That being said – it is still faster, easier and neater than hand stitching (at least for me – I dislike hand stitching and will figure out how to machine stitch something as often as possible.) I’ll have to get one of those feet…I do it all by hand! Get out your blind hem foot and put it on your machine. She loves good books, sewing with wool, her charming cats, working in her garden, and eating salsa. Thank you so much for this tutorial! I’m up to the bottom hem of a top this weekend, maybe I’ll give it another go. This was a wonder while my kids were little. - Elastic blind stitch for soft, stretchable fabrics Directions: 1. I’m not sure why, but it does. It’s really important to maintain an accurate distance, so that the tip of the ztitch just barely bites into the fold. larger zig-zag swings into the fold of the hem, catching just one or two threads of the main fabric. Thank you very much, I have that foot in my machine (that I bought 4 years ago) and always wondered what it was for. Some small and light weight to not weight down the garment-very feminine, good on longer skirts. 7) Pin the fold in place. I wrote as a note to myself – use length 2. Once you’ve pressed them in place, you can remove the pins if you like. Line up the guide bar on presser foot along the fold line of hem and stitch. I love this machine.. In my experience, blind hems are good on straight things, where the hem is turned up and the fabric lays flat as it is the same shape and width. The corollary to that is, if you need a really sharp crease, Spray it the same way, line up your crease and press. A lovely blind hem, all done by machine. For a dupioni silk, probably yes. © 2008–2021 Colette Media, LLC  •  Terms of Use  •  Privacy Policy. So I think your comment about maybe needing a new foot, if I can find one to fit my machine, might make all the difference in the world! Good luck! Here’s how it will look after you press it. The stitch simulates a hand done blind hem stitch by stitching a few straight stitches in the hem and then one zig zag to catch the body of the garment. That said, when sewing with heavier weight fabric, a double fold hem can be hard to achieve due to the added bulk. ), but I think I lined up the crease with the centerline on the foot (like you would to stitch in the ditch). That would be the middle line here, shown in yellow. How do you do this if the “blind hem stitch” points to the right instead of left? I’d love to master this foot/fold technique as I end up hand sewing everything which i hate doing. I first learned the machine blind hem stitch in my high school sewing class. As the name indicates, a double-fold hem is made when you fold the fabric over on itself to the wrong side two times, to hide the raw edges and create a neat, finished hemline. I’m so glad you posted this :). It seems to work best for me and my machine. A good sewing book will have the different types of hems. I bought my Bernina 440 a few years ago and took classes where they taught this, but over the years I had forgotten how to do the technique. The three-lines technique was a wonderful light-bulb moment. I just googled to find a better way to do a blind hem and that is how I found your site. This is perfect and incredibly timely. Here I'm using a dark thread so that you can see the stitching but if your thread matches the fabric then you won't be able to see the stitching that much (see below). when I tried it at home it was a bit of a hot mess. 13) Set your machine to the blind hem stitch. The vertical plate should sit right along the fold. Slide in the fabric wrong side up, and put the foot's plastic straight edge guide right up against the fold. On your sewing machine you need to select the blind hem stitch, it will look something like stitch 10 in the image below. This is creating a pick. (This one anyway – I have three. Position the fabric under the presser foot with the garment fold touching the guard in the middle and the hem fold sticking out to the right. Don't make the garment too short, though! I have been wondering how exactly to do a blind hem stitch. I have some linen trousers that need adjusting and I noticed someone else’s the other day with a blind hem – they looked so smart! Thank you for giving such a detailed explanation. It’s a fantastic way to create a deep hem on a skirt, unlined jacket, or pants. Position the fabric under the presser foot with the garment fold touching the guard in the middle and the hem fold sticking out to the right. A blind hem looks very good and is often seen on dresses, skirts, and dress pants. I’m so glad I know you can do this now! But if you miss just one zig zag the hem will probably stay up fine without additional stitching. Step 2: Fold the hem of the fabric towards the wrong side two times and press. Use good lighting. I’m sure there will be a time when I’m in a rush and want to do a blind stitch by hand. Then, starting from the edge, create a second fold over the first ⅝-inch wide, so that the … In this clip, Angela shows you how to align and sew your hem for a no-show finish. I most often use it to hem pants or skirts. Replace the foot on your machine with the #8 Blind Hem Foot. This is definitely something I had always figured was too complicated to bother trying, but your tutorial made it really clear and it doesn’t seem too difficult after all. 16) Remove the pins if you haven’t already and let the hem come down. Set your machine for a blind hem stitch. That would be the middle line here, shown in yellow. Using an ingenious method of folding and stitching, you can create a machine stitched hem that is nearly invisible from the outside. It is a really