How to Hem Sleeves on a Suede Jacket

Cut your suede coat with sharp shears to preventing damaging the fabric.

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 local tailor for a potentially costly alteration. Learn a handy skill while shortening your suede coat’s sleeves by hemming them yourself at home. It doesn’t take years of experience to perform this alteration. All you need is the right tools to achieve that perfect fit.

Things You'll Need

• Tailor's chalk
• Seam ripper
• Sharp shears
• Iron
• Straight pins
• Needle and thread

Instructions

1. Slip on the suede coat and decide where you want the sleeve to hit. Generally, the sleeve should lie just below the wrist, but it’s a matter of personal preference. Take off the jacket and mark the new length with tailor’s chalk.

2. Remove the sleeve’s existing seams with a seam ripper. Avoid using scissors to prevent accidentally snipping the suede fabric.

3. Cut away the excess fabric with a pair of sharp shears, leaving approximately 1 inch of fabric beneath the chalk mark. Lay the coat on a flat surface and cut the excess fabric away in a straight line.

4. Fold the fabric according to the chalk mark. Lay the coat on a flat surface and iron the fold to create a crisp line before pinning the suede in place with straight pins.

5. Sew the hem with a thread that closely resembles the suede fabric’s color or the color of the existing seams using a top stitch -- which provides a neater, crisper edge to the hemline – with a needle and thread.

Tips & Warnings

• Turn the coat inside-out before pressing the hem to avoid damaging the suede material.

• Avoid hemming your coat sleeves too short. The ideal length allows no more than one-quarter inch of shirt fabric to show.

References

• New Mexico State University: Sewing Synthetic Suede
• isew.com.uk: Clothing Alterations - Professionally