How to Shorten Pants Without Removing Decorative Hem
It is usually easy to tell when pants have been shortened, as they no longer have a decorative hem at the bottom. A French hem avoids this by removing length in a way that keeps the original hem. It also eliminates the need to cut pants, which allows you to remove the new seam if ever you want the length back or if you find that you measured too short.
Things You'll Need
- Sewing machine
- Thread
- Zipper foot (optional)
- Needle
- Measuring tape
- Pins
Instructions
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Put on the pants you will be shortening while wearing the shoes you will most often wear with them. Cuff the bottom of the legs to the desired length, ideally not more than 1 inch above the floor and put in a pin to hold the cuff. Remove the pants and measure the cuff, not including the original hem. Divide this number in half and and pin the cuff again with the new measurement.
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2
Pin the cuff all around the pant leg, measuring again each time you pin. Repeat this for the other pant leg. If you have a zipper foot, remove the foot on your sewing machine and attach the zipper foot. Check that your needle is in the correct position so it does not hit the zipper foot when it comes down. If you have a free arm attachment, remove it.
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3
Stitch just below the original hem as close to its edge as you can. Sew all the way around the leg, slowing at the side seams. It is easy to break a needle if you sew too quickly over the thicker side seams. Be careful to not sew on the original hem. If this happens, use a seam ripper to rip the stitches and back your needle up to resew the area.
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4
Turn the hem to the inside and iron it flat. Top stitch to the left of the new seam all around the pant leg to make the hem lay properly.
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Try the pants on again to make sure the length is correct. If not, tear out the seams and start over. If so, repeat the process for the other leg. If more than 2 inches of length was removed, you may want to cut the excess fabric. If so, sew the cut edges so they do not fray. You can also fold it up or use fusible hemming tape to fuse the excess material up.
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Tips & Warnings
Be sure you are happy with the length before cutting any excess fabric.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Polka Dot RF/Polka Dot/Getty Images
