Whether You're Lengthening or Shortening A Garment...

This Simple Technique Will Help You Get The Job Done

Hemming a skirt, pair of pants, dress, shirt, blouse, etc. doesn't have to be a difficult task.

One technique is very similar to making a casing on a curtain like the one on the Simple Curtains page.  The difference is, the hem on your garment will be closed all the way around.

Use This Technique If You're Going To Use A Sewing Machine To Complete The Hem

After you try on your garment and mark it to the length you want (don't forget to have the shoes on you plan on wearing when you hem pant legs).

  If you have to cut the fabric, cut it to be one to        1 1/2 inches longer than the desired length.

 Press the hem under at your measured hem line and    pin in place.

 Try the garment on to make sure it's the right length  and it looks ok.

 If it's good, at the top of the hem, press under a 1/2   inch so that you can't see the rough edge of   the hem. 

 Now just run a straight stitch at the top of the hem.   Try to match the thread as closely as possible to the  fabric.  If you don't have an exact match, use a          thread slightly darker than the fabric.

How Do You Hem Using A Needle and Thread?

 Easy.  Follow the same instructions as above except,  eliminate the step using the sewing machine.

 Instead, use a needle and thread and slip stitch (or  blind stitch) the hem in place.  Make  sure your stitches are small approximately a half inch  apart, so that it's difficult to see them on the outside  of the garment. You do this by inserting the needle in  the main part of the garment, and "pick up" one           strand of fabric if possible.  This will help with not  seeing the stitches on the right side of the garment.