How to hem by machine and by hand, including pants
Marking a hem with a helper, hem allowances by garment, edge finishes, double-fold and blind hems by machine, hand hems, and pants hemmed to length.
Start here Essentials
At minimum, sew one machine hem and one hand hem on scrap. If you have pants or a skirt to shorten, hem that too. Everything marked Go deeper can wait.
- Sew a double-fold machine hem on scrap. Turn 1/4 in, then 1 in, and stitch (machine hems).
- Sew 6 in of blind stitch or catch stitch by hand on scrap. Keep the stitches loose (hand hems).
- Mark one garment to length with a helper. Wear the shoes you will wear with it (marking a hem).
- Press, trim and hem it by machine or by hand. Follow the order under hemming pants to length.
- Record it. The garment goes on the mending log; the scrap hems on the stitch sample log.
Minimum time: about 45 minutes for the scrap hems; about two hours with a garment. Done when: one garment is hemmed to length and logged, or, if you have nothing to shorten, both scrap hems are on the stitch sample log.
1. Marking a hem Understand
A hem finishes the bottom edge of a garment by folding the edge to the inside and securing it. The hemline or fold line is where it folds; the hem allowance is the fabric folded up behind it. Oregon State's hemming sheet (OSU Extension, Hemming Skills, 4-H 320-32, revised 2024) says a finished hem should hang smoothly, sit level with the floor, not show on the right side unless it is meant to, and be even in width inside, without lumps or tucks.
Most of that is settled before a stitch is sewn, by the marking. OSU's method:
- Let a new garment hang. OSU says to hang a new garment on a hanger for one whole day before marking, after it is fitted and otherwise finished. For an old garment, remove the old hem and press out the crease as well as you can.
- Dress for it. For a skirt, dress or pants, wear the shoes and undergarments you will wear with it, and the belt if it has one.
- Stand naturally. Arms down, weight on both feet. The helper moves around you; you do not turn to look.
- Have the helper mark. With a skirt marker or a yardstick held upright on the floor, the helper places pins about 3 in (7.6 cm) apart along the fold line, keeping it level with the floor.
OSU calls having someone else mark the hem while you wear the garment the best way. Convention The reason is plain geometry: a level hem depends on how the garment hangs on you, and you cannot see the back hem straight on while standing straight. Physical principle On pants, the helper marks each leg, since the two may not hang the same.
Then check the mark. OSU turns the garment inside out over the ironing board, folds the hem up on the pin line, pins across the fold every 2 to 3 in, and hand-bastes close to the fold. Try it on again. If the length is wrong or the line is not level, clip the basting, re-pin and adjust. This try-on is the step that decides the length; everything after it is execution. Test it
2. Hem allowance, bulk and edge finishes
OSU sets hem width by the garment, how curved the edge is and the weight of the fabric:
| Garment or edge | Hem width (OSU) | Note (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Skirts, dresses, coats | 2 to 3 in (5 to 8 cm) | Weight at the edge helps a long garment hang |
| Jackets, pants, blouses | 1 to 2 in (2.5 to 5 cm) | A shorter edge carries less |
| Straight edges | May be wider than flared ones | A straight fold lies flat at any width |
| Flared or circular edges | As narrow as 1/4 in (6 mm), rolled, by hand or machine | The wider a curved hem, the more extra fabric it must fold in |
Other sources use their own figures inside those ranges. Utah State's youth skirt turns 1/4 in, then 1 in. The University of Kentucky's Go Green tote folds its top edge 1 in, then 1 in again. Both are given under machine hems.
Hem allowances are conventions. When a garment already has a hem, its width and method are the first guide, because the cut and fabric were planned around them; when you sew from a pattern, the pattern's hem allowance and instructions win over this table. Nothing here settles length: the marking and the try-on do.
Once the width is chosen, OSU measures it from the fold all the way around with a seam gauge, marks it with chalk or pins, and trims the extra so the hem is even. Open the hem away from the garment before cutting, so the scissors do not catch the garment itself.
