While doing the laundry one day, I got to thinking that if cotton shrinks it probably stretches, too. I decided to experiment on my kids’ jeans, thinking that if I could make the legs longer we could squeak out more wear. After washing, I folded a pair of wet jeans in half lengthwise and laid them on a beach towel on the floor. Then I stood on the jeans and grabbed the hem of one of the legs. I carefully, but forcefully, began to pull up. I could feel the fabric stretching compared to the other leg. I flipped the pants over and did the same thing to the other leg. When I was done stretching the legs, I hung them up to dry. After they were dry I tossed them in the dryer for a couple of minutes to take away the stiffness. Jeans come out a couple of inches longer with this method than if I simply toss them in the dryer. Sandy, Minnesota
