Nancy Zieman’s Absolute Easiest Way to Hem Anything
If you’re stitching, there’s a good chance your project will have a hem. Nearly everything we sew has a hem—skirts, pants, sleeves, and home décor items such as curtains and table linens. Using Nancy Zieman’s Absolute easiest Way to Hem, turn hemming into a simple sewing task.
Find Nancy’s hemming tips and more in her Sewing With Nancy three-part series on The Absolute Easiest Way to Sew (Part One, Part Two, and Part Three).
Preparing the Hem
1. Fold up the hem.
- Prepress the hem on each flat pattern/garment piece before stitching it to another piece. This is one of Nancy’s great time-saving techniques.
- Use Clover’s Hot Ruler to provide an accurate measurement and to avoid leaving a hem impression on the right side of the fabric. Place the Hot ruler on the wrong side of the fabric.
- Fold up the hem allowances over the gauge to the desired width and press.
Machine Stitched Hem
- Set sewing machine for a straight stitch.
- Machine stitch the hem along the top edge using a 6-in-1 Stick ‘n Stitch Guide
Hand Stitched Hem
- Thread a Hand Sewing Needle with a single strand of thread.
- Cut thread about 18″ long. The thread will tangle and knot more easily if it is too long. Knot one end of the thread.
- Fold the back hem edge so that 1/4″ of the edge shows.
- Work from right to left, taking a tiny stitch in the hem; then take a tiny stitch in the project – about 1/4″ ahead of that stitch. Pick up only one or two threads in the fabric.
- Take a stitch in the hem edge about 1/4″ ahead of the last stitch.
- Repeat, alternating stitches between the hem edge and the project. Don’t pull the stitches too tight or the hem will pucker.
Blind Hem
- Fold back the project edge so about 1/4″ of the hem edge shows.
- Attach the Edge Joining Presser Foot or the Blind Hem Foot to your sewing machine.
- Adjust your sewing machine for a blind hem stitch as detailed in your owner’s manual.
- Place the fabric under the presser foot. Turn the flywheel by hand towards you until the needle fully swings to the left. If the needle “bites” too much of the fabric or doesn’t catch the fold, adjust the guide on the foot so that the needle only stitches through the fabric fold.
- Continue by slowly stitching, so that the straight stitch falls in the hem allowance and the zig just catches the project at the fold.
Consider using Monofiliment Thread, when stitching the blind hem stitch—a great ready-to-wear technique.Fusible Hem
- Cut strips of Pellon’s Wonder Under Fusible and place along the wrong side of the hem edge.
- Serge or zigzag the fusible web to the hem edge. If you zigzag, be sure the web doesn’t extend past the hem edge or it will stick to your iron when you fuse. Trim off any web that goes past the edge.
- Fold under the hem. Measure so the entire hem is the same width. Pin.
- Press per manufacturer’s directions.
- Cut a 1/2″–3/4″ wide strip of paper-backed fusible web, or purchase the precut paper-backed fusible web on a roll.
- Position the web side of the paper-backed fusible to the wrong side of the hem. Place the web 1/4″ below the hem edge. Press.
- Remove the paper backing.
- Fold under the hem; measure so the entire hem is the same width. Fuse.
Watch The Absolute Easiest Way to Sew (Part One, Part Two, and Part Three) on Sewing With Nancy online.
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Her comment is: I love curve sewing so this would be a great addition.
Happy Sewing!
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Noreen
Lots of great tips that should help make sewing a hem easier. Thanks.
Dixie
Great tips for making hems easer to do.
Susan
What a great method to do hems with a great finish!