I've missed being in touch. Other than taking a quick look to see how you all were doing I haven't been doing more than "treading water." Big piece has been, that I haven't been near my sewing machine since late April and haven't had anything sewing related to even talk about. An art project to build the molds for the Master Gardener's hypertufa garden containers has kept me fully occupied since Mother's Day. Much tape, wallpaper paste, cardboard, pulp and newspaper strips have been the boundaries of my life. 30 molds later I will admit to compulsive behavior. Very fun and challenging and one cannot eat when ones hands are encased in paper mache debris


I am starting to put the clothes back together that I took the seams out of last spring. As some of you know I have been working on getting to a healthy weight and it has been far more difficult to get to the last goal step than it ever was before. That said I have to take all my pants in a minimum of 3" in the waist. That's the good news. The bad news is that half of them are jeans and that means this is not a pretty situation. I've done the center back thing before and the yoke seam is a beast. I am going to try the Burda side seam idea but it really doesn't get the center back as snug as I need it. Center back has always been a pants issue for me. On one pair of R Lauren jeans I feathered in 3 mini darts on each side of the back center because the fabric is so heavy I didn't think any of my machines could deal with the center back yolk spot. Help! I'm hoping that some of you will have addressed these alteration issues because I only have 3 pairs of pants that are decent enough to leave the yard and today when DH asked me what I was doing as I huddled over the dryer; I had to admit I was coloring the knees of my lone jeans. Yes Chere, your crayons were rescuing me again.

Well Mary, congratulations on the need to take in your jeans!

My favorite solution to that problem is a celebratory shopping trip. That's right, I have no idea how to take in jeans but I wanted to encourage you. I'll bet SewLynn will have some ideas. Hopefully she will come along soon with some suggestions.

Mary, I gotta side with Susan on this one! Get yourself to town and splurge on at least one new pair of pants/jeans for yourself! I think a new pair will flatter both your new shape and your self confidence!
All that said, I once slit the inside waist band in some soft denim jeans and inserted sturdy elastic from about the front belt loops around the back...easy to adjust, and they felt better, were no longer slipping south..... but still not a very flattering fit. Alterations in jeans has been more of a challenge than I was willing to accept.
Sounds like your gardening/pot design has been a wonderful creative outlet...do show us some pics.

any excuse is awesome for new jeans, especially if the old ones are too big - congratulations and lets go shopping. I'm sure someone at one of the recycle stores is in need of the RLjeans and it would be as much a thrill for them as for you to get some new ones.

Ok, I'm a believer, I bought two pair of new jeans . However, I really would like to get the best of the old ones back in play. I hate clothes shopping. If there is anyway I can avoid it I will; and maintaining clothes always makes me feel so virtuous, smug even . My knee rescue with the fabric crayons and pens was a winner! Once I faced the fact that magical thinking was not going to make the weight and high blood pressure go away, anything I bought had to have an alteration possibility. (It has taken a little over a year and a half to lose the miserable 25 pounds.) Only jeans escaped this criteria because there seemed no way around their structure. for cheering me on!

on the weight loss... I think a lot of as are in or have been in your shoes on this one.... spend the time you would have on the old jeans doing some cool embellishments on your great new jeans and you will love them more!

Congratulations again on the weight loss. The way I see it, if you weigh 25 pounds less that 18 months ago, that is success!

Also, good choice on new jeans! Now, instead of altering the others, how about re-purposing? Make a computer bag out of them -- or a tote. They will be nice and roomy! How about a jeans quilt? There are lots of possibilities besides continuing to wear them.

Oh, I forgot -- you could donate them to charity!

Congrats and I totally agree - you deserve a new pair!