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From: bluebirdie
Date: 04-26-2006, 12:53 PM (1 of 13)
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I guess this must be a problem all parents face. But since I have no kid, I need help from those of you who know kids wear better than me. My sisters kids want to come live with me sometimes and will be here again this summer. I will be tutoring the boy, Timmy, so he'll be staying even longer this time. Timmy always has a problem with his pants. They get torn up along the seams at the crotch area. He's growing too fast (he's 4ft6 and over 130lb) but he's tearing up pants so much faster than outgrowing them. A few new pants every week is just too much for my mom. Is there anything I can do to his pants to reinforce the crotch area? He'll be nine and now conscious about his appearance. Hopefully this can be done somewhat seamless from outside (and hopefully my limited sewing skill can manage). Also I guess the pants get killed so much faster when his pants seem to be falling lower because of his child figure (feel free to correct me if this is wrong). He doesn't wear belt or suspenders and doesn't want to. Almost all his pants are thick cotton or jeans and hard to work elastic in. Is there any other thing I can do or put on the pants to help his pants to stay up better? I have a few weeks to get ready any materials I'll need. So any help or suggestion you can give will be great. Thanks! - Robin
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User: bluebirdie
Member since: 03-12-2006 Total posts: 139 |
From: paroper
Date: 04-26-2006, 02:18 PM (2 of 13)
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Does Sears still offer their tough jeans policy at this age/size? I don't know if it is still in effect but they used to have a policy that if the boys' jeans wore out before they outgrew them, Sears would replace them for free (if you bought a certain brand from them.) That might be worth a try. It depends on how his pants are made but you might just be able to add a dart uinder the back belt loops or take them in at the center back to give him a little more comfort. He may just wearing them low because that is the fashion right now and that is very hard on pants.
pam
Bernina 200e, Artista V5 Designer Plus, Explorations, Magic Box, Bernina 2000DE & 335 Bernette Serger, Bernina 1530 Sewing Machine, Bernina 1300 DC Overlock (with coverstitch) |
User: paroper
Member since: 02-03-2004 Total posts: 3775 |
From: stephi
Date: 04-26-2006, 03:32 PM (3 of 13)
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My husband has the same problem. He has no backside and has very muscley thighs so his pant "bag" a bit and the inside crotch and thigh seam wears. I yell at him to gather (or pull them up) before he sits but he is still intraining. I had thoughts of taking out the original inside seam, and resewing it wider so he would have more leg room and then maybe the integrity of the seam wouldnt be tested as much?? Im not sure if this would work, but I know he has atleast three pairs that are "holey" in the closet now. Any other ideas?? Stephi Theres a very fine line between brilliance and insanity. 
Stephi
"No body knows what it is that I do until I dont do it" "if you do what you have always done you will get what you have always gotten" |
User: stephi
Member since: 03-17-2006 Total posts: 361 
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From: AndreaSews
Date: 04-26-2006, 05:15 PM (4 of 13)
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Indeed it is the fashion of youth to wear your pants half falling off! I was taking down my nephews' clothing sizes recently, and they explained their sizes and then said that they preferred to go up a couple of inches in the waist measurement so their pants can fall down properly!! That worn&torn&freyed look on the jeans hem is a sign of a well-seasoned pair of pants, and they will not respond favorably to efforts to correct it! If you make them wear belts or suspenders, they'll take them off and stuff them into their backpacks as soon as you pull away. If you tighten them with elastic, they might just go in with some scissors and fix them themselves! Now, why the crotches are wearing out so quickly....hmmm...perhaps b/c there's so much more friction in that part of the pants, what with the crotch seam hanging halfway down to the knees! Once again, I would say the proper remedy is deep breathing in a quiet room with dim lighting! The faster you replace their pants, the harder they're going to have to work to get them worn the way they like them, AND the more money you'll have thrown away. You can keep a nice pair that's neat and in good form for special purposes and insist on proper standards for settings like church, portraits, or family functions. But for all other times, might as well let them wear their "uniforms" and feel comfortable and accepted as they are. Andrea
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User: AndreaSews
Member since: 02-18-2005 Total posts: 1007 
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From: paroper
Date: 04-26-2006, 06:13 PM (5 of 13)
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What REALLY drives me crazy is when they take a pair of scissors and cut up from the hemline so that they'll cover the shoes and they can drag the hem out correctly!
