Common repairs

Fix a Loose or Fallen Hem

Sew a hem back into place where the stitching or the hem tape has come undone. A hand blind hem is preferable on dress trousers, skirts and dresses because it hardly shows. A machine hem is fine on jeans, casual trousers and curtains.

Beginner25 minHand or machine

What you will learn

Folding a hem back
Blind hem stitching
Pressing a hem

Before you start

Assess the damage. Lay the garment flat and see how much of the hem has come loose. Is it only a few inches, or the whole circumference?
Look at the fold line. A crease from the old fold shows where the hem should sit. Measure the hem depth, from the fold to the raw or finished edge.
Check the fabric. If the edge has frayed away, you may need to turn the hem up a little more. This shortens the garment.
Choose the method. Hand blind hem hardly shows on the outside. Machine straight stitch is quicker and suits jeans and casual garments.

Step by step

Remove loose threads and any old hem tape. Turn the garment inside out.
If the edge is raw and fraying, turn it under 1/4 in (6 mm) and press, or zigzag the edge before sewing.
Fold the hem up along the original crease. Match the depth around the garment. Press with an iron set for the fabric.
Pin the hem every 2 in (5 cm), placing pins at right angles to the fold.
For hand: use a blind hem stitch. Pick up one or two threads of the garment, then take a small stitch in the folded edge, about 1/4 in (6 mm) apart.
For machine: topstitch 1/8 in (3 mm) from the upper edge of the hem. Backstitch at each end.
Knot the thread on the inside and trim. Press the hem lightly from the wrong side. Check the hem hangs level.

Tips for a neat result

Do not pull blind hem stitches tight, or the fabric will dimple on the right side.
Use thread one shade darker than the fabric, which hides better than lighter.
On a lined garment, work between the layers.

Common mistakes and fixes

Visible stitches on the right side.

Picked up too much fabric. Take only one or two threads on the garment side.

The hem is uneven.

The fold line wandered. Measure the depth from the floor or the edge every few inches.

The hem ripples.

The hem edge is longer than the garment where it is stitched, as on a flared or curved hem. Unpick that part, run a line of long gathering stitches along the hem edge, draw it up slightly to fit, press and re-sew.

Safety and fabric care

Match the iron temperature to the care label, test on a scrap, and use a press cloth on delicate fabrics.

Check your result

The hem hangs level and flat.
Stitches are barely visible on the right side.
The fold lies in its original crease.

Stop it happening againChoose a hem stitch with a little give. Check hems when you wash, as they catch on shoes and are the first thing to drop.

When to use a professionalTake it to a tailor if the hem is on a lined formal coat, a tailored garment with a bias skirt, or a very delicate fabric.

Projects that use this

Shorten Jeans and Keep the Original HemConfident Beginner1 hr Reattach a Loose LiningConfident Beginner25 min