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