How to Hem a Curtain

Drapery weights are often attached to the lower hem so the drapes will hang straight.

Shortening a curtain is an uncomplicated job that can be completed in minutes, with scissors, an iron and a sewing machine. The edge is trimmed, ironed in place, then sewn. The process of creating a professional-looking hem takes a little more time and effort. Trimming is done to intentionally add the weight of a wide hem so the curtain will hang and drape well. Stitching is carefully executed so the modified blind stitches are not visible from the front of the curtain. No special tools or advanced sewing skills are required for this job.

Things You'll Need

• Yardstick
• Ruler
• Chalk pencil
• Scissors
• Iron
• Ironing board
• Dressmaker's pins
• Needle
• Thread to match the curtain

Instructions

1. Measure and mark the curtain's lower cutting line so the un-hemmed panel is 5 inches longer than the desired length of the curtain. Use scissors to trim on the cutting line. Mark two folding lines, parallel to the lower edge of the panel. The folding line nearest to the bottom of the panel is 1 inch from the lower edge. The second folding line is 4 inches from the bottom edge.

2. Fold the panel on the lower folding line, with wrong sides together. Press in place. Fold the panel on the upper folding line, then press in place. Attach dressmaker's pins to hold the 4-inch-wide hem in place.

3. Thread a needle with about 3 feet of thread. Lay the curtain panel on your lap or a convenient surface so it is wrong-side up and the pinned hem is nearest to you. Insert the needle through the pinned edge of the right side of the panel. Stitch or tie the free end of the thread in place. The hem will be hand-stitched from right to left if you are right-handed and left to right if you are left-handed.

4. Tack the pinned border to the curtain panel on its lateral edge. Sew 1/8- to 1/4-inch-long running stitches along the pinned edge of the hem, without sewing through the body of the curtain, for a distance of about 3/4 inch. Do one whip-stitch through the pinned edge and only three or four threads of the body of the curtain, just above the pinned edge. The stitch should be small and relaxed.

5. Continue stitching toward the opposite end of the hem, placing one whip stitch between 3/4 inch of running stitches. Remember that only the whip-stitches tack the pinned edge and the body of the curtain together. Remove pins as you approach them. When you reach the end of the stitch row, tie off and trim loose threads.

6. Press the stitch row. The relaxed whip-stitches will be barely visible on the hemmed curtain.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have a sewing machine that has a hem stitch, make a 1/8-inch fold in the curtain, just above the pinned edge. Sew the running stitch along the pinned edge, then the zig-zag function will periodically tack the hem to the body of the curtain. Press to flatten the hem stitches.

References

• Coats and Clark; Needlecrafts: Sewing How to's; Hand Sewing

Resources

• Jerisew(s): Lined Curtain Panel Tutorial
• The Sewing Corner: How to Do More With Your Blind-hem Foot! Part One: Blind-hemming