Reducing bulk at the seams
Where a side seam or inside leg seam runs down into the hem, the folded hem has four layers of seam allowance in it. OSU's cutting sheet (OSU Extension, Cutting Skills, 4-H 320-12) says to trim the seam allowance below the fold narrower than the allowance above it, beginning the trim about 1/16 in (1.5 mm) above the fold, so the fold itself lies flat. It adds a caution worth keeping: do not trim so much that the hem can no longer be let down. The hemming sheet calls the same step trimming the side seams within the hem slightly, to prevent a ridge. Convention
Fullness on a curve
On a flared or curved hem, the cut edge is longer than the place it folds up against, so the hem ripples. OSU's remedy is ease stitching: a line of slightly longer than normal machine stitches 1/4 in from the cut edge, with the bobbin thread pulled up with a pin every few inches until the extra fullness lies flat. Press it lightly with heavy paper between the hem and the garment, so no ridge shows. OSU accepts small wrinkles from the fullness, but not tucks or overlaps; if they appear, make the hem narrower. Physical principle
Edge finishes
The cut edge of the hem allowance needs a finish so it does not ravel. OSU prefers lightweight, simple finishes, because a bulky one shows through as a ridge on the right side.
| Finish | How (OSU) | Suits (OSU) |
|---|---|---|
| Stitched and pinked | Machine-stitch 1/4 in from the edge; trim with pinking shears without cutting the stitches | Knits, fabrics that do not ravel, garments without hard wear |
| Turned and stitched (clean finished) | Turn 1/4 in under, press, topstitch 1/8 in (3 mm) from the fold | Lightweight fabrics; durable, washable medium-weight fabrics |
| Zigzag | Zigzag 1/4 in from the edge at medium width and length, then trim to the stitching | Most fabrics that ravel; a multi-stitch zigzag for sweater knits |
| Serged | A two- or three-thread serged edge, which trims and finishes in one pass | Fabrics that ravel easily; three-thread keeps a knit's stretch |
| Seam binding | Lap the binding 1/4 in over the right side of the edge; straight stitch | Straight hems that ravel |
| Stretch lace | As seam binding, sewn with a zigzag | Curved hems and stretchy fabrics that ravel |
| Bias tape | Open one fold, stitch on the fold line just below the ease stitching; fold the start back about 3/8 in and overlap the end about 1/4 in | Flared or circular hems, because it shapes to the curve |
OSU notes that the enclosed finishes (seam binding, stretch lace, bias tape) add fabric at the edge and may cause a ridge on light- to medium-weight fabrics. On a first pass, the turned-and-stitched and zigzag finishes cover most garments. Convention
3. Machine hems
A double-fold hem turns the edge under twice, so the raw edge is enclosed inside the second fold. It needs no separate edge finish and is the hem on most pillowcases, tote tops, simple skirts and pajama legs. Two extension projects give exact figures:
| Source | First turn | Second turn | Stitching |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utah State, Youth Elastic Waist Skirt (USU Extension) | Stitch 1/4 in from the edge, press to the wrong side on that line, stitch 1/8 in from the fold | 1 in (2.5 cm) to the inside | Upper edge of the hem, 1/8 in from its fold |
| University of Kentucky 4-H, Go Green Tote (UK 4-H Sewing, Junior Level) | Stitch lines 1/4 in and 1 in from the top edge as guides; press along the 1 in line | Another 1 in | Close to the lower hem edge |
The stitched guide line is the useful trick in both: it gives the fold an exact line to press along. The stitching on a double-fold hem shows on the right side, as one row. Singer's HD4423 stitch reference (Singer, HD4423 stitch reference) calls this a topstitched hem and says to use matching thread for a less noticeable hem or contrasting thread for a bold one. Product-specific
Use the straight stitch from your sample log; a 2.5 mm stitch (10.2 stitches per inch) from Stitching and tension suits medium cotton. Sew with the wrong side up, so you can see the fold you are stitching beside, and press the hem once it is stitched.
