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12 hems in a hurry

Is it Summer? Do you want to finish that hem so you can wear that dress? Check out these 12 hems in a hurry for any garment. Then sign up for a sewing class so you can perfect that technique for your own clothes.

Hems are one of your final touches – whether on the sleeve or body of the garment.  They are also one of the things you hurry through so you can wear the garment.  Why leave hem choice to chance? After spending so much time cutting and sewing, why ruin a garment by choosing the wrong one?

When in doubt, I pull down my brief dictionary of hem finishes.  These are samples I’ve sewn to show me how a hem will look and behave on a variety of fabrics.

For you, I’ve chosen 12 of the most reliable.  I’ll show you how to make them and how to choose the right one for your garment.

THREE BY MACHINE:  Use these on straight or slightly curved hems for woven fabrics when you don’t mind seeing a stitch line – or can turn it into a design element

  • Double turn. Allow for turn of cloth; e.g., hem allowance for shirts = ½” while hem allowance for jeans = 1¼”.  Press up full hem allowance then tuck under the raw edge.  This creates a straighter hem.  Tip for shirts:  Spray hem with starch and let dry before pressing.
  • Press up a ¼” hem to the right side.  Cover with lace or ribbon, ¼” or wider.  Three-step zigzag (aka “elastic stitch”) in place.
  • This is best on transparent fabrics as an alternative to the rolled hem. Run a straight stitch 1/8” parallel into the hem allowance. For example, if your hem allowance is 1” away from the raw edge, sew your stitch at 7/8” away from the raw edge.

Fold on the stitch line to the wrong side of the garment and edgestitch.  Use appliqué scissors to trim to the edgestitching as closely and evenly as possible.  Fold the edge to the wrong side again.  With the wrong side up, stitch on top of the first stitching. Overlap your beginning stitches with your ending stitches.  Do not backstitch.

FYI:  There’s a fourth machine hem:  The blindhem.  This is a popular finish for pants.  But most blindhem feet have a plastic gauge that gives an uneven stitch.  Here’s how to conquer your blindhem woes.

Press up the hem allowance then press under the raw edge by ¼”. Press the garment back exposing the hem an even 1/8”.  Use a metal edgestitch foot.  Set a stitch width of 3.5 and length of 2.5.  By pressing and using a metal foot, you’ll keep the stitches even.

Why are blindhems on ready-to-wear pants so clean? Industrial machines stitch hems in the flat – no folding needed.  The hem edge is serged with a narrow stitch or covered with hem tape.  The hem is pressed up and placed on the machine bed, hem side up.  A curved needle grabs a small bite of both the garment then the hem.  Bite depth and stitch length change to match the thickness of fabric.  Manufacturers routinely use invisible polyester monofilament thread.

THREE BY SERGER.  Use these on wovens or knits when you want the stitch line to be part of the look of the garment.

  • Also called an overedge, it is used for wovens.  It’s particularly attractive on wools.  Cut corners into curves.  Set up your machine for 2-thread serging.  Don’t have 2-thread?  Use 3-thread and run Pearl Crown Rayon in the upper looper.  This is an easy hem for a fleece blanket for a football game or baby shower.
  • Also called a serger rolled edge.  Remember to “feed the knife.”  When merrowing soft transparent fabrics such as chiffon, set the machine for the widest rolled edge possible, disengage the knife and guide the fabric’s raw edge to the inside edge of the presser foot.  On knits, change the differential feed.  Use higher numbers to keep the edge flat.  Use lower numbers to make a lettuce edge.
  • Standard finish for a knit hems.  Press up ½” or 1” hem.  Stabilize with a ¼”-wide strip of fusible web.  Coverstitch from the right side with two needles.  Don’t have a serger?  Use a 3.0 mm stretch twin needle on your sewing machine.

THREE BY HAND – Use these stitches on the straight hems of finer garments when you absolutely do not want see a stitch line. For all, press up the hem allowance 1¼”. Press under the raw hem edge ¼”. Use a single thread in a size 8 or 10 Sharps needle.

  • Work from left to right (or right to left if you are left-handed!). Catch a small stitch on the top of the hem allowance then pick a small bite of the garment about ½” to the right.  Your stitches will create a series of “Xs”.
  • Work from right to left as above. Stitch inside the fold, out of sight, for about ½”.  Come out to catch a small bite from the garment.  Go back into the same hole in the fold.  Continue.
  • Position the hem vertically. Pick up a small bite on the hem allowance then pick a small bite of the garment about 1/2” up.  Repeat, alternating between the hem and the garment to create a series of diagonal lines.

 

THREE ON THE BIAS – Use these finishes on curved hems that won’t turn up without puckering.

  • Use on wovens.  Cut or buy 2″-wide bias strips of tightly woven but thin fabric such as cotton broadcloth.  Piece them together to match the length of your hem length plus 2”.

Machine stitch the strip to the bottom edge of the garment. Leave the first 1” of the strip unstitched.  Start sewing ½” from a side seam.  Finish by matching the beginning and ending of the strip so it is the same length as the bottom edge.  Place right sides together matching raw edges.  Stitch and trim excess.  For a better look, place right sides together with one end of the strip at a 90°angle.  Stitch on the bias.  Finish sewing the strip to the bottom edge.