nice finish although sometimes you have to play with the stitch width to ensure the fabirc being caught in isn’t too big and shows as big stitches on the right side of the fabric. Try on scraps. As the machine stitches, it will stitch across that plate every few stitches, taking a tiny bite out of the fold. Thank you a million times!!! Do you start the folds on the right side of the fabric instead of wrong side? My Singer (about 15 yrs. Yay! Next you want to sew through the fabric marked by the top line, exactly where it is folded. Place the hemmed fabric on the bed of the machine so the edge of the bottom folded edge of the hem is facing the foot and the heads of the pins are facing away from the foot. If it doesn’t adjust the guide (B) on the Blindhem Foot (A) so the needle just pierces the fabric fold and the guide rests against the fold. Perhaps another reader could chime in if they’ve had luck! And I might even have a blind hem foot for my machine…gotta go dig through the extras later tonight. It’s really important to have your tension just right for blind hems. Also, I find that it seems to work best, for my machine anyway, if I move the needle to the left position. 1) First, figure out exactly where you want your hem to fall, and mark that line in water soluble pen, pencil, or chalk on the right side of the garment. There are also to consider, the Narrow hem; the turn up 1/2 inch and another 1/2 inch machine stitched hem; the rolled hem, etc. Appears I may have forgotten a couple of steps so that could explain things… Thank you for this tutorial! somewhere between step 10 & 14 you turned the garment inside out, right ? Wow, thanks! ( If you have that option. ) I hope that you find this useful. The double fold hem is more widely used than the single fold hem as it helps to enclose the raw edge of the fabric. Continue in this fashion. Also, hem styles have different purposes. Fold open the outer layer hem Fold the outer layer back so that only a 6 to 10 mm (¼â€“3/8) extension remains on the inner edge. Keep up the great work, how did we ever make it without computers and all the information they provide.??? You can even try different colors of thread to see which is the most invisible. at least I know now :) I am always so happy to learn how to do more of the things my amazing bernina is capable of — thanks!! Fold the hem with the seam allowance inside, so that the hem allowance is 1 inch – this way the outer fabric is folded 1 inch to the inside, as in the picture below. It worked. I need to pull some things out of the mending pile and give this a go! I was ready to give up when I found your site. I wonder if industrial machines have blind stitch feet (I have a Juki)? The stretch blind hem provides more elasticity than the woven blind hem, thanks to the smaller zigzag stitches in between each larger zigzag. Fold the garment fabric so that about 1/4″ of the hem allowance is showing. I am old school in that I blind stitch by hand. Love your site. No more awful hand stitching. I second the shoe love. gawd, I was so confused at first!! My blind hem foot doesn’t look anything like yours. Using the blind stitch presser foot on your machine as well as the blind hem stitch, you should be stitching mainly on the fold and catching just a tiny bit of the wrong side of the main fabric. Fold the fabric edge up ⅝-inch, and use an iron to flatten it out. Sending you a BIG, GIANT, internet SMOOCH for this tutorial!! Thanks for showing me the way……. If it’s still there after pressing, don’t worry too much. Join me for this quick video showing an easy way to fold the end of a pant leg for a blind hem. As always, if you’re unsure that you’ll like the finish, test it out on scrap of fabric. Sew with the fold of the hem against the presser foot guide. Tips for keeping the fold in place. And now they are easy to do. (The straight stitch will only be visible on the wrong side.). I am definitely going to give this a try. I remember I had to experiment with stitch width a bit, but the results were surprisingly good. What a great super fabulous wonderful tutorial for blind hem. The inside of the garment should be facing you with the 1/4″ of the hem allowance up. 17) Finally, give the hem a press. But now I know how to do the blind hem on my next Meringue. Don’t over-pin when coverstitching, just add a few and remove them before you’ll get too close with the machine. Fold your hem. … You can’t just run it thru (at least I can’t.) On my machine (a Brother CS6000i), it’s stitch number 09. This is the hem of these pants. I like to start on one of the inside leg seams. It’s a really useful to stitch to know and very easy to do. Remove the basting stitching and reverse the fabric. Brilliant tutorial – I’ll be using this for my next pair of pants/skirt/shorts – heck, pretty much anything that needs a hem. That way you can control your stitches as they are being stitched. Are you folding like a fan??? Tried it out and it makes it so much more precise and less stressful. Amy, You just need to sew from the wrong side. The straight stitches will be sewn on the allowance of the hem that is visible next to the folded edge. At 65 I decided to learn to sew over the winter months as golf is out of the question. 