Hems

Renaissance fairs remain popular, and fair-goers wear period costumes to make the fairs more fun. Women wear skirt styles that were common in the Renaissance, and some even buy expensive costumes.…

After making something out of burlap, the material usually has rough edges, regardless of how cleanly you try to cut it. To ensure that the fabric looks neat and does not fray, fold the edges over and…

Sometimes the simplest sewing job is the most difficult -- or at least the most frustrating. Unless you desire the frayed look, loose edges on a skirt or jacket can make hemming time consuming and…

Fabric plays an important role in your home décor, whether you use it for tablecloths, curtains or drapes. Making your own fabric accents gives you a greater choice of colors and materials…

You execute a hem on a mink jacket in much the same way you would for other garments. The process begins by crafting and creasing the hem; you then sew the hem into place with a durable stitch. Be…

Hemming jacket sleeves with buttons can be a challenge. Some people prefer to take the jacket to a professional seamstress or tailor. Prices can be reasonable for the alteration, but in some cities it…

That suede coat in the store window you couldn’t live without might not fit quite right when you finally bring it home and try it on. If this is the case, don’t bring the jacket to your…

Originally worn as part of a European seaman's cold weather uniform, the peacoat has become a fashion staple for men and women alike. The classic peacoat is a short navy wool jacket featuring a…

Hems on garments serve two functions: They prevent fabric from unraveling and they give the garment a finished, polished look. There are several traditional styles for hemming, but most of them…

Although a beautiful shawl needs no further embellishment, a fringed or knotted hem can add texture and motion. A standard rolled hem can add bulk to a wrap just at the places where you want it to be…

Rich, glossy, luxurious satin adds elegance to garments, curtains or bedding. Originally woven of silk, modern satin is also made of acetate, cotton or polyester in a range of fabric weights. While…

If your height is slightly taller or shorter than the average, you may run into issues when selecting the right length for your bridesmaid dress. Some bridesmaids will receive their dress only to find…

Coat hems go up or down with the latest fashion trends, but what's most important is how the length looks on you. Some may need to shorten every garment they buy, while another person might hope for…

Mitering the corners on a set of drapes that you are making creates a neat, professional look on the finished drapes. When you miter corners, you trim away a portion of the fabric to reduce bulk on…

Hemming a sweater is not much different than hemming anything else, but there are a few pitfalls. You have to be careful not to let the fabric unravel when you cut it, and if the sweater is extra…

Hemming a blazer can be a challenge and is best left to those with moderate to advanced sewing skills. Often, a blazer hem is created during the construction of the blazer when the lining is sewn to…

Knit fabrics -- such as fleece, velour and jersey -- stretch across the grain of the fabric. This feature requires a hem that will stretch with the fabric. A coverstitch machine, or serger with the…

Jeans are an important part of many a good fashion statement, but finding a pair at the department store that is exactly your size and your style can prove fairly difficult. Many pairs might fight you…

Satin dresses remain a common garment in many wardrobes because of the beauty and shine of the fabric with which they are made. However, satin is a delicate and slippery material. If you need to hem a…

If the hem of your blazer has come undone, you can take it to a seamstress or tailor for repair. Replacing a hem is a sewing task that you can also do at home. Sewing a hem into your blazer will take…

Finishing a sleeveless top can be challenging because of the sharp curves of the armhole shape. A bend-back hem can be used on a woven fabric that won't fray, and only on an armhole that is generous…

Sweatshirts debuted as primarily functional items of fashion that blocked out cold temperatures and kept muscles warm. Nowadays, sweatshirts can have chic patches and patterns that distinguish them…

Most people find themselves needing to hem an article of clothing at some point. You may have to shorten a garment, or perhaps you're fixing a hem that was torn. In either case, you could take your…

Hemming the sleeves on your sports jacket can save you a trip to the tailor and some money. Altering your sports jacket sleeves can seem like a daunting task. But with a few simple sewing tools and a…

