Today is Day 23 of 31 Days of Sewing School.
A hem is a most useful thing to know how to sew. Whether you are a creating a new garment from scratch, tailoring something to fit better, or making one of a host of other projects that demand a finished edge, a rolled hem is a must-have sewing skill.
It’s actually quite a simple thing to do, so find something to hem and follow along!
A rolled hem is a hem that is turned twice so that there are no raw edges that can fray. The first thing you’ll need to do is decide how deep you want your hem to be. Then you’ll follow the following steps with your measurements in mind. My instructions are written to assume a 1/2″ hem.
1. Consider how big you want to hem your item. If you want to take it up a half an inch, start by pressing your fabric 1/4″ over from the edge of the fabric along the length of it. Use a measuring tape or a small ruler every so often to make sure you are pressing it evenly as you go.
2. Turn the fabric in one more time another 1/4″ inch, measuring as you go and pressing the edge of the fabric to make a nice, straight folded edge.
3. Pin your hem in place. Make sure to pin on the side you will be sewing on.
4. Sew (on the wrong side of the fabric is preferred) about an 1/8″ from the folded edge of the hem. Start in the back of the garment, on a seam or in a place that’s not front-and-center. Backstitch at the beginning and end briefly to secure your hem. Follow the tips that will help you sew a straight line.
5. Press your hem one more time and admire your handywork. Great job!
If you like what you can see of the blouse shown in the very top photo, you can make your very own!
Did you sew your first hem– how’d it go? Stay tuned for another basic skill tomorrow, button holes.
About Nicole
That’s interesting! This is probably a difference in terminology between countries (or maybe just my learned idiosyncratic usage?), but I was taught that this was the default hem (maybe a “closed hem”?), and a “rolled hem” was the sort you often see on chiffon scarves and sometimes on handkerchiefs (not a crisp double fold, but the kind that’s literally rolled, basically as snugly as you can manage). The latter kind I’ve always hand-sewn, since I’ve never figured out how to machine-sew them and still keep the stitching invisible on the “right” side of the fabric.
I think you’re right! I always have called what I made a rolled hem (must be my idiosyncratic language
), but there is a special presser foot supposedly that does those rolled hems you’re talking about.
This series has helped inspire me to set up my sewing machine, but I’m still hesitant about hemming… Do you recommend this type of hem for trousers? I’m petite and have a stack of trousers and jeans that require shortening.
Hi Julia,
Definitely for jeans but you’ll want to make sure you have a stronger “jean” needle. My mom also recommends this cool tool, jean-a-ma-jig, to help go over the thick side seams on your jeans: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000J4IH0M/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000J4IH0M&linkCode=as2&tag=simporga05-20 (I need to get one myself!)
You probably want to do a deeper, hand-sewn hem on your trousers for a more professional look, although if you like the look of the rolled hem, I say why not!
Nice to be here and see your post!