8) Fold again. If you are using the blind hem foot you can align the fold of your fabric along the guide on the foot. I’ve had a Bernina for 45-50 years… [two different machines] Non digital.. I followed your instructions with my janome machine using the zigzag foot and the result is great. (I’ve learned…). We’re working on a short video for invisible zips too. I used to try and try until I actually read the instructions in my manual (and then tried the settings they recommended. Thank you! It’s been a while (just use straight stitch lately! to hem dresses, pant legs, sleeves, and more that need an invisible hem. And remember even if you can see the stitch a little bit, it’s unlikely that anyone else will notice. Perhaps I’ll have to practice on my machine even more, or just attempt to do it by hand. Now I just need to find a blind foot…I only have a basic with my Brother. I will go try this today now that I have seen your helpful tutorial. Thank you! 2) Mark two more lines, one above and below your hem line. Even though I love handstitching there has been times when I’ve longed for the speed of a machinestitched blind hem. Learn how to sew a blind hem stitch using a machine foot you already own! I havent done a hand stictched hem in half a century. The more it catches the more visible it will be on the outside. Once I learned how to do the blind hem stitch, I use it often (for the appropriate hem application.) Now I’ll have to give it a go! Basically, you’re folding it in half so that the raw edge on the inside hits right at the pink line. So I never use the machine one. Thank you! Finally a tutorial on blind hemming that makes sense and shows all the steps! Sew the side and inside seams. Try using a shorter stitch length, with a wider stitch width. Fold upward along the top (white) line this time. Perfect! I use my zigzag foot for blind hem stitch on my machine (a Brother). I am visual learner, books just don’t always cut it for me! The folding confuses me? After anchoring the knotted thread inside the fold, start stitching by taking one thread width of fabric from the main garment. I have been doing blind hems for years but never thought to do it this way. … Place the fold of the pant leg right up against the guide on the blind hem stitch foot. They should be of equal distance to the hemline, however deep you want your hem to be. Some deeper and heavier so as to weight down the garment, where you don’t want it flying up – more tailored, good with a shorter skirt. Rip the side and inside seams below the fold line. I like to make mine at least 1 1/2 to 2 inches. I have done a blind him with my walking foot just fine, but the walking foot also has a lot of pieces that I could use to line up the edges. Sew slowly and watch each stitch, so you can see that the needle will zig to the correct amount. :o). 12) Put the blind hem presser foot on your sewing machine. Did I miss a step? I think the zig zag catch stitch is catching too much of the fold but I am trying to make sure I have caught every stitch i guess. So it depends on your garment, as well as the fabrics. The pictures are awesome! Thank you for this tutorial! With the Blind Hem Stitch in particular, you have the ability to join two pieces of fabric with practically invisible seams! Now fold the fabric as illustrated with the wrong side up. Tuck your hem under the fabric (towards the right side) so that just the ¼ an inch of the half inch hem you did shows next to the back of the fabric (as per photo below). 5) Now, pinch along the middle (yellow) line to fold. Use good lighting and watch each stitch. The trick is to keep it positioned so that the zig zag gets just a little bit of garment but not too much. Learn how to sew a double hem here. Set your machine on the blind hem stitch and use an average stitch length, between a 2 and a 3. Let it cool on your board before moving the creased fabric. Thanks! Login | … Do a practice bit first to be sure your guide is in the right place. I think it gives the foot better control, but I am not really sure why. as to show on the other side. I hate my blindstitch foot. 1) First, figure out exactly where you want your hem to fall, and mark that line in water soluble pen, pencil, or chalk on the right side of the garment. I am so glad I found your page. So if you had a skirt that you wanted to be 25″ long with a 2 inch hem, you’d make sure the skirt was at least 28″ long before hemming. Very nice tutorial, very clear, I feel confident now. Press Turn over – There, your hem is invisibly stitched. I have a pair of work pants with a fallen hem that I’ve been wishing I could fix for months! It makes about 5 straight stitches and then does one zig zag to the left. A blind hem stitch, used in combination with a blind hem foot and proper folding of the fabric can create a nice blind hem on your next project- Nicki LaFoille shows you how. Thanks so much for another well written tutorial. Step 1- The first thing you want to do is fold and press the hem towards the wrong side of the fabric. I haven’t tried it without a foot. Finally i know what is this for!! Now I will use it. I love your site. This site is no longer being updated so head over to Seamwork to get all the latest patterns, tutorials, video classes, and more. We’re sorry, comments for this post have been closed. Also, I found that if I move my needle to the left position, it seems to work best. This step is optional, but I want you to know that makes all the following processes easier. Set machine to correct blind stitch for your fabric. I have a blind hem stitch on my machine but I am pretty sure I don’t have a special foot. I use this method all the time – it is fantastic – I often just serge and then fold in once and run the blind stitch through (rather than the extra fold). It will probably come out with washing. You will notice that every few stitches the needle will jump to the left side to catch the fold. Measureing and doing the lines is a great way to make sure the hem falls right, I always have trouble with blind hems this really helped sooooo much! This definitely makes sense! Join me for this quick video showing an easy way to fold the end of a pant leg for a blind hem. My machine’s instructions for a blind hem had me machine basting instead of marking/pressing and that was a huge pain. Rolled Hem. Remove the basting stitching and reverse the fabric. What a perfect tutorial on how to get exact length along with the folding of material and lastly the actual sewing. Leave several inches to prepare your blind hem. Thanks!!! (And also styles of garments and appropriate hems, and types of fabrics.) How, Fabric, Fold, Sell My Handmade Crafts. 