Hemming pants|How to hem pants with a simple hem, topstitched hem

Trying to buy pants that fit in legth is impossible! The struggles for short people are real. There are two basic styles of hems for dress pants, blind hem (where the stitching is invisible to the outside) and topstitched (stitching shows on the outside).

I am going to cover the topstitched version in this blog post. I do teach both versions in Beginner Basics class.

How to measure the length of your pants

Grab a friend and have them help you pin the bottom of your pants, by turning up the extra length. Make sure if you plan to wear heels, you try the pants on with the shoes.

Prepare to sew

• Measure–the amount of the fabric turned up. Measure from the fold to the bottom of the original hem.
• Subtract–take the amount you turned up, subtract 1 1/2 inches, which equals the excess length. EXAMPLE: the amount turned up was 3 inches—subtract 1 1/2 inches =equals 1 1/2 inches that will need cut off. ****MAKE SURE to double check your math and measurements before you cut.
• Measuring to cut– I like to use a clear Quilter’s ruler, which is 6″ x 24″. The clear ruler helps to make sure you have your cut line straight. You will need to mark your cut line 1 1/2 inches from the bottom. Draw your line and cut off the excess.
• Fold–fold your raw edge up 3/4 inch and then, fold again 3/4 inch. The raw edge is encased so it will wash without raveling.
• Topstitch–make sure that your thread matches as close as possible to the color of the pants. If you cannot match the color, make sure that you go a slight bit darker. Stitch at 3/4″, normally stitched on the right side, but if you feel more comfortable, you can stitch on the wrong side, where you can see the hem. Make sure you stitch the same distant from the hemline all the way around.
• Stitch length– I prefer to stitch at 3.0 to 3.2, depending on the pant and what the factory stitch was. Professional stitch –try to match the factory stitch.

Finish

Give the hem a light press. If you have a spray bottle of water, lightly spray the hem and press. This gives a professional finish.

Congratulations on finishing the hem !