Tutorial: How to Hem Jeans and Keep the Original Hem Top-Stitching
December 16th, 2011 § Leave a Comment
I atually find it harder to alter something existing than making something new. Something about the pressure of limited fabric, and NEEDING to get it done right is far more anxiety inducing than drafting an entirely new pattern, fitting a muslin, and making a garment from scratch. An odd dilemma, I know, because usual alterations are such minor things … letting a seem out a little, taking a garment in, and the super easy, hem.
I have recently purchased some new pants, which are, frighteningly, the most expensive jeans I have ever owned, and even though they are petites, at $200 a pair they don’t want to short you—pun intended. Thus I have a need to hem them three inches shorter. In addition, in the hemming pile, two pairs of Ramon’s pants, 2 pairs of yoga/indoor pants belonging to me, 3 pairs of my sisters jeans, you can see this is a long list.
As previously mentioned, this scares me.
I don’t really want to cut off the excess fabric while I hem these pants. What if I make them too short even for my little pony legs. Or what if I grow. Well, given that I am almost 30, I do understand that the only way that I am going to be growing is outward, not upward, unless you look at growing upward figuratively, which is probably also just as unlikely at this point. Still the fear persists, and I know that I’m not alone.
When my sister approached me with hemming her pants, while she is much less a seamstress, and much more a lawyer, found a technique of hemming jeans to keep the original hem stitching, and having an invisible seem in which the excess fabric is folded back, and kept, or cut off if too bulky. I know that I am not the originator of this technique, but it is fabulous and worth sharing.
Tutorial: How to Hem Jeans and Keep the Original Hem Top-Stitching
Before beginning, Pre-Wash your Jeans and you should also check the label to check the fabric content and care instructions.
1. Put on pants, and have a friend or helper pin the fabric with the inside folding towards the outside, making right sides together.
2. Using a ruler, Measure the distance from the edge of the fabric to the fold. If you have used multiple pins, find the average, then re-pin the pants, and try them back on. Make sure that the fold of the fabric hits the place where you want it it.
3. Take the distance and divide it by 2. Write down this number. Remove the pins.
4. Take the number you have written down, and fold the pants over by this new depth (should be half of your original measurement) with Right sides together.
5. Beginning with the seam on the inside of the leg of the pant, either sewing by hand, or using a sewing machine, stitch right next to the existing rolled hemline, remembering to remove the pins as you go.
6. BEFORE PROCEEDING, try pants on in front of a mirror. Remember that when you look down, it will change the shape of your pants, so try to stand-up straight when analyzing. If the new hem length is not where you like it, use a seem ripper and remove the stitching that you just created, adjust as necessary, and re-stitch.
Now is the time to make corrections!
7. Press hem with excess fabric folded up the leg of the pant.
8. Repeat for other leg.
9. Tack the fold up, using a sewing needle and thread. I used a quick whip-stitch to do this, and it is not visible on the oustide of the pant leg.
If there is a lot of excess fabric, you may want to cut it using fabric shears, or use a serger/overlock machine to cut and finish off the raw edge (See Step #11).
10. Press the hem again.
Optional
If you have access to a serger or an overlock machine you may choose to cut off the excess fabric, and finish the edge. However, BE SURE TO TRY PANTS ON AND PRESS BEFORE CUTTING ANY EXCESS FABRIC. I hate making mistakes, and once you do this, you can’t change it back. My mother always says, “We regret more things we didn’t do, than things we did.” So just try them on again, it’ll only take a minute.
11. On Machine, starting an inch or two before the inside side-seam of the pant leg, begin sewing, cutting down into the excess folded fabric only. Do this until the new stitch line is under the foot of your serger, but not the the cutting blade. I leave about 1/4″ of an inch between the stitch line and the blade.
12. Work around entire pant leg, removing excess fabric. Stitch over stitching you have just made for about 1/2″ to secure.
13. Fold the overlocked edge up, into the pant. You may still want to tack this new edge (see step 9).
14. Press the hem again.