Hemlines help shape and support a garment’s structure. For example, a hemline sewn with flexible horsehair braid adds a graceful fullness to skirts and dresses. Horsehair braid contains a ribbon…

One of the attractions of ornate bridal gowns is their exquisite hem detailing. However, this detailing can cause problems when you go to hem the gown, as you won't be able to do so without destroying…

Sheer drapes may hang alone in a window as a simple, yet elegant, covering. Sheers also coordinate easily with other window coverings to make a complementary design. If you make your own simple…

“One of the most important fashion aspects of any garment is its hemline,” state the editors of "The Vogue Sewing Book." How true. A bad hemline screams “homemade,”…

The vertical, or side hems, along the length of draperies are visible when the draperies are hung. When draperies are made with delicate fabrics, such as satins, this visible stitching can detract…

There's no need to take a garment to a tailor to get it shortened. If you have basic sewing skills you can hem the garment yourself in just minutes with a basic hem seam. This can save you money and…

The hem on a pair of pants or a skirt can set the tone for your entire outfit. If a hem is too wide, it can make your pants or skirt too short and the outfit will look ill-fitting and awkward. If a…

Hemming a lined jacket sleeve may be intimidating because the outer material and lining material are thick when layered together. If you measure the sleeve properly and pin the fabric in place before…

The Omron HEM-725C is a fully automatic blood pressure measuring device. It's powered by batteries, which makes it highly portable for on the fly blood pressure checks. The simple to read digital…

There are many scenarios where you may wish for a shorter coat. Whether you have recently moved to a warmer climate or received a large coat as a gift from a store that isn't in your area, you can…

Perhaps you're saving money on your wedding dress by bargain hunting at a vintage boutique, or you lucked out on a prom dress on clearance, but the dress is just a tad too long, or much too long.…

If you like the color, cut and style of a golf shirt, but it's just a little too long, buy it anyway and hem it yourself. Golf shirts are generally made of cotton -- a fabric that is simple to work…

If you have sewn a hem but are unhappy with the way the stitching looks, you may want to conceal the stitches. When working with delicate fabric such as silk or satin, more stitches may damage the…

An iron-on hem may also be called hem tape, and it involves ironing a thin strip of tape into the crease of a hem and then ironing it shut. The iron heats the glue and melts the fabric together.…

Lightweight fabrics used to make tablecloths, fabric napkins or lightweight curtains often have rolled hems, which reduce the bulk of the finished hem. A rolled hem is a narrow hem sewers make using a…

Slacks and jeans are often made with inseams that are longer than necessary. Hemming the pants corrects this problem, but removes the original factory hem. This often results in an…

Hem lines are added to garments to prevent garment ends from fraying and unraveling. When sewing a new garment or altering an existing hem line, it is important to obtain the correct hem line…

Singer, a leading manufacturer of sewing machines and related products, offers two presser feet attachments for hemming. One is the blind hem presser foot that is available for certain serger models.…

Polyester knit fabrics contain man-made fibers that provide comfortable stretch. When you wear clothing made of polyester knits, you can enjoy the combination of comfort and style. Keep in mind, as…

Instead of taking your slacks to a seamstress or tailor, measuring and hemming your cuffs into place is a worthwhile project for even the most inexperienced person. This project is best done on pants…

Give your home-sewn garments constructed from light- to medium-weight fabrics a professional finish with a narrow hem, so they don't look homemade. Tackling the narrow hem, especially with flimsy,…

Countless men and women wear pants every day, and whether they are wearing slacks or jeans, their pants may be too long. Petite women and shorter men often have trouble purchasing pants that are short…

Pin tucks are narrow folds in fabric that are stitched into place, creating a slight gather. They embellish men's, women's and children's garments. You can stitch pin tucks in straight rows or in…

Home sewn blankets can be thoughtful, practical and beautiful gifts for family and friends. With so many fabric types and prints available, homemade blankets can be made to match the particular…