Press seam allowances toward the facing. Understitch. Press the facing inside with 1/8” of fashion fabric showing beyond the bias strip at the hem edge.

Press the raw upper edge of the facing under by ½”. Attach the facing to the garment with a loose row of hand stitches.

  • Use on knits.  Press under ½”.  Insert a ¼”-wide strip of fusible web under the raw hem edge.  Fuse.  TIP: To copy the look of ready to wear, finish from the right side with a zigzag stitch, 1.5 stitch length, 1.5 stitch width.
  • Use this on heavier fabrics.  For wovens, use woven bias strips.  For knits, use crossgrain strips of knit.

For wovens, cut strips 1-3/4” wide by the length of the hem.  Press under one long edge 3/8”.  Place the right side of the unpressed edge of the bias strip against the wrong side of the fabric, raw edges together.  Stitch a 3/8”-wide seam allowance.  Press the seam allowances toward the strip.  Don’t “unpress” your previous pressing!

Wrap the strip around the raw edge of the fabric to the right side of the fabric.  Line up the previously pressed edge of the strip so matches the stitch line.  Edgestitch the bias strip from the right side.

For knits, cut strips 2” wide by the length of the hem. Place to the garment, right sides together.  Sew a ½” seam allowance.  Wrap the binding over the seam allowance to the wrong side.  On the right side, stitch in the ditch or edgestitch the fold or zigzag across the fold.  Trim excess binding close to stitching line on wrong side.

Want more?  Try our Beginning Sewing, Apparel Construction or Splendid Mending classes.  Like our Instagram page for sewing tips.

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Sharon Blair owns and directs Portland Fashion Institute in northeast Portland. PFI’s 24 instructors work in the apparel industry and teach classes from sewing to design to patternmaking to business.  Look for PFI’s line of patterns and ready-to-wear at PFI_Supply and Fade to Light Fashion Show.

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What classes do you offer?

For class offerings for fun, download our Class Flyer

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Or if you are interested in a Career Path, you can download our class catelog:

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For class offerings for fun, download our Class Flyer

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No. We were founded to offer both “Classes for Fun. Classes for Careers.” Whether you take one class or several or pursue a diploma, our mission is to give you real skills and real world knowledge.

Yes, we have a page dedicated to Continuing Education.

Yes, contact info@pfi.edu to set up an appointment.

No student housing. But there are several apartments close by and more are being built every day. For your search, focus on rentals available in zip codes 97212-97215 and 97232. Portland is a very walkable town. Many ride bikes or use BikeTown rentals. PFI is also located near mass transit, 7 blocks north of the Hollywood Max station or 1 block north of the #12 bus stop at 43rd & Sandy. There are many restaurants, bistros and grocery stores in our neighborhood.

No. With a “class for fun”, unless you have applied for a career program or filled out the continuing education form and paid fees, you are registering for a non-credit class(es) at Portland Fashion Institute for the beginning dates, ending dates, clock hours and costs as listed on the webpage. Your attendance will be monitored, but your projects will not be evaluated and you will not get a grade. You also agree that you have read and understand PFI’s Cancellation, Refund & Student Conduct Policy.

We are apparel people teaching apparel people. You learn from professionals. All of our instructors have apparel industry experience and are employed in the industry. We teach techniques used in the apparel industry. You can take classes whether you are pursuing a career, continuing your education or just want to take one class.

Yes- in the summer July/August. Please subscribe to our newsletter (the form is at the bottom of the homepage) so you will get notified when registration opens for future classes. Summer kids classes are very popular and fill up fast – so act fast.

For those enrolled in one of PFI’s diploma programs, please refer to your enrollment agreement. For others, refunds are available until 48 hours before class start; 24 hours before open sewing or a private lesson starts.  Contact info@pfi.edu  Cancellation policy for Optitex class:  No refunds after one week before class starts. No refunds or transfers after class, open sewing or private lesson starts. Please don’t forfeit your fees! Please let us know if you can’t come so someone else can use that class or lesson time.

For hands-on classes: We prefer you do your work in class. That can save a lot of seam ripping. If you do work between classes, be sure you have clear instruction from your teacher. For lecture classes: You may be asked to do research online to present in your next class. You may even be asked to go shopping!

When students miss a class, they are welcome to register for a Private Lesson or Open Sewing to catch up on their work. You can find both of these options under the Classes For Fun tab on the PFI website.

hen seeking a refund, please send your original transaction id or receipt for the given class. People use different names, e-mails and credit cards. Having the transaction id or receipt gets us to the right registration. Without the transaction id or receipt we may refund someone with a similar name. Purchaser gets an automatic notice as soon as they register for a class and as soon as they get a refund. Our standards are the same as those used by most any retailer. Per the credit card company, no refunds after 180 days from date of purchase. We would keep your purchase on file for use on another day up to one year from date of purchase.

e offer career services for those who enroll in a full programs. More than 80 percent have gone into internships and jobs in the apparel industry and are working for companies from independent designers to major corporations. Of the remainder, some have started their own retail stores or started their own clothing lines. A very few have gone into film and theater. To see some of our graduates, visit the PFI Alumni page.

