Hems
The Bottom Line
Hems
A. A properly sewn hem:
1. Should hang straight & even.
2. Be parallel to the floor.
Hems
B. There are 4 steps to
hemming:
1. Mark the hem length
2. Turn the hem up and
press
3. Finish the hem edge
4. Attach the hem
Hems
C. The raw edge of a hem must be
finished to prevent raveling.
1. The finish is determined by fabric &
function.
2. The raw edges of hems are finished
just like the raw edges of seams
Hems
D. The hem must be attached to the
garment.
1. Hems are attached by hand, machine,
or fusing.
Hems: by hand
2. Hand Hemming:
a. The stitches should be:
• evenly spaced
• loose enough that the fabric
doesn’t pucker
• almost invisible
• sewn with a single thread
Hems: by hand
b. There are 4 stitches used to hem by
hand. The blindstitch, hemming stitch,
catchstitch, and slipstitch
Hems: by hand
• Slip stitch:
Stitches are almost invisible
Used to attach a folded edge
such as a hemmed (turned &
stitched) finish or bias binding.
Hems: by hand
To sew, the hand needle is
slipped inside the folded edge of
the hem and the picks up one or
two threads of the fabric directly
below.
Hems: by machine
3. Machine Hemming:
a. It is the quickest “permanent”
hemming method
b. Most common methods are
Topstitched, Turned & Stitched,
Machine Blind Hem, and Rolled Hem
Hems: by machine
c. Topstitched
• Used to attach a
hem and
decorate at the
same time (the
stitching shows,
just like any
topstitching).
Hems: by machine
• Steps
Mark hem
Trim to 1 ¼”
Press hem to inside 1 ¼”
Turn raw edge in ¼” & press again.
Top stitch close to second fold.
Hems: by machine
d. Turned and Stitched
• Looks like a
topstitched hem,
but the amount of
fabric turned up is
very small (1/4”and
usually found at
the bottom of a
man’s shirt).
Hems: by machine
• Steps
Mark hem & trim so that it is 5/8”.
Turn raw edge up 5/8” & press.
Turn raw edge in to the 5/8” pressing
line and press again.
Topstitch along the second folded edge.
Hems: by machine
e. Machine Blind Hem
• Used for most commercially hemmed
garments, i.e. sportswear and pants.
• Uses the blind hem foot.
• Virtually invisible
Hems: by machine
• Steps:
Press the hem
Fold the raw edge in ¼” and
press
Pin hem in position
Turn the “hem” back on itself
Position it under the blind hem
foot
Sew using the machine blind
hem stitch
Hems: Fused
4. Fused:
a. It is considered a quick fix.
b. Used to temporarily hold a hem, i.e dressing for
work and you inadvertently pull out the hem of
your pants and need a quick fix.
c. Done with a fusible web