I am pretty darn excited about today’s post because I was able to work with one of my favorite brands to put together a functional, stylish outfit AND give one of YOU a $250 gift card for ECCO shoes!  Pretty great, right?!!  One of the simplest things that we can do to change our clothes is to sew a new hem and I’m going to show you just how easy it is today.  I paired my newly cropped jeans with a handmade blouse, a pair of casual ECCO flats, and the most scrumptious ECCO shoulder bag.  The outfit is casual, but definitely put together, and I think it will work well for shopping, a lunch date, and skipping over to all of the kids’ school functions that tend to pop up this time of year. I took a pair of jeans from my donate pile and decided instead to turn them into useable capri pants for the spring.  The jeans fit just fine, but the style was bulky and heavy around my ankles, not to mention too long. To hem your jeans into capris, you will need just a few supplies:

• pins or clips
• washable fabric marker
• scissors/rotary cutter
• pinking shears (optional)
• heavy duty/denim sewing needle
• thick thread appropriate for detail stitching on denim
• sewing machine

First try them the jeans on and mark where you want your new hem to be.  I find it easiest to scrunch the leg up around your knee until you find the right length and then put a pin at that same height on the other pant leg. Once you have the new finished length marked, the hemming is simple!

1. Mark 1″ below the desired finish length and cut the bottom of the pant leg straight across through all layers.  This will give you enough excess fabric to make a double-fold hem.
2. If the pant leg is too wide, you can taper it in at this point.  Figure out how much tapering you want to do by trying the cut pants on inside out.  Pinch along the inside of the leg and mark the starting point of your taper (mine was 8″ above the bottom) and mark how far in (mine was 1/2″).  Use a washable fabric marker to mark your taper line.
3. Sew to taper the leg – work on the inside seam if possible.  On these particular jeans, the inside seam was topstitched so I had to taper the outer seam, which turned out fine, too.  Use pinking shears to cut down the seam allowance from your tapered side and reduce bulk to 1/4″.
4. Fold and press up the bottom edge of the jeans by 1/2″.  Fold and press another 1/2″ to create a double-fold hem.  Pin or clip in place.
5. Set your sewing machine to a bit longer stitch length (I lengthened the stitch to a 3).  Working slowly, sew your new hem approximately 3/8″ from the edge.  It may be easiest to sew with your jeans turned inside out and place the sewing needle inside the cuff to stitch on the right side of the hem.  Add a second row of stitching if desired.
6. Repeat for the second leg and you’re done!

I am thrilled with how my new capri jeans turned out – they’re lighter and easier to move around in – perfect for spring.  Also, they go great with these adorable ECCO Ballerina Patch flats.   The shoes feature soft leather uppers, a breathable full leather lining, and foam insole for added comfort.  The outer patchwork design is sewn from a variety of rich leathers that are light and flexible.  My ECCO boots that I wore daily this winter (including hours of touring through Paris last Fall) have proven comfortable and these flats seem to provide the same stylish comfort.  I love a pair of shoes that I can wear throughout the day.   I also added this ECCO Sculptured Shoulder Bag to my outfit and let me tell you, it is divine!  It’s made from cow leather and features water-repellant Baby Ottoman lining.  The gunmetal hardware blends so nicely with this subtle Woodrose color and I kind of love that it will coordinate with lots of looks so that I can use it daily.  Nice and big and ready to stash whatever this busy mom needs!  The inside has a dedicated phone pocket, zip pocket, and key ring strap – nothing’s getting lost in the bottom of this baby, but I’m pretty sure it will fit all the things!!  Dreamy! My blouse was handmade by me.  It is the top version from the Marigold Dress Pattern and I love the elastic waist and pretty neckline.  I used gold buttons on this one to dress it up some and the big bow tied sash gives it some added style.  Cap sleeves make it great for the warmer weather!  The fabric is a polyester I picked up at Britex last Fall. Alright, friends!  It’s time to give away the most awesome prize!!  $250 for some ECCO shoes of your very own!  Can you already smell the sweet smell of that real, supple leather?? What’s your favorite spring shoe trend? Tell me below in the comments for a chance to win an ECCO shoe card worth up to $250!!  Eek!

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