Hand-Hem a Pair of Trousers

What you will learn

• Measuring a hem
• Pressing a fold
• Blind hem stitch

Materials and tools

• The trousers
• The shoes you will wear with them
• Pins
• Tailor's chalk or a fabric marker
• Tape measure
• Sharp scissors
• Hand-sewing needle (sharps, size 8)
• Thread matched to the trousers, 18 in (45 cm)
• Iron and ironing board
• Seam ripper
• Press cloth

Before you start

• Check the care label for the iron heat setting.
• Wear the shoes you will wear with the trousers when you measure.

1. Unpick the old hem stitches with the seam ripper. Press out the old crease, using a damp cloth if it will not lift.
2. Put on the trousers and the shoes. Stand straight and fold one leg up from the bottom until the hem just touches the top of the shoe at the front and slopes slightly lower at the back. Pin the fold in place, then repeat on the other leg.
3. Take the trousers off and lay them flat with the legs turned inside out. Measure each leg from the crotch seam to the pinned fold. If the two measurements differ, check which leg you pinned wrongly and adjust it.
4. Mark the fold line (the new hem line) with chalk all the way round each leg. Add 1 1/2 in (38 mm) for the hem allowance and cut off the extra fabric 1 1/2 in (38 mm) below the chalk line, using sharp scissors.
5. Finish the raw edge. Fold it under 1/4 in (6 mm) and press, or overcast the raw edge by hand to stop fraying.
6. Fold the hem up to the new hem line and press with a press cloth. Pin the fold in place at the inside seam, the outside seam, the front and back, then in between.
7. Thread the needle with 18 in (45 cm) of thread and knot the end. Bring the needle out from the inside of the hem edge fold. Each leg takes several lengths, so when the thread runs short, finish with a knot inside the fold and start a new length.
8. Sew the blind hem stitch. Pick up one thread of the trouser fabric, then slide the needle along the inside of the fold 3/8 in (1 cm). Repeat all the way round.

9. Keep the thread loose. Check from the right side every 2 in (5 cm). If any stitches show, take smaller catches.
10. When you reach the start, finish with two stitches and a knot hidden inside the fold. Bury the tail.
11. Repeat on the other leg. Press both hems from the inside.
12. Try the trousers on and check the length at the front, back and sides.

Tips for a neat result

• Measure both legs separately, as legs can differ.
• Use catch stitch if the fabric is thick or stretchy.
• Press the hem before you sew, so that it is crisp.

Common mistakes and fixes

Check your result

• Both legs are the same length, with the hem just touching the top of the shoe.
• The hem lies flat and stitches are barely visible on the right side.

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