How to Hem Baseball Pants

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Things You'll Need

  • Pins

  • Fabric pencil

  • Ruler

  • Seam ripper

  • Scissors

  • Iron

  • Sewing machine

You may have to hem baseball pants to get the right fit for your child.

Some baseball players wear their pants closer to the knee while others wear them closer to the cleat. Regardless, some pants need to be hemmed, particularly if you get a hand-me-down pair from a friend or sibling. Hemming baseball pants is similar to hemming any other pant and the biggest problem is getting a good fold for making the seam, since many baseball pants are made from polyester, and do not iron easily.

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Step 1

Put the pants on the person who will wear them and fold the pants up to the desired length. Pin the pants in place.

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Step 2

Take the pants off, and turn them inside out. Mark the pants with a fabric pencil where you want the bottom of the pants to be.

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Step 3

Measure from the bottom of the pants to the point where you want the new bottom of the pants to be, then measure the height of the original hem. Add the two measurements together — this gives you the total amount of length you will take off from the pants once the seam is ripped out and the fabric is unfolded (see next step). Baseball pants normally have a smaller hem than traditional slacks.

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Step 4

Rip out the original hem with a seam ripper. Cut a few of the strands loose and then pull the thread; the hem should pull out easily. Unfold the hemmed fabric.

Step 5

Iron the pants to remove the old hem's crease, according to care instructions usually found inside the pants.

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Step 6

Measure and mark 1 1/2 inches down from your mark in Step 2. Mark two or three other small lines across the pants to get the measurement straight.

Step 7

Place the ruler on top of your marks, and draw a line across the entire pant leg. This line is where you will fold the new hem.

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Step 8

Cut the excess material below the line you drew in Step 7.

Step 9

Set your sewing machine to the "zigzag" setting, and sew around the raw, or cut, edge of the fabric. Finishing this edge makes the pants more durable, but is not necessary.

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Step 10

Measure, fold and pin completely around the pant leg.

Step 11

Set the sewing machine to the normal setting and sew the pants about 1 inch from the bottom of the fold. Reverse stick when you meet the first couple of stitches, as this keeps the new hem in place.

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Step 12

Iron the new hem fold according to the care instructions on the baseball pants.

Step 13

Repeat all the steps for the other pant leg, turn the pants inside out and wear as normal.

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