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How to Sew a Rolled Hem by Hand

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How to sew a rolled hem by hand

Sewing a rolled hem by hand is not difficult, particularly if you already know how to sew a blind stitch by hand. A hand-sewn rolled hem is a nice choice for small, delicate projects like baby clothes. Hand-sewing produces a smooth rolled edge and many people prefer this look over machine-sewn rolled hems.

This technique is more time-consuming than sewing a hem on the serger, but it can also be easily learned and is worth the effort to master if you are going to handling many delicate fabrics.

1. Staystitch ⅛” from hemline on the outer side.
2. If you have any excess trim it ⅛” from the staystitching.
3. Fold in the raw edge along the staystitching.
4. Now you are ready to blindstitch. Ordinarily you pull each stitch tight as you sew, but when sewing a rolled hem you must take several stitches before you pull the stitching tight. Starting on the right hand side, take several, tiny blindstitches through the garment and the folded edge. Then gently pull the stitches tight; this will cause the edge to roll and produce a nice, neat look. Continue in this manner across the length of the hem and fasten off by running the needle back under several stitches.

How to Sew a Rolled Hem

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How to sew a rolled hem

Rolled hems are an excellent choice for many delicate fabrics, such as tulle, which need a narrow hem; sewing one may seem difficult if you have not tried it before. Rolled hems are not difficult; you can learn how to sew a rolled hem which looks professional.

The quickest way to sew a rolled hem is on an overlock machine (serger). Set the stitch length between 0 mm and 3 mm. Setting the length at 0 will make a hem with a fine firm edge; if you want a soft, supple picot or scalloped edge set the length at 3 mm. If you want to cover the fabric edge, but not have too stiff of an edge, 2 mm works well. The 1 mm setting will give a satin stitch look and be fairly stiff.

Before beginning you may want to press a crease to mark the hem or mark it with disappearing ink. Accuracy the first time is very important when using a serger (overlock machine) since these machines trim the excess fabric as they sew.

When producing a rolled hem or other hem on the serger, you must carefully align the overlock knives with the hemline. Place you fabric right side up under the machine foot; this is important, because you want the hem to roll to the wrong side when finished. If this is first time you have ever sewn a hem on a serger, I strongly suggest that you practice first on several scrapes of fabric before sewing on your garment or other project. Practicing will also give you a chance to experiment with the different stitch lengths and see which suits your project the best. Soon you will master the art of sewing a professional-looking rolled hem.