How To Sew A Narrow Hem And Rolled Hem
Hemming is generally the last step in constructing a garment. The purpose of a hem is to enclose raw edges of fabric so they won't be seen or continue to fray. Hems are used on the edges of skirts, dresses, pants, cuffless sleeves, blouses, shirts and many more types of clothing and home decor. Some garments are easier to hem than others due to their construction or fabric weave. Sheer, or silky fabrics can be slippery to work with, difficult to crease for hemming, and generally hard to control. Although patterns will give you suggestions on how to hem your garment, they might not be as thorough as you would like, especially if you are inexperienced in different hemming techniques.
Hang Before You Hem
Before hemming a new garment, especially one with a loose weave or one that is bias cut, it's best to put it on a hanger for a day. Some fabrics will stretch during this time. This explains why occasionally garment hems, even after you've meticulously measured, will be uneven when you take them out of the closet to wear. Letting the fabric hang first is especially important when making a lined dress or skirt. One layer may stretch and not the other. At the end of the 24 hours, you will know exactly how even the finished garment will hang and how much trimming may be required before hemming.
Hem Depth
People often wonder how deep a hem to create. As a general rule, very narrow hems should be used on very light weight fabrics. Deeper hems work well on heavier fabrics. Also skirts with flare, even ones made from medium weight fabrics, look best with narrow hems.
Narrow Machine Hem Versus A Hand Rolled Hem
There's no hard and fast rule about when to use a narrow machine hem versus a hand rolled hem. The issue is more one of aesthetics. Delicate or light weight fabrics and sheers can be finished using either. The difference between the two of course is that stitching will be visible on the machined hem. Hand rolled hem stitches are nearly invisible when completed. (If you own a serger machine, you can also create a rolled hem with it but it has a different look than a hand rolled hem, with rows of close visible stitching.) If you can't decide which type of hem to create, the instructions below for both may help you to decide.
How To Make A Machine Stitched Narrow Hem
You no doubt have seen beautiful bias cut skirts or sheer fabrics that are finished off with the most perfect tiny hem. It looks impossible to do. There’s no bulk to them so skirts with these hems hang beautifully. If you don't own a sewing machine attachment that helps you to make narrow hems, it may seem like a daunting task.
Ever tried making a narrow hem and ended up with unwanted ripples in the hem or fabric that pulls the hem out of shape? It's enough to make you give up all together. But once you know the trick to achieving a perfect narrow hem you’ll find them easy to do. You can use this technique on skirts, dresses, the bottom of a blouse, dinner napkins, or just about anywhere you need a nicely finished narrow hem. Here's a foolproof way to achieve the perfect 5/16 inch double turned hem with the help of your sewing machine. You'll find this hem suitable for nearly everything except a project with bulky fabric.
Things You'll Need
- Pins
- Sewing Machine
- Thread to match fabric
- Thread to contrast fabric
1. Your hem should be evenly cut to a clean edge. The length of the fabric prior to hemming should be 5/8 inch longer than your desired finished garment.
2. Thread your machine with a color that will sharply contrast the color of your fabric. You want to be able to see the thread clearly against the fabric. We used white on our multi-color dark sheer. Set your machine to a basting stitch.
3. Sew 5/8 inch from the edge of the fabric, around the entire hem.
4. Repeat step three, but this time sew 5/16 inch from the edge. Before you start sewing, change your needle position from the center, to the right side. This will make this portion of the hem a little less than 5/16 inch. You’ll find out why is helpful in turning the fabric later.
5. Create the double hem by turning the fabric under at the 5/8 inch stitching. This line will be the edge of your skirt. Working with small sections, pull slightly on the fabric which tends to make the fabric want to roll under at the 5/16 inch basting line. Because the edge to be turned is slightly less than 5/16 inch, it folds comfortably without interfering with the edge of the first fold. As you work, pin the double turned hem in place. Don't place the pins too far apart or the raw edge of the 5/16 inch hem will tend to pop up.
6. Once the entire hem is pinned, use the same contrasting thread to baste the pinned hem in place. Stitch about 1/8 inch from the top edge of the turned hem, removing the pins as you go. Do not attempt to sew over pins. On delicate and sheer fabrics, doing so will cause the fabric to shift out of place.
7. With your iron, press down the folded edges of the entire hem. Be sure the iron is hot enough to crease the fold lines but not to damage the fabric. Experiment with a pressing cloth or a scrap before putting an iron onto sheer fabrics. Remove the 5/8 inch and 5/16 inch rows of basting stitches.
8. Re-thread your machine using the color that matches your fabric. Change from a basting stitch to a regular stitch length. Sew close to the top edge of the double turned hem.
Tip
In step 6, if you baste too close to the edge, when you sew the hem with your permanent thread, it may catch some of the basting stitches, making them difficult to remove.
How To Make A Hand Rolled Hem
Hand stitched rolled hems are a thing of beauty and really not difficult to create once you know the simple steps involved. You see hand stitched rolled hems on scarves and other fine garments.
Things You'll Need
- Needle
- Thread to match fabric
1. Thread a fine needle and knot the end of the thread.
2. Turn the edge of the fabric over 1/8 inch. Direct the needle from the left into the fold, making a 1/4 inch long stitch.
3. Bring the needle down and pick up two threads of the backside of the fabric below the raw edge. This pick up should be vertically aligned with the 1/4" stitch you took in step one.
4. Take another horizontal stitch in the fold as in step one. This stitch should be spaced about 1/16 inch from the first.
5. Continue steps one, two, and three until you've worked about one inch of fabric. Carefully tug the thread, while holding the fabric securely. The fabric naturally folds over on itself and your hand stitches become almost invisible.
6. Finish the garment using the same steps, being sure to tug the thread taught after completing each inch section. Use a fastening stitch at the end to secure your work.
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Comments
Great article - hanging the garment for a day is a good tip as well.
I'm impressed that you picked up on that detail to comment on. Thanks Ray!
I agree that hanging the garment for a day is an excellent tip. I have never heard of doing that before. I also like your excellent photos. It makes it so much easier to see exactly what the hem should look like. Well done!
Thanks Debbie!
Thanks for the great instructions, and yes the pictures really add to your instructions so much that it looks real simple now.
Yes, it is simple. Thanks for your comment!
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