According to Home Sewing Projects, tucks on fabric are created as intricate details on fabric crafts and are usually executed using a straight stitching technique. The scalloped, or shell, tuck is an…

Sewing a curved hem can be a challenging feat for any seamstress since the fabric tends to bunch and ripple along a curve. There is a method for achieving a professionally sewn hem on a curve using a…

Rolled hems, also known as narrow hems, provide a tight, professional-looking edge to even the sheerest of fabrics. This hem is achieved by the use of a special sewing machine presser foot, known as…

Wearing a jersey is a wonderful way to show your support for your favorite team or player and wearing one to a game has become a common practice. Jerseys are typically made of a nylon or polyester…

French hems, or seams, are a clever sewing trick for concealing easily frayed and unsightly edges throughout your sewn garments. The edges are self-contained tubes by sewing the seams in a specific…

Use a European hem when you need to shorten a pair of jeans or pants. The European hem keeps the original hem on the pants so that it doesn't look as though you shortened them at home. Sewing the hem…

Sewing a rolled hem on the bottom of skirts, pants, costumes, cloth napkins and table linens reveals a clean edge and hides any fraying fabric within the double-folded hem. Sewing machine…

Adding lace to a hem is a simple way to dress up an item of clothing. Purchase lace trim from a fabric store or make your own. Adding lace doesn't just dress up an outfit, it can make a skirt, shirt…

Creating useful items from leather dates back to prehistoric times. Early man used leather for everything from clothing to shelter. Leather is the skin or hide of an animal that has been treated or…

Handkerchiefs make elegant gifts for brides and for young woman's hope chest. Handmade handkerchiefs, especially monogrammed ones, are coming back in style at upscale linen shops and department…

A french seam is the standard seam for any sheer fabric in the industry. It is is an encased seam that hides the fabric edge inside the seam allowance. A french seam requires a little planning, as it…

Many lace garments are designed to use the shaped edges of the lace at the hemline and the edges of the sleeves. If you would prefer a straight line at the hem, you can cut the shaped lace fabric in a…

Horsehair ribbon is a loosely woven nylon braided ribbon that you apply to wide, full skirt hems. Rigid and stiff, the horsehair holds out the wide hem and prevents it from collapsing without the need…

Creating a hemmed edge on a piece of fabric prevents it from fraying and gives any garment or other sewn item a professional-looking finish. Hemming an edge is simple enough for even novice of sewers,…

A flared skirt that droops may need some stiffening at the hemline. Horsehair braid is a synthetic mesh or loosely woven braid that flexes to hold a shape. Horsehair braid sewn to a hemline can give a…

If your favorite skirt has popped a seam, don't spend the day with clothing held together with safety pins. Even if you've never sewn on a button before, repairing a simple seam in your clothing is a…

Sewing a hem onto silk fabric can be a challenge. Silk is a delicate fabric that shows nearly all forms of stitching. Machine-sewing a hem onto silk may cause puckering of the bottom hem, which is why…

The prospect of sewing with delicate lace gives even experienced home seamstresses pause. Standard finishing techniques for hems and edges can look bulky when you use them with lace. If the lace is…

Fabric cut on the bias has more stretch or "give" making bias-cut skirts and dresses particularly flattering, but folding up the fabric along the curve of the hemline is a challenge. The hems in round…

A rolled hem foot for a sewing machine produces a much narrower hem than does sewing a rolled hem by hand. The foot is also much easier to use than sewing by hand. These machine feet come in many…

Horsehair braid trim is a type of stiffening material made from nylon fibers held together in a mesh pattern. Horsehair braid trim comes in several thicknesses. The product is designed to add…

Formal occasion dresses can be tricky to hem. This difficulty may result from the material used for the dresses, which can be filmy and slippery. Such materials, such as chiffon, taffeta, fragile…

A lettuce hem takes its name from its ruffled appearance, resembling the edge of a bunch of leaf lettuce. Sewing a lettuce hem is a fast way to add a decorative edge to a garment. This hem works best…

