches, 3 at the most. But I think that either the scrunching or doing the temporary fold at the knee above the
chiffon will work best---and then get the pro work done later.

Whew, I never would have thought of these, plus I was too panicked to think straight! (I am still angry that she did this to me)

I won't get to work on them until tomorrow or Thursday nite, which was also causing major anxiety....but now I feel comfortable enough that I will be
able to resolve the problem for Sunday.........
I love bhuz!!!

I'm glad you're doing the chiffon scrunchy. I just thought to myself if you sew too fast or pull on stretch knits while you stitch, they can become stretched and deformed. And I thought, "If she sews around the legs and ends up with a bell bottom above the knee because of my suggestion, I'm going to vomit on myself from remorse." The gathers will be easiest to put in, easiest to fiddle with, and easiest to take back out! You could even use a slightly contrasting colored thread, like black for blue. They won't show, but you can find the stitch again with ease. If you can, post pictures of your fix! Let us know how it goes!

It's because your fashion design buddy doesn't have a serger. You have got to have a serger if you do professional alterations.
I am glad you found some great solutions to your problem =)

I would most definitely prefer serged hems, but if you don't have a serger, then a hand rolled hem, could have been nicely done.
Or,
Make a temporary, deep hem, and hand baste, to get through the show.
Serge off the excess hem and do it later.
(Wouldn't look as nice though).

I love the ruching idea!

:-)

That ruching is brilliant!

Anishadancer, good luck, and remember to breathe!

I had to ruch mine that were too long and I liked it so much, I left it permanently.

Originally Posted by eshtabellydance

It's because your fashion design buddy doesn't have a serger. You have got to have a serger if you do professional alterations.
I am glad you found some great solutions to your problem =)

I'm thinking the 'budding fashion designer" isn't going to have a fantastic
career if she doesn't shape up
Not only is she making promises she doesn't keep, but she doesn't know
"her stuff" and she obviously doesn't know much about customer service....
(yes, I am still harboring some anger over her telling me this on the Tuesday before I need it)

Sewing day tomorrow!

Can you politely inform her that by waiting to tell you she couldn't do the costume as opposed to letting you know the next day, that you were put in a real bind as it was too late to get the alterations done by anyone else? And that the situation was very frustrating for you? If she is going into business, or even just going to keep "helping" out her friends, this feedback would be important for her to receive.

Originally Posted by ANISAHDANCER

.
...she does all this stuff for the experience, plus her
grandmother is a professional seamstress, so she has lots of guidance and
tools to work with.

I'm going to guess this is the seamstress/tailor equal of "She'll offer for free to dance for the 'exposure' and she's got a lot of costumes and her teacher is a good dancer."

Have you checked the yellow pages/internet in regards to local businesses that do alterations? L.Rose items are sturdy and should be easily alterable by any "professional enough to open a business and charge money instead of doing stuff for experience" pro. I wouldn't trust heavily beaded specialty items to basic tailor/alteration folks, but we're talking dance pants.

That info might be worth looking into so you have a local resource for future issues. Pros are worth paying.

Sorry to hear about your situation! Don't understand why people who don't have the ability to do something say they can without checking it out first before they promise something.

Glad to hear that you have some great solutions to resolve it with

Another option that I did with a pair of pants, was I sewed a button and loop on the outside of the leg, button higher on leg then loop, and then brought the pants up via the loop and connected to the button, it worked for what I needed. again, quick fic, or you may like how it looks, and then you can get them fixed later.

Originally Posted by ozma

I'm going to guess this is the seamstress/tailor equal of "She'll offer for free to dance for the 'exposure' and she's got a lot of costumes and her teacher is a good dancer."

Have you checked the yellow pages/internet in regards to local businesses that do alterations? L.Rose items are sturdy and should be easily alterable by any "professional enough to open a business and charge money instead of doing stuff for experience" pro. I wouldn't trust heavily beaded specialty items to basic tailor/alteration folks, but we're talking dance pants.

That info might be worth looking into so you have a local resource for future issues. Pros are worth paying.

What's worst about it is that she has been doing alterations for people at work
all the time, so I know she's got some knowledge and ability! She just graduated design school and is getting a 2nd degree in merchandising.
I've seen the clothes she made for her fashion show final!..c::
SO I don't know what happened exactly................

I did tell her when she brought them back to me that it was now too late
for me to get them fixed and I wan't going to be able to wear it now for
the show I ordered it for.
I got a dumb stare and I quick "sorry" which I must say wasn't like her.
I haven't talked to her since...............still too upset.

Ok, break over---sewing

Originally Posted by ANISAHDANCER

I did tell her when she brought them back to me that it was now too late
for me to get them fixed and I wan't going to be able to wear it now for
the show I ordered it for.
I got a dumb stare and I quick "sorry" which I must say wasn't like her.
I haven't talked to her since...............still too upset.

Ok, break over---sewing

Still, look into pros in your area. It's good info to have.

It wasn't a cash transaction, right? She probably didn't feel as much of an obligation to you as she would a paying customer. If you say this "isn't like her" there may be something else also going on in her life that made her less likely to drop everything and carry through her offered favor.

You've got solutions to get you through the show, it's going to be ok. She caused you stress, but in the big picture it isn't a huge thing (and I make a big deal over costumes) and when you've done the show and are in a calmer place you should find it in your heart to talk to her about why you got stressed, forgive her, and ask her if it would make more sense for your work relationship and friendship for you to find a different local seamstress.

Seriously. Don't let a poorly timed "It turns out I couldn't hem your pants" ruin a work relationship/friendship. That's foolish. It's also very hard for non-performers to understand the importance of well-fitted dance wear and the emotional feelings we sometimes have about costumes.

Forgive her...but be wary of trusting her with such a task in the future.

Originally Posted by ozma

Still, look into pros in your area. It's good info to have.

It wasn't a cash transaction, right? She probably didn't feel as much of an obligation to you as she would a paying customer. If you say this "isn't like her" there may be something else also going on in her life that made her less likely to drop everything and carry through her offered favor.
You've got solutions to get you through the show, it's going to be ok. She caused you stress, but in the big picture it isn't a huge thing (and I make a big deal over costumes) and when you've done the show and are in a calmer place you should find it in your heart to talk to her about why you got stressed, forgive her, and ask her if it would make more sense for your work relationship and friendship for you to find a different local seamstress.

Seriously. Don't let a poorly timed "It turns out I couldn't hem your pants" ruin a work relationship/friendship. That's foolish. It's also very hard for non-performers to understand the importance of well-fitted dance wear and the emotional feelings we sometimes have about costumes.

Forgive her...but be wary of trusting her with such a task in the future.

Good advice.
She may have had personal problems, preventing her from following through.

Originally Posted by SaNoorah

Another option that I did with a pair of pants, was I sewed a button and loop on the outside of the leg, button higher on leg then loop, and then brought the pants up via the loop and connected to the button, it worked for what I needed. again, quick fic, or you may like how it looks, and then you can get them fixed later.

I was just going to suggest this when I saw your quote. As I remember I was originally going to put 2 buttons when I fixed these to give you the option to wear barefoot or with pants. Just put a small loop near the top of the flare, pull the loop up gently until the desired length is reached, mark it and add a decorative button. You can use multiple buttons along the leg to allow for different lengths. The one I put on SaNoorah's pants was really pretty and actually added to the look of the pants.

Good luck! If you have any questions let me know - I've been sewing and altering for decades.

Yes I should not have taken credit for that pants alteration, the wonderful Shaula was able to do that for me, but it does allow me to wear the pants in multiple ways and was a good learned alteration if needed in the future.