The machine blind hem
A blind hem stitch sews several straight stitches in the hem allowance, then one sideways stitch that catches a thread or two of the garment. Folded correctly, only those single catches show on the right side. OSU says machine blind hemming suits children's clothing, household items and sportswear when the fabric is bulky enough to hide the stitches, and to set the stitch width as narrow as possible so it catches only a thread of the garment. Singer's reference uses a blind hem foot with the blind hem stitch and says the stitch is designed for woven, non-stretch fabrics. Product-specific The fold for a machine blind hem differs from machine to machine; follow your own manual's diagram, and practice on a scrap of the garment fabric until the catches do not show, as OSU says.
The narrow rolled hem
OSU's machine method for tuck-in blouses and shirts, and for items whose hem needs to be durable: after marking, trim the hem allowance to 1/2 in (1.3 cm), staystitch any curve 1/4 in from the edge, press a 1/4 in fold, fold another 1/4 in and press, then stitch along the inner fold. Practice it on a sample first. Singer's reference describes a narrow hem foot, sold as an accessory for some models, that rolls the edge as it sews.
4. Hand hems and fused hems
OSU calls hand stitching the traditional way to attach a hem, and still the best way for many hems; the University of Tennessee's repair sheet (UT Extension 4-H, Repair Your Clothes) says machine stitching takes less time and is sturdier. Both statements hold: a hand hem is nearly invisible and easy to let down; a machine hem is quick and strong but shows a row of stitching. Choose by the garment. Preference
Where the stitches go
OSU distinguishes two placements. In inside hemming, you fold the garment back and stitch between the hem and the garment, about 1/8 in below the hem's top edge, so the edge itself floats free. In over-the-edge hemming, the stitches pass over the finished edge. OSU prefers inside hemming because a ridge is less likely to show. It matches placement to the edge finish:
- A stitched-and-pinked or zigzag edge: inside hemming, with the blind stitch or catch stitch.
- A turned-and-stitched edge or an enclosed edge (seam binding, lace, bias tape): the vertical or slanted hemming stitch over the edge. OSU says the vertical one is more durable; the slanted one is faster.
Rules for every hand hem
From OSU's hemming sheet, which agrees with its hand-sewing sheet and with the University of Kentucky's hand stitches sheet:
- Start at a seam, and hide the knot inside the hem.
- Take tiny stitches in the garment, one or two threads, or part of one heavy thread.
- Space stitches about 1/4 to 3/8 in (6 mm to 1 cm) apart.
- Do not pull the thread tight. A tight hem stitch puckers the right side and gives a hard line that shows when pressed.
- Lock the stitching about every 12 in (30 cm) with a couple of stitches on top of each other, so a broken thread lets go of a few inches, not the whole hem.
- Do not cut the thread off too short.
Which stitch for which fabric
Oregon State, Tennessee 4-H and Kentucky pair the stitches with fabrics in much the same way:
- Blind stitch: woven, non-stretchy fabric, with the edge finished.
- Catch stitch: knits and other stretchy fabric, and flat hems in pants and heavy fabric; it stays flexible. Kentucky prefers the blind catch stitch for most knits.
- Slip stitch: a folded or turned edge.
Each source's own pairing, with the spacing each gives. The sources overlap rather than conflict:
| Stitch | Oregon State | Tennessee 4-H | Kentucky (CT-MMB.002) | Spacing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blind stitch | Non-stretchy fabric | Woven fabric that ravels, edge finished with seam binding or overcast | Treated as a close-spaced slip stitch | 1/8 to 1/4 in below the edge; 1/4 to 1/2 in apart (OSU, sewing.org) |
| Catch stitch | Non-raveling, stretchy fabric; flexible | Flat hems in pants, knits and heavy fabric | Blind catch stitch preferred for most knits | About 1/4 in apart, worked left to right (OSU, UKY, sewing.org) |
| Slip stitch | A folded or turned edge | Woven fabric with a turned-over edge | Hems, waistbands, linings | 1/8 to 3/8 in (UKY); about 1/4 in (sewing.org) |
For woven pants with a zigzag edge, the blind stitch (OSU) and the catch stitch (UT) both fit; the catch stitch gives a little more in a hem that bends at the ankle. Convention The method for each stitch is in the table in Everyday mending. The sewing.org page (sewing.org, Hand Stitching Techniques) describes the blind catch stitch as worked like the blind stitch, with the hem folded away from you.