Using a rolled hem foot on your sewing machine may seem daunting at first, but once you use it a couple of time, you will wonder how you ever got by without it. Using a hem foot enables you to sew a…

A rolled hem is a narrow hem typically seen on scarves and handkerchiefs. It's perfect for use on light- to medium-weight fabrics where a traditional hem might be out of place, such as on formal…

Create a no-sew throw with a finished edge using hemming tape. Fabric stores carry dozen of colors and patterns of fleece. Fleece does not ravel so you can add a flat hem with hem tape; this gives the…

Hemming is when you double over the finished edge of a piece of fabric and stitch it down. It is done to garments such as pants and skirts and to household items such as curtains to give them…

A rolled hem presser foot allows you to make a small professional hem. This type of hem is used on things that are small like handkerchiefs, napkins or anytime where a folded hem would be to big and…

Many people discover that the bargains they obtain on slacks are frequently accompanied by a necessary round of tailoring. Particularly for petite folks, it is not uncommon to have pants hemmed if…

Cotton knit-based material often needs to be hemmed before it can be used. Prepare your cotton for use with help from a professional seamstress in this free video.

Hemming knit fabrics can be a frustrating experience even for advanced sewers. Hems must be sewn with enough stretch for the wearer to put the garment on and take it off, and tightly enough to not…

Hemming slinky knits, as well as most soft, pliable or stretchy fabric can be extremely difficult for the beginning sewer. This happens because the material is so stretchy it follows the needle…

Yellow fringe can be found on many embroidered, sewn and knitted items and, in fact, can be found in many shades. Yellow fringe only takes on particular significance when attached to flags, otherwise…

Windows are made of many shapes and sizes and the draperies to cover them can be plain to decorative. A guide to hemming draperies can be simple hidden hemming to decorative hemming that accents the…

Making your own drapes is a quick way to make your home more elegant and comfortable. Drapes are used for not only windows, but also doorways and closets. Drapes made at home can make any area more…

Most bridal stores advise ordering a bridesmaid dress one size bigger than your current size, to allow for weight gain between the time of ordering the dress and the wedding date. An alteration might…

Hemming tape is a smart and innovative way to hem your clothing or other fabric items without having to use a needle and thread. The double-sided adhesive on hemming tape creates a strong bond that…

When self-hemming a pair of pants, precision comes first. Though it's easy to trim small amounts of fabric to subtract length, it's practically impossible to add more fabric to pants trimmed too…

Although you're usually better off having a professional make extensive clothing alterations, you can make smaller changes yourself. One common at-home alteration is taking up the hem on a pair of…

Ditch the disposable tissues and revive the reusable handkerchiefs. Not only are they stylish, but they are economical as well. If you possess basic sewing skills, you can make your own handkerchiefs…

Hemming pants, skirts or even the bottom of shirts is something that everyone should learn how to do, whether they do it by hand or by using a sewing machine. Many times people purchase clothing items…

Having a pair of men's pants hemmed can be an expense if you have a tailor do it for you. Dropping them off at the tailor's shop to have them hemmed can be an inconvenience as well, considering you…

Hemming a tiered skirt is no different than hemming a regular skirt. A tiered skirt has more layers, so the only real difference is the amount of work you have cut out for you. There is a little more…

Knit fabrics are often favored for making clothing because they are so comfortable. People who sew their own clothing often prefer working with knit fabrics because knits stitch easily and create…

Dritz, a division of Prym Consumer, USA, Inc. manufactures hundreds of notions items under several different brand names, including the Ezy-Hem gauge. The Dritz Ezy-Hem gauge decreases prep time when…

Giving a round tablecloth a nice finish to the hem is fairly simple, and the process can be done either by hand or by sewing machine to give the tablecloth a professional look. The tablecloth can be…

A rolled hem presser foot attachment on your sewing machine allows you to make narrow, professional hems. Use these rolled hems on napkins, ruffles, handkerchiefs, lingerie or anytime a regular folded…

