When it comes to fashion, women have a wide variety of options open to them. With this freedom, comes additional pressure to keep clothes in pristine condition. Maintaining the appearance of skirts, pants and dresses requires a stitch here and there or frequent visits to the dry cleaner. What if you could decrease your dry cleaning and tailoring bill by learning one quick trick—how to sew a hem?

Keep in mind:

Most of the time you will do a lot of your sewing with a machine, however, there are almost always details that require hand stitching.

What you will need:

Needle, thread and a sewing machine.

STEP ONE: 

To use the hemming stitch, first choose the size of needle and weight of thread according to the weight of the fabric you are using.

STEP TWO:

Carefully measure out where you want your hem to sit—use a ruler to go around the base of the item of clothing you’re hemming, marking or pinning the fabric so your hem falls in the same place all the way around. After you’ve pinned the item, it’s recommended to try it on, to make sure the new length sits where you intended.

STEP THREE:

If hemming by hand, knot the thread and run the needle through only the layer of fabric that will be on the inside of the clothing. Anchor your thread to the underside of the hem edge, and take a small stitch in the fabric under the fold of the hem.

If using a machine, thread the machine according to it’s instructions.

STEP FOUR:

When stitching by hand, begin by bringing the needle up through the edge of the hem (binding the fold of fabric on the inside to that visible on the outside).

When using a machine, stitch forward a few stitches and then using the machines “backward” feature to reinforce those stitches with a few in the opposite direction.

STEP FIVE: 

Draw up the thread and repeat. Generally, a back stitch is recommended when working by hand (directions on how to do that here); a simple straight stitch will allow the fabric to bunch, creating a “drawstring” effect if the thread is pulled too tight between stitches.

If using a machine, be sure to go slowly to keep the stitches in a straight line; many machines have “guide lines” drawn onto their surfaces—line up the folded edge of your fabric with one of these to help keep your stitches consistent.

STEP SIX:

Don’t forget to press your hemmed pieces! No matter how perfectly you hem your clothes, clothing that is sloppy, wrinkled and not ironed is never in style.

Hemming your own clothes can save you some serious dough and it doesn’t take long to do.

Finish the project with a quick check in a full-length mirror before running to your next appointment. Be certain that your seams, stitches and pleats make complementary lines throughout your entire outfit.

Written by Amanda Harkness for Moxy Magazine, October 2011. Images by user kellyhogaboom.