Fusible web hems
Fusible web is a heat-activated adhesive sheet or strip that bonds two layers of fabric when pressed. It is a fast way to attach a hem, and very difficult to change once it is fused, as OSU says. How well it lasts depends on the web and the fabric, so a washing test on your fabric settles it. Test it If you use it, follow OSU's method: test the web on a sample first (some fabrics melt with too much heat, and the fused sample should look the same as before), make every adjustment to the hem before fusing, keep the web at least 1/4 in back from the cut edge, use a strip 3/4 to 1 in wide on light to medium fabric or 2 in on heavier fabric, pin, heat-baste with light steam between the pins, remove the pins, and fuse a section at a time with the maker's settings. Let each section cool before you handle it. The iron precautions in Cutting, marking and pressing apply.
How long a fused hem lasts. The sources disagree. UT says a hem repaired with fusible web can be washed and dry-cleaned. OSU says fusing is not as long lasting or durable as other methods for wash-and-wear garments. Both may be true for different webs and fabrics, which is why the chapter sends you to a washing test.
5. Hemming pants to length
Shortening pants puts every piece above in order. The steps are assembled from OSU's hemming and cutting sheets; the arithmetic is ours.
The arithmetic
If you keep the same hem width, the amount you trim from the cut edge equals the amount you shorten. Pants shortened 1 1/2 in (3.8 cm) with a 1 1/2 in hem lose 1 1/2 in from the raw edge, and the old fold ends up inside the new hem allowance, where its crease does not show on the right side. Physical principle If you change the hem width at the same time, work from the new fold instead: cut line = new fold + the total hem allowance. For a turned or zigzag edge trimmed to the stitching, that is hem width + 1/4 in. For a double fold, it is the first turn + the second turn, and the second turn is the hem width: 1/4 in + 1 in = 1 1/4 in for a 1 in hem.
| Shorten by | Hem width | Edge | Mark the cut line below the new fold |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 1/2 in | 1 1/2 in | Zigzag 1/4 in from the edge, trimmed to it | 1 3/4 in (4.4 cm) |
| 1 in | 1 in | Turned 1/4 in and stitched | 1 1/4 in (3.2 cm) |
| 2 in | 1 in | Double fold: 1/4 in, then 1 in | 1 1/4 in (3.2 cm) |
All three hem widths sit inside OSU's 1 to 2 in range for pants.
The steps
- Take out the old hem. Unpick it with a seam ripper, cutting threads only, and press out the old crease as well as you can (OSU). Note its width and edge finish first; they are the garment's own guide.
- Mark the new fold, wearing the pants and shoes. The helper pins each leg at the new fold, about 3 in apart, level with the floor.
- Baste and try on. Fold up on the pins, pin across every 2 to 3 in, hand-baste near the fold, and check the length standing and walking. Adjust and baste again if needed.
- Mark and trim the hem width. Measure from the fold with a seam gauge all around, mark, open the hem away from the leg and trim.
- Grade the seams inside the hem. Trim the side and inside leg seam allowances below the fold, starting about 1/16 in above it, leaving enough to let the pants down later (OSU cutting sheet).
- Finish the edge. Zigzag or turn and stitch, as the table in edge finishes suggests, or prepare the double fold.
- Attach the hem. By hand with inside catch stitch or blind stitch, locked every 12 in, or by machine: a double-fold topstitched hem, or a blind hem if your machine has the stitch.