The hemmed edge of a garment or item has a big impact on the overall appearance of the item. If a hemmed edge is not done properly, the item will not appear as professional and might not hang…

Hemming jeans doesn't have to be a scary proposition or a job for the tailor. With the proper equipment and technique, hemming jeans is as easy as sewing on a button. The keys are to measure twice,…

With the large variation in size and proportion among people, it is impossible for stores to carry blue jeans in lengths that fit all of their customers. Many people, rather than wear ill-fitting…

Picking the right hemline for pants depends on the cut and style of the garments, as skinny jeans should be hemmed above the foot and slacks can be hemmed shorter in the front for a more seamless…

When measuring pants for hemming, consider the width of the pant leg, as skinner pants can be hemmed shorter and wide-legged pants look better longer. Measure pants for hemming, making sure each side…

When hemming jeans with a decorative hem, either add the decoration onto the finished hem or create a fold above the hem to shorten the length. Take up a pair of jeans with decorative ends with a…

Hemming pants that are too long involves measuring them for the right length, marking them with tailor's chalk and stitching the raw edges before hemming the cuff to the right length. Hem a pair of…

To hem suit jacket sleeves, mark the proper length, remove the buttons on the side, tack up the hem and replace the buttons for a polished look. Hem up suit jacket sleeves for the right fit with a…

Often a cotton knit skirt or slacks need hemming due to an accidental catch that rips the seam or simply because the garment needs shortening. Cotton knit is a stretchy fabric that is fairly easy to…

Many people have experienced the frustrating problem of having to buy their jeans and other pants too long, as commercial clothing is not made to fit specific bodies. This generalized sizing has…

To sew a curved hem, cut tiny slits into the curve of the fabric to avoid bunching or sew a loose seam and gently gather the fabric to create a smooth and flat hem. Discover ways to flawlessly sew a…

Pinning the excess fabric of the first hem ensures it will be tacked in the right place. Pin excess hem fabric with tips from a seamstress in this free sewing video.

Handkerchiefs have been used for years to wipe runny noses. People carry them in their pockets and use them as needed. Handkerchiefs are also tied around the head as a sweat catcher. Maybe you've seen…

Hemming knit pants differs from hemming other types of pants because the fabric is stretchy, so an initial zigzag stitch is required to stabilize the fabric. Hem a pair of knit pants with instructions…

Hemming dress pants requires taking apart the existing hem, pinning it at the proper length, stitching a single fold, folding the hem one more time and stitching the second fold. Hem dress pants in a…

Hemming blue jeans is best done by using a seam ripper to take apart the bottom hem, refolding the hem to the correct length and doing a double fold over for a sturdy hem. Hem a pair of blue jeans…

Many women find themselves wishing to have a new dress hemmed so that it fits and looks better. Taking a dress to a professional is an expense that can be easily avoided. Hemming a dress is actually…

Hemming a lined coat can seem impossible. First you have to tear the old hem out when you can't even see where it's hemmed. You will learn that hemming a lined coat is not as difficult as it sounds…

Rolled-hem handkerchiefs make a great gift for dads and grandfathers. Making rolled-hem handkerchiefs is a good beginning sewing project for young children. It gives young fingers fine motor skill…

You just bought a full skirt. It hangs the way you want it to but it is slightly longer than you like. You want to wear the skirt for a date. Do you take it to a tailor and take a chance of it not…

Your new pants need to be hemmed but you've never hemmed a pair before. Taking them to a tailor and have them hemmed is one option or you could do it yourself and save yourself the money. It's not…

Learn how to hem the bottom of a homemade garment bag with expert sewing tips from a seamstress in this free crafting video clip.

