How to Quickly Hem Pants
Anyone who wears pants has probably had an emergency hem problem. Even the most well-made pants can have a hem work its way loose, get caught on a stray toe when you are pulling them on or come unhemmed with frequent washes. It is always good to know how to quickly hem a pair of pants. Imagine never again going into panic mode when you only have 30 minutes to get to that important job interview, and your dress pants' hem is suddenly hanging by a thread. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Attach no-sew tape to a hem for a fast way to fix a falling hem. Turn the pants inside out and fold the hem back into its original place. Fold it precisely or you will end up with two hem lines. Use a hot iron to press the hem. Put a small strip of no-sew tape in between the pants leg and the hem. Place a hot iron on top of the hem and press down. Hold it in place for a few seconds until the no-sew tape has fused the hem area to the pants leg. Repeat every six inches until the entire leg is hemmed.
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Use an uneven catch stitch to quickly hem pants. Turn pants inside out and pin the hem to the pants leg. Thread a needle and knot the end, so it holds tight when you start to sew. Pull the needle through the hem fabric on a vertical seam, being careful the fabric does not pucker. When the knot has caught on the vertical seam and is secure, use the needle to catch a few strands of fabric thread on the pants leg about half an inch above the hem. Pull the needle and thread through making one stitch. Move the needle one inch to the left and repeat. Continue to make one inch stitches all the way around the hem until you arrive back at the vertical seam where you started. Tie off the thread and press your pants.
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Pin your pants hem with a row of safety pins. When there is no time to sew or iron, using safety pins to hem your pants is sometimes the only thing you can do. Use at least six safety pins per pant leg. Push the pin through the top of the hem until the bottom of the pin is securely attached. Catch a couple of strands of fabric thread with the pin and push them down onto the pin with your fingers. Close the pin. Repeat with other pins until the hem is securely fastened. Check the front of your pants to make sure the pin has not pushed through all the way to the front and that the fabric is not puckered. If one has, unfasten the safety pin and try again.
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Put double-sided tape to work as a temporary but quick hem fix. Turn your pants inside out and place on a flat surface. Cut three pieces of double sided tape approximately two inches in length and press one side of the each piece of tape onto the leg of the pants -- one at both ends and one in the middle. Fold the hem back over and press the hem firmly down onto the tape. Smooth the fabric to make sure there are no wrinkles. Turn the pants over and repeat with the other side. This method will hold for a few hours, until you have time to use a more permanent hemming method.
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Glue your hem with fabric glue. While this is not a permanent fix, since the fabric glue will dissolve after a few washes, it is a fast way to temporarily repair a small portion of hem. Squeeze a thin line of fabric glue approximately one inch long onto the inside leg of your pants. Press the hem gently on top of the glue until the two fabric surfaces adhere. Do not push down too hard as this will force the glue through the fabric and create a spot on the outside. Repeat in other hem areas if necessary.
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Tips & Warnings
If you want to remove the fabric glue from the hem line of your pants quickly, have them dry cleaned. The chemicals used will cause the glue to dissolve.
When using no-sew tape, be careful not to touch the tape with the iron. If you do, it will melt onto the iron, stick and burn.
If you hem pants with safety pins, do not use too many. You want the pants to lie normally and not be pulled down by the weight of too many pins.
References
- Photo Credit Comstock Images/Comstock/Getty Images
