How to Fold Your Fabric For a Blind Hem

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 stitch, as well. The stitch itself is pretty simple, a line of straight interspersed with zig-zag stitches that catch the fabric in a tiny tack. The real challenge in making a blind hem with a sewing machine is figuring out how to fold your fabric.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Sewing Machine
• Flat Work Area
• Sewing Project

1. Finish the bottom edge of your garment. Mark the line for your hem with chalk or pins. Fold your hem to the inside of the garment as usual, wrong sides of the fabric facing each other.

2. This is where the blind hem folding gets tricky: fold the garment back toward the bottom folded edge of the hem.

3. 

   Leaving a narrow strip of the hem showing, approximately 1/8 inch. Fold the garment back away from the hem.

4. Insert your garment in the machine with the straight, folded hem edge toward the inside of the machine and the rest of the garment toward the outside. Your straight stitches will run along the narrow folded edge of hem and your zig-zag tacks will catch the garment in a very subtle manner.

Tips & Warnings

• Take your time. This isn't a very time consuming project, and you want to make sure you get it right.
• Don't grow frustrated; work with your hem until you get what you want.