Sewing a Hem: the basics–part I

Sewing a hem: the basics—part I

Sewing a hem is not complicated, but it does take patience. Marking and turning up a dress or skirt hem is the time consuming part of hem sewing. Precise marking makes the difference between an uneven hem that detracts from your garment and a professional looking finish that adds to the piece’s overall look.

To mark the hem of a skirt or dress, have a friend help you. Try on the garment wearing the undergarments that you will wear with it, since they do make a difference in the way the garment fits and the way it hangs. Have your friend mark the distance from the floor to your finished hem length, using a yardstick or a specially designed hem marker. Straight pins placed parallel to the floor at 2 or 3 inch intervals give an accurate marking; place the pins around the entire length of the skirt. If you must do this by yourself, there is a special device on a stand which marks the hemline using a hand operated bulb with blows powered chalk.

The next step is to press the hem into place. Turn your garment wrong side out and put it on your ironing board or another flat padded surface. Turn the garment up along the marked line. Match each seamline and put a pin at right angle through both layers of fabric. Continue this way all around the hem, placing the pins about 1” or 1 ½” If the fabric is not slippery you can space the pins wider apart. Press the hem in place, using the appropriate iron setting for your fabric. Now you are ready to sew your hem.

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