pam
Bernina 200e, Artista V5 Designer Plus, Explorations, Magic Box, Bernina 2000DE & 335 Bernette Serger, Bernina 1530 Sewing Machine, Bernina 1300 DC Overlock (with coverstitch) |
User: paroper
Member since: 02-03-2004 Total posts: 3775 |
From: Sancin
Date: 04-27-2006, 12:57 AM (6 of 13)
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When my son was 9 he really didn't care how he looked and the bum showing thing wasn't in, but he did wear his pants out in the crotch. I used to, before they wore right through, line that area with flannellette, which kept them going for awhile. Re: Low slung pants. Last summer my cousin and I (beginning senior citizens) were having a cup of coffee at a beach resort. In the booth on one side of us there were 4 big musclely motorcycle types in leather and on the other side 2 male youngish looking jocks. Three young men (~ 14-18) proceeded to cross the street outside with windo, one with his pants so low he had to hobble wide stanced just to keep them from falling off. He walked behind the others whose pants were so long they wrinkled and dragged on the ground (like dressed up in their father's pants). Just as we started to comment on how uncomfortable the clothes must be the men on either side of us started talking to each other about what type of impression the young men were trying to make and guffawing about how 'unsexy' they were. I was thinking that in spite of the look that should have been 'who cares' all three teens were so self conscious it was a shame that daring is wasted on the young. I have seen this in other teens. I think if they colour their hair (and dress as they do) they should act saucy and confident as Cindy Lauper did. I know a dignified retired director of nursing who now confidently wears her hair bright purple - and has fun. 
*~*~*~* Nancy*~*~*~* " I try to take one day at a time - but sometimes several days attack me at once."
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User: Sancin
Member since: 02-13-2005 Total posts: 895 
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From: bluebirdie
Date: 04-27-2006, 12:57 PM (7 of 13)
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Hm... And I thought all this time the sweet and innocent Timmy was wearing his pants low becasue he couldn't help it :-0 I like low rise pants also. But if I have to shake it to keep the pants in place, people may think I am physically challenged and let me park in the special zones. Anways... back to the remedy. There's no Sears near where they live. But I'll ask about it anyways next time I'm in Sears for tools. Now these are the parts I'm not sure I understood: Pam, if I take in the waist a bit, would it help the wear of the crotch area? Purple hair, how do I line the curve area and make it smooth? I tried that on one of my husband's pant and it was a desaster. The finish was all rippled and uneven. I think I can do better if someone can give me a few pointers on how to line the curves. Also is there any easier solution that can be done by simple sewing (which my mom does)? He's living with my parent most of the time. I can see it's digging a hole in my mom's wallet with all the cost for food and clothes. I want to try some remedies when they're here and, if they work, show my mom how to do it. - Robin
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User: bluebirdie
Member since: 03-12-2006 Total posts: 139 |
From: Clarkia
Date: 04-27-2006, 02:21 PM (8 of 13)
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Mending jeans crotches is THE most difficult job on the planet! I forget if you said how old Timmy is. We all need to have control over our lives, even if we are just little guys. If somehow, you and your Mom can get Timmy himself thinking about how to make his pants last longer, if he thinks it is his own idea it just might work. Appeal to his sense of comfort, like can he run faster if his jeans are not down around his little butt? Let him buy his own jeans with money he earns, if he is old enough. Maybe he likes to budget his own money. The big problem is likely peer pressure. Maybe if he has some good friends whose parents are also facing the same problems, they could all make some minor modifications and not feel left out. Too bad how the big commercial clothing companies can influence little kids. And teen agers, too. It is all for the almighty buck, isn't it? Good luck and keep us posted! Kay Kay
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User: Clarkia