- Remove the basting and press. OSU gives the hem a final steam press along the fold and presses lightly over the hem edge so no ridge shows.
- Log it. On the mending log: method, hem width, date done. A machine hem also goes on the stitch sample log with its stitch length.
Keeping a jeans factory hem while shortening (sometimes called a Euro hem) is described in practitioner sources we could not open to read, so this manual names it and does not teach it. A tailor can do it. Shortening sleeves, and anything on a lined garment, is a tailor job in this manual too (Everyday mending).
Jeans and heavy fabric
A jeans hem is a double fold in heavy denim, and where it crosses the leg seams the layers stack up. Three makers' figures set the machine up for it:
| Item | What the maker says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Needle | Jeans/Denim needle, system 130/705 H-J, blue color code, medium ball point, sizes 70/10 to 110/18, for denim and similar fabrics; SCHMETZ says its blade design is meant to prevent breakage and skipped stitches | SCHMETZ ABC Pocket Guide, 2026 |
| Topstitching | Straight stitch 3 to 3.5 mm long, 1/4 to 3/8 in from the edge; with topstitching thread, a Topstitching needle 90/14 for medium or 100/16 for heavier fabric | Singer HD4423 stitch reference |
| Topstitch thread | Gütermann's Top Stitch thread: 100 percent polyester, No. 30, universal needle NM 100 to 120, with Sew-all thread in the bobbin | Gütermann, Top Stitch |
The makers differ on the needle for heavy thread: Singer names a Topstitching needle, Gütermann a universal needle in size 100 to 120. SCHMETZ makes a Topstitch needle (130 N, elongated eye, 80/12 to 100/16) for heavy or multiple threads. All three are one maker's guidance for its own products. Product-specific Before the real hem, sew a test through a folded scrap of the same denim with as many layers as the thickest seam, at the stitch length you plan, and look at both sides. Test it If the needle strains or strikes hard at the seams, stop: the needle routine in Troubleshooting and care covers a bent or broken needle, and your manual says how much thickness the machine takes.
Grade the seams inside the hem as above, and keep the hem width close to the original so the leg's look stays the same.
Curved hems and bias-tape finishes
For a curved shirt tail or a flared skirt, use OSU's ease stitching, a narrow hem, and a bias-tape edge if it ravels, as described under hem allowance. Practice the curve on a scrap cut to the same shape first.
6. See it: Ruth's trousers See it
Ruth Adler, 68, sewed her own clothes in her twenties and has two pairs of trousers to shorten. The fabric, hem widths and results below are invented for the example.
Known: both pairs are woven trousers with a 1 1/2 in hem and a zigzagged edge. Ruth wears them with the same flat shoes. Marking: wearing those shoes, she stands still while a neighbor holds the yardstick upright and pins each leg about 3 in apart. The pins sit 1 1/2 in above the old fold on both pairs. She bastes, tries each pair on, and walks across the kitchen; the length holds.
Worked: she keeps the 1 1/2 in hem, so she marks a cut line 1 3/4 in below the new fold (1 1/2 in of hem plus 1/4 in for the zigzag), zigzags 1/4 in from the cut edge and trims to the stitching. That takes 1 1/2 in off the raw edge, the same as the amount she shortened. She grades the leg seams inside the hem from 1/16 in above the fold.
Assumed, by Ruth: catch stitch by hand, because UT pairs it with flat hems in pants and the hem bends at the ankle; OSU's blind stitch would also fit a non-stretchy fabric. She threads the needle with the palm method from Everyday mending under her daylight lamp, starts at the inside seam, keeps the stitches loose and about 1/4 in apart, and locks every 12 in.
Open: whether the second pair, a slightly heavier fabric, hangs the same once pressed. Settled by: Ruth, trying it on after the final press. Her two log rows read "too long, hand, done" with the date and "1 1/2 in shorter, 1 1/2 in hem, catch stitch".
