How to Hem Jeans Professionally- New Tips

Here's a few tips your Mother never told you about hemming denim jeans. Once you have mastered hemming, you can charge your friends & classmates $10-$12 and make lots of extra money. I am skipping the basic instructions as others have described them nicely.Please read a few of them first.

Things You'll Need

• Scissors & Pins
• Seam ripper just in case
• Metal gauge slide bar for measuring
• Red thread for hand basting
• Dual Duty orange jeans heavy thread
• Size 18 machine needle
• Heavier hand needle with a larger eye
• Steam iron & Ironing board
• Sewing Machine

Instructions

1. For beginners, use an old pair of jeans as practice so you don't ruin your new jeans.

2. Always wash & dry new jeans at least 3 times before hemming. They do shrink.

3. Look at the original hem & take measurements if necessary. Jeans usually have a half inch finished hem.

4. If you must stop during stitching, always leave the needle in the down position.

5. Use a #18 needle. Load your bobbin at least 1/2 full of the heavier gold jean thread, as well as threaded in the sewing machine.

6. Use the cut off hem for testing & setting your tension & getting the correct stitch length, usually a #4 length. Stitch on the RIGHT side, NOT the underneath side. This is different than you are used to.

7. Once you have initially pinned up your new hem line & checked that it is even, steam press & baste on the foldline with red thread. Do NOT remove this until you are done. If you have to redo the hem, this gives you your original fold line

8. Before cutting, set & use the metal gauge slide bar. This will assure that the hem is cut even all around. Cut 1" below the fold line on one layer at a time.

9. Once you have turned under the hem ½" to the foldline and ½" again, pin hem generously underneath horizontally then hand baste with red thread very close to the top edge, about 1/8" down. The extra time spent will be worth it. Remove pins & steam press again.

10. Instead of backstitching at the beginning and end, lift the foot and rotate the fabric with the needle down. Stitch over 2 or 3 of the previous stitches. Backstitching makes smaller stitches than forward stitching. Now your stitches will all look the same. Details to follow....

11. Remove the machine arm, if you have one. With the RIGHT side up, place the hem under the foot 1/2" behind the center leg seam & a "hair" to the left of your basting line. Hand lower the needle. Lift the pressure foot & make 2 to 3 stitches away from the center seam. Leaving the needle DOWN, lift the foot again. Rotate the hem, lower the foot and continue with stitching next to the basting line. At the outside seam, SLOWLY turn your wheel by hand to gently force the needle through the fabric. It is thicker at the seam & the stitches may be shorter. Continue to meet the beginning, put the needle down, lift the foot & rotate the hem. Make 2 or 3 stitches over the last 2 or 3. Remove the jeans from the machine, clip threads. Turn over to be sure you caught all of the hem in the stitching. Once you have done this a few times, you'll be comfortable with it.

12. Remove all of the basting threads & press again. You now have professionally hemmed jeans!