How to Hem Military Pants
To hem military pants using a military hem finish, you will need to properly measure the pants before you get to work. You will be cutting off the excess fabric, so make sure you double check your measurements. When you hem a pair of pants, it is important that you make the new hem resemble the original hem as closely as possible. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Pair of military pants
- Scissors
- Pins
- Measuring tape
- Sewing machine
- Matching color of thread
- Anti-fray solution
- Old piece of fabric or paper towel
Instructions
-
-
1
Pin the hem to the appropriate length.
-
2
Even the hem by ensuring the pins are straight from the center to the front and from the center to the back. For most slacks, the front is slightly shorter than the back.
-
-
3
Press the measured hem using a pressing cloth. Silk organza makes a good pressing cloth but other commercial and homemade versions also work well.
-
4
Turn the pants inside out and mark the amount of excess material that needs to be cut off. Because military hems break over the "instep" and slant from front to back, the fabric will not turn up evenly all the way around. If the angle is less than ½ inch you can just let out the side seams to make the hem even. For larger angles, make a slit in the center front hem to get the fabric to go straight.
-
5
Slip a piece of old fabric or a paper towel under the slit and spray it with an anti-fray solution to prevent it from fraying.
-
6
Start sewing the hem. Start at the slit and sew all away around until you reach the other side of the slit. If your hem was less than ½ inch and you didn't make a slit you can start sewing at the side seams and work your way around. The new hem should resemble the original.
-
1
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/BananaStock/Getty Images