Portland hosts 41 apparel manufacturers. Companies range from adidas, Columbia Sportswear and Nike to smaller companies such as Hanna Andersson, Jantzen/Perry Ellis, Kroger and Pendleton. All are invited to our career days, portfolio shows and graduate runway shows. Since members of our advisory board and our instructors are hiring managers, they attend and hire from these events or just by knowing the students. It’s been said that Portland is number three in the nation for apparel manufacturing.

Yes. We take Visa, Master Card, American Express and Discover. We also take payment over the phone and by check. Find out more about financing a certificate program by contacting registrar@pfi.edu

PFI doesn’t offer loans. It isn’t supported by taxpayer dollars so it doesn’t yet have access to financial aid. Now that it is accredited, it is applying for Title IV eligibility. What PFI does accept:

— Payment from employers such a Nike, Columbia Sportswear, Hanna Anderson, Pendleton and the many other employers in the Greater Portland area.

— Payments from such places as WorkSource, Workforce, IRCO and Mercy Corps.

— Payment Plan information for full-time diploma program enrollees:

Bottom line: We keep our class fees affordable.

We do expect that the US Department of Education will soon approve PFI for Title IV eligibility. PFI would be able to issue 1099T tax forms to enrollees after that.

Classes must have a minimum of six students. During COVID, sewing classes have a maximum of eight. Patternmaking classes have a maximum of six. On-line classes have a maximum of twenty.

4301 NE Tillamook, Portland, OR
1 block north of NE 43rd & Sandy
BUS: #12 bus
MAX: 7 blocks from the Hollywood MAX station

Monday-Friday: 10 am-9 pm; Saturday, 10 am-5 pm. We take breaks between classes, during the holidays and the months of December and August. Be sure to check with us before coming over during those times.

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Director (director@pfi.edu or call the school @ (503) 927-5457)
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PFI’s Online Learning Fee includes costs associated with administration, online class support, non-traditional course formats, and technology support. PFI charges per course or series rather than per credit (as is the cases with most institutions and colleges).

No emotional support animals are allowed in the buildings. PFI does not want to trigger other students’ or guests’ allergies that could be caused by the proximity of animals, or pet hair or dander infiltrating the fabric in the supply store.

Per the Americans with Disabilities Act and Oregon’s Service Animal Law, neither the Americans with Disabilities Act nor Oregon’s Service Animal Law includes what some people call “therapy” or “emotional support animals”. These ESA animals provide a sense of safety, companionship and comfort to those with psychiatric or emotional disabilities or conditions. Although ESA animals often have therapeutic benefits, they are not individually trained to perform specific tasks for their handlers. Under the ADA and Oregon law, owners of public accommodations are not required to allow ESA, only service animals.

PFI cannot ask about a person’s disability or demand to see proof of the animal’s training but PFI can ask what tasks it performs for the person, such as these examples under the ADA:
– Hearing dogs, which alert their handlers to important sounds, such as alarms and doorbells.
– Guide dogs, which help those who are visually impaired to navigate safely.
– Psychiatric service animals, which help those with mental or emotional disabilities by, for example, interrupting self-harming behaviors, reminding handlers to take medication, checking spaces for intruders, or providing calming pressure during anxiety or panic attacks.
– Seizure alert animals, which let their handlers know of impending seizures, and may also guard their handlers during seizure activity.
– Allergen alert animals, which let their handlers know of foods that could be dangerous (such as peanuts).

Under the ADA, a service animal is a dog that has been individually trained to perform tasks or do work for the benefit of a person with a disability. Oregon law uses the same definition, but uses the term assistance animals rather than service animals. Under the ADA and Oregon law, owners of public accommodations are not required to allow ESA, only service animals.

Unlike service animals, ESAs are not automatically allowed in commercial businesses and businesses have the right to accept or deny ESAs.

PFI is not required to allow ESAs into PFI buildings. If a student has a service animal, we ask 48 hours notice before allowing the animal into PFI buildings in order to notify other students and guests who may have concerns.

PFI prohibits discrimination against and among its customers, employees and students on the bases of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, gender identity, religion, reprisal, and where applicable, political beliefs, marital status, familial or parental status, sexual orientation, or whether all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program.

Its conduct policy is part of its policy manual and is in line with standards set by Oregon and national regulatory agencies. It is posted online here.

Yes. We have suggested amounts on-line. But you can purchase them over the phone, by mail or e-mail or in person for any amount you wish. Gift certificates are good for one year from date of purchase and are redeemable for classes or items from the supply store. For more, go to Gift Certificates.

Yes, we have a supply store. We sell fabric plus zippers, buttons, thread and other notions. Our prices are low because of our low overhead. We offer a 20 percent discount to current students. Hours for our supply store are on their website: portlandfashionsupply.com/