Member since: 05-05-2003 Total posts: 23 |
From: Sancin
Date: 04-27-2006, 03:41 PM (9 of 13)
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Bluebirdie It has been a long time since I did line pants crotches and I learned it from my mother who wasn't the most careful sewer in the world. As Clarkia points out it is a difficult area to sew. If I recall, I simply took some flannellette (usually from a worn sheet) and laid it snuggly over the leg area from just above the crotch to just below (while pants are laid out flat), cut the material snuggly to fit and then ziz zagged the flannel into the seams. It did require sewing across the pants on top of the flannel to keep his leg from going down the wrong place when putting his leg in the pants. Thus it was obvious from the outside. This same technique was used on the knees of jeans. I don't know why it works to prevent wearing through but it seemed to for awhile. But my son didn't care how he looked at 9 years old. At 36 he still doesn't and is one of these ridiculous men going bald but has long hair in the back! Fortunately he is in a business when oddities are the norm. Unfortunately children grow up more quickly than they did 30 years ago and seem to care more - unless they are preoccupied scientific or reader nerds. From what I observe around here, that hasn't changed. 
*~*~*~* Nancy*~*~*~* " I try to take one day at a time - but sometimes several days attack me at once."
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User: Sancin
Member since: 02-13-2005 Total posts: 895
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From: paroper
Date: 04-27-2006, 07:11 PM (10 of 13)
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When those pants fall down there is a lot more friction and stress on the crotch and related areas so if your child is not wearing them low because it is fashion and actually wants to have his pants stay up, taking them up in the waist might be a solution instead of belts or suspenders which they won't wear. Some of those guys can hardly walk! A few years ago I had to measure a show choir for cumberbuns. I had one of those kids in the choir...I couldn't figure out how to measure him! I was sure embarrassed! It is so much easier when their pants are in the right place!
pam
Bernina 200e, Artista V5 Designer Plus, Explorations, Magic Box, Bernina 2000DE & 335 Bernette Serger, Bernina 1530 Sewing Machine, Bernina 1300 DC Overlock (with coverstitch) |
User: paroper
Member since: 02-03-2004 Total posts: 3775 |
From: vickki
Date: 04-27-2006, 07:39 PM (11 of 13)
| My grandson has the same problem....He is a little puggy around the waist that's his problem.His pants are constantly falling down and the hems are always frayed.....I hate to see him like that,so we went shopping and he picked out a belt.....,now the bed post wears it and his pants are still falling..He knows when I take him out on Fridays his pants better be on his waist instead of his crotch....Loves his though.... |
User: vickki
Member since: 08-21-2005 Total posts: 374 |
From: bluebirdie
Date: 04-27-2006, 07:50 PM (12 of 13)
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Oh Pam, I finally got it. Will do. I think I'll take Timmy shopping when he visits. Get one or two sizes up and take in the waist. That I can manage and I can show my mom how to. She'll be here too. Is mending jeans crotches really THE most difficult job on the planet? That explains it! My husband tried on a pant I mended for him. Seeing the seams so crooked after my handy work, we laughed so hard that he busted the mended seam open! All that work for a minute of laughter. What cheap thrill! Did I hear someone just mentioned a nerd? Hm... I wonder who's the nerd around here :-0 My hearing is not as good as it used to be and I took that as a blessing! But seriously, someone should start a new fashion trend. - Robin
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User: bluebirdie
Member since: 03-12-2006 Total posts: 139 |
From: DorothyL
Date: 04-28-2006, 08:14 AM (13 of 13)
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It's not just kids. My husband is a case manager in a half way house for convicted felons. If they don't get a job within 15 days they are back in prison. He says it is really interesting to explain to a 40-year-old man that it is inappropriate to go to a job interview with your pants falling off. Dorothy |
User: DorothyL
Member since: 12-09-2002 Total posts: 3883 |
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