How to Create a Small Rolled Hem

Use a rolled hem on clothing and costumes to prevent the appearance of fabric fraying.

Rolled hems are common in costumes, pageant dresses and items where the wrong side of the fabric is visible, such as table linens and cloth napkins. Creating a rolled hem is just as it seems -- roll the fabric and secure it with sewing stitches. A sewing machine is a tighter and more durable method of rolled hem creation than hand-sewing, although that is a handmade alternative.

Things You'll Need

• Ruler
• Iron
• Ironing board
• Straight pins
• Sewing machine
• Thread matching the fabric color
• Scissors

Instructions

1. Lay the fabric or garment onto your work surface, right side down. Fold 1/8 of the edge of the fabric onto itself and press down with an iron. Measure the thickness of the fabric fold with a ruler to ensure an even hem.

2. Fold the fabric over again, using the edge of the fabric as a guide, which should be in the new crease. Press the crease with a hot iron.

3. Secure the folds with straight pins then sew the hem with either a straight stitch or a zig-zag stitch over or close to the inner crease. Trim the thread ends and remove the straight pins as you sew.

Tips & Warnings

• Lightweight fabrics such as organza, do not require a second fabric fold. Fold the fabric over 1/8-inch, set the sewing machine to a wide zig-zag stitch and sew the hem where one side of the zig-zag stitch connects the two sections of fabric and the other lies just off the fabric, to the right.

• Pulling on the fabric as it is being sewn results in a wavy appearance. Or, for pageant dresses, insert a piece of heavyweight fishing line into the rolled hem to create the lettuce-like look.

• If you have access to a rolled hem foot for your sewing machine, the tool assists in creating an even hem without ironing.

References

• Sew Neau: How to Make Rolled Hems & Machine Stitched Hems
• Colette Patterns: How to Create a Hand Rolled Hem