homemaker

1. Color matching seam tape

2. Matching or invisible thread (invisible is harder to work with but works best)

3. Small ruler

4. Tailors’ chalk

5. Sharp scissors

6. Sharp pins–don’t use pins that will snag fabric

7. Sewing needle or sewing machine with baste and blind hem stitch

8. Seam ripper 

I suggest practicing on a piece of scrap cloth first.

Then:  Wash and dry pants according to manufacturer’s instructions so they will shrink up before being hemmed.  Turn on some soothing music, then try on the pants with shoes you will be wearing with them.  Turn up pant legs to outside and pin at a comfortable length.  I like them just meeting the top of my shoe heel.  Check in a mirror to make sure you are happy with the length.  Remember–you can always make them shorter but never longer.  Measure the turned up length and write it down.  Calculate how much you have to take up minus how much of a hem you want to have.  For instance:  If the pants are 3 inches too long and you want a one inch hem, you only need to remove 2 inches. 

Lay a pant leg flat and using your seam ripper, gently tear out the old seam and remove threads. 

Press lightly with low to medium setting on your iron, preferably with steam.  Using tailors’ chalk, measure and draw a line all around using the equaled number like the 2 inches in the above example.  Do the same with the other pant leg.  Do not skip this step or you risk cutting one leg twice.

Next, carefully cut along the chalk line on each pant leg.  Stitch seam tape around edge of each pant leg with 3.5 stitch length on machine or by hand.  Turn up each leg the desired width of hem and pin.  Gently press or steam the new hem avoiding pins.  If you have a blind stitch on a machine, baste the hem 1/4 inch in from top edge, then blind stitch.  Remove basting and you’re done!  If you hand sew the hem, fold back the seam tape and pick up a stitch or two, then pick up one on the pant leg at an angle, back and forth until you have a neat, finished seam!

Questions?  Please leave in comment box. If you have a better way of doing this, please let me know!  I love new ideas.