Whether you need to temporarily shorten a pair of pants for your rapidly growing child or have to make an instant adjustment to your slacks, learn a few tricks to hem something without sewing. With…

Hemming wide-legged pants is not hard to do, and when you wear pants the right length, you will look your best. You can hem your own pants to save money on alterations-and it should take you less than…

Handkerchiefs are a simple but useful sewing project. You can make them from just about any cotton or cotton blend fabric, from plain white to calicoes to whimsical prints. Make sure to choose a good…

Lengthening hems is one of the simplest things to do when it comes to sewing. So if you need to make a skirt or a pair of pants a pit longer, don’t worry it’s as easy as one, two and…

Many times denim jeans or skirts need to be hemmed to fit your particular style or size. If your jeans are worn out, they can be cut off and hemmed into shorts instead of throwing them away. A few…

Whether you’re sewing your own wedding dress or need to adjust the length of a store-bought or heirloom bridal gown, the hem is an important finishing touch. You can sew the hem for a wedding…

Curved hems can be a little more difficult to make than straight hems, since you have to fold in the excess fabric. For slightly curved hems, such as those at the bottom of many skirts, you can use…

Hems keep the edge of the fabric from raveling, and make the garment or project look nice. To make a hem, you’ll want to fold the fabric over twice, so that the raw edge of the fabric is…

Professional tailors often charge an arm and a leg for simple procedures that you could do yourself in the comfort of your own home. Are you tired of too-long jeans? Read on.

After working hard on a sewing project or making the perfect alterations to your clothing, it is essential to get the hem just right. The key to doing this correctly is to carefully measure your hem.…

Once you've finished sewing the elastic onto your triangle bikini top, you're ready to finish the hem. It is important to hem a custom triangle bikini top properly because it affects the overall look…

Fashion goes up and down--the hemline, that is. If you have a favorite short dress and want to pull the hem down to today's fashionable length, just lower the hem. A little sewing knowledge is all you…

A blind hem is the perfect finishing touch for a well-done sewing project. It’s pretty easy to pull off when you are sewing by hand, and many modern sewing machines include a special blind hem…

Now that you've found that perfect pair of pants, getting instruction on how to hem them is often a dilemma we're faced with. We can choose pants that are too long for us if we are too short to fit…

Making an even hem can be one of the trickiest parts of sewing a garment, or anything else for that matter. Before you tear your hair out, here's a simple way to make sure you get an even hem every…

You can hem a pair of pants that have cuffs with very little effort. It just takes a little bit of measurement and some simple math to get the cuffs on the hem just the way you want them. These…

Knowing how to hem clothing by hand can save you quite a bit of money if you seem to always need to have your clothing altered. The most commonly used hand stitch is the blind stitch. The process…

A valance is a short curtain that decorates the top one-forth of a window. You can use a valance on its own, or you can add a valance to curtains or mini-blinds that are already on the window. You can…

Buying clothes is hard enough, but if one is vertically challenged, or a little on the short side, none of the garment lengths will be correct. By knowing how to hem a garment, one can purchase the…

Hemming lightweight fabrics can be more difficult than working with heavier fabrics. You must apply nearly professional sewing skills to create a blind hem that won't show on the right side of the…

The proper hem length gives pants a more professional and tailored look. When you need to adjust the hem on a pair of pants, it's important to know how to mark them accurately. You can mark and hem a…

Sometimes a hem needs to be longer and there's not enough fabric for it. Or, sometimes a self-fabric hem is too heavy for the design of the garment. These are instances when you can apply hem facing,…

A blind hem is a stitch that's hidden so it doesn't show through the fabric. They are made from a trio of straight stitches anchored by a zigzag stitch, with the straight stitches along the folded hem…

Do simple clothing alterations yourself. There's no need to take your skirts in to be professionally hemmed when this sewing job can be done quickly and easily at home.

Do you have a pair of pants that you can't fit in anymore, or even a new pair that just need a few modifications before they fit perfectly. Whether you're tailoring new clothes or adapting…

Basting is used to temporarily hold two pieces of fabric together so you can make sure that the fit or hem length of a garment is correct. Basting can be done with pins, a sewing machine, or by hand.