Free references for this chapter:
- OSU Extension, Hemming Skills: figures for marking, ease stitching, every edge finish and both hand placements.
- OSU Extension, Cutting Skills: the figure for grading seams inside a hem.
- USU Extension, Youth Elastic Waist Skirt: a double-fold hem shown step by step on a finished garment.
- sewing.org, Hand Stitching Techniques: short descriptions of the slip, catch and blind stitches with their spacing.
7. Practice: two scrap hems and one garment Practice
Minimum: a double-fold machine hem and 6 in of hand hem on scrap; one garment hemmed if you have one to shorten. Time: about 45 minutes for the scraps; about two hours with a garment. Materials: two cotton scraps about 6 by 10 in (15 by 25 cm), all-purpose thread, a hand needle, pins, a seam gauge, chalk or a fabric marker, the iron, and the garment; for marking, a helper and a yardstick.
- Double-fold machine hem. On the first scrap, stitch 1/4 in from a long edge, press it to the wrong side on the stitching, stitch 1/8 in from that fold, then fold up 1 in, pin and stitch 1/8 in from the upper fold (USU's sequence). Log it on the stitch sample log: straight stitch, length, "double-fold hem".
- Hand hem. On the second scrap, zigzag the edge 1/4 in in, trim, fold up 1 1/2 in and press. Sew 6 in of catch stitch or blind stitch between the hem and the scrap, stitches about 1/4 in apart, catching one or two threads of the scrap. Turn it over: if a stitch shows or puckers, note why. Log it.
- Mark a garment. Take out the old hem, press, put on the garment and shoes, and have your helper pin the new fold.
- Baste, try on, trim, finish, attach. Follow the steps for pants; for a skirt, the same order with the 2 to 3 in width, ease stitching if it is flared.
- Press and log. One row on the mending log with method, width and date.
Machine blind hem. If your machine has a blind hem stitch, sew 10 in of it on a scrap following your manual, narrowing the width until only single threads catch on the right side. Log the width and length that worked.
Narrow rolled hem. Trim a scrap edge to 1/2 in, fold 1/4 in twice and stitch along the inner fold.
Fusible web sample. Fuse 4 in of hem on a scrap of the fabric you would use it on, then wash it as the garment will be washed and look at it.
8. Your sewing Your sewing
9. Check your work Check your work
Criteria
- Was the length marked while the garment was worn, with the right shoes, and checked by a basted try-on?
- Is the hem level with the floor and the same width all around?
- Is the hem width within the garment's existing hem or OSU's range, and did you record which?
- Are the seam allowances inside the hem graded, with the fold lying flat?
- On a hand hem, are the stitches invisible on the right side, or tiny points at most, with no puckering?
- On a machine hem, is the stitching straight and an even distance from the fold?
Worked example
Ruth's trousers (fictional): the length was marked in her shoes by a helper with a yardstick and confirmed by a basted try-on. Her 1 1/2 in hem matches the garments' own hem and sits inside OSU's 1 to 2 in for pants. The seams are graded. Her catch stitches are loose and locked every 12 in, and do not show on the right side. The second pair's hang after pressing was the one open fact, settled by her try-on.
Common mistakes
- Marking without the shoes. The length changes with the heel. Mark in the shoes you will wear.
- Cutting before the try-on. Baste first; trimming is the step you cannot undo.
- Cutting the garment along with the hem. Open the hem away from the garment before trimming.
- Hand stitches pulled tight. They pucker the right side and snap when the hem flexes.
- Bulk at the seams. An ungraded seam makes a lump at the fold. Grade it, but leave enough to let the hem down later.
- Fusing before adjusting. A fused hem is very hard to change, OSU says.
What is still unresolved
Whether a hem hangs well on you is settled by the try-on, not by a figure. How long a fused hem lasts depends on the web and the fabric; your own washing test settles it. Keeping a jeans factory hem is not taught here.