4) Turn the raw edge under and press. Learn how to sew a professional looking blind hem in this tutorial. I cant seem to figure out where I am going wrong. Excellent Tutorial; At the last you talk about ironing out the crease…. ), Step 4: Slowly start to stitch. Wonder clips (pictured above) is … I finally get it!! Stretchy fabrics require more flexibility. It's super fast to do and a great stitch to have in your arsenal of techniques. You may need to go back and restitch over parts if this happens. Thank you! It’s cathartic to me; I like the process. I can now practice with confidence where as before Iwould be guessing the final length. Use a fine spray of vinegar from a spray bottle. Time to sew! 15) Look at the stitches carefully at this point. The straight stitch should go into the hem fold and after about 4 stitches the zig zag will go to the left and make one stitch in the garment fold. Let me know if you have any questions. Thank you so much! I learned without one.). Sew one stitch starting in the hem allowance and also finishing in the hem allowance, sewing along the edge of the hem and just above the fold of fabric that corresponds to the top and bottom lines of tailor’s chalk. After looking on the web to learn this stitch I finally came across this one. 6) Fold along this line, matching up the top (white) line with the bottom (pink) line as you fold. What a great tutorial. Does this make sense to you? Fold at the Fold Line and iron it. When completed, the stitching is almost invisible on the right side of the fabric. Oh, and depending upon your fabric and the style of your skirt, a blind hem may or may not be the right hem to use. The other thing is to sew slowly, so you can manipulate the bite of the zig to be small. It makes PERFECT sense!! You’ll often get a little crease where the hem was previously pressed. A brilliant tutorial – well done! I try and try and all i get is really long, visible stitches and/or the stitches dont have enough ‘give’ to allow the dress or skirt bottom to sit flat and it ends up with a visible fold. The trickiest part of sewing this seam is prepping the fabric. This site is no longer being updated so head over to Seamwork to get all the latest patterns, tutorials, video classes, and more. You can use the Blind Hem stitch on a number of fabrics (like twill , canvas and cotton !) I’ll keep this tutorial in mind for when that happens. Occasionally, your machine may have missed the fold while stitching. I used to find them to be a bit of a pain, but honestly my Bernina and it’s wonderful blind hem presser foot have banished all my frustrations. And that’s it! Step 4: Blind hem the main skirt bottom using the blind hem foot and blind hem stitch on your sewing machine. Thanks to you, I am ready to blind hem all of the little dresses that I am making to send to Africa. Lay out your clothing on a countertop pattern-side down, with the hem/edge in front of you. Here you can see that the middle (yellow) line is now at the bottom of the hem. thanks. Thank you! I know I can do blind hemming on my machine but it always seemed a lot of hassle so I haven’t bothered. Blind hem presser foot. But I’m going to stitch by hand on my boyfriend’s fancy suit trousers that he just got in the sale, because I feel like I need more control to make sure I don’t mess those up…. Just curious. The number of times their school trouser hems fell down through playground activity, needed taking up … (If you don’t have a special foot just use the regular one and keep the fabric folded as you stitch. You can set the stitch width wider or shorter depending on how wide you want it, but mine was set to 3.5 here. It’s a special foot with a little fence to help guide your stitches. You want a shorter length and a wider width. 3) If necessary, trim the raw edge of the hem so it is only about 1 inch below the bottom (pink) line. No matter how hard I try I end up with very visible stitches. Also, make sure you have enough seam allowance for a fairly deep hem. I was so close to doing just that when you saved the day. old) manual recommends a medium to wide stitch width, and a 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 stitch length. First finish the raw edge. Gah- blind hems! Thanks! Sew with the fold of the hem against the presser foot guide. Method 2 Hand sew hem with invisible stitches. A Blind Stitch Foot is required to do a blind hem. 11) Again, here’s how it will look once pressed. This is what the foot looks like. At least that is what works on my mahine (one of them , a 15 year old Singer. This process is one of the best things about the Bernina design!!! This setting will make three stitches in the rolled edge, then bite over to the fold for one stitch. This is so easy to understand! If it’s off, you won’t get such great results. I have a blind hem foot and I did try to use it once without perfect sucess, but I’m going to give it another try with these instructions! Fold the hem. It must be said that it’s not as invisible as a hand-sewn blind hem stitch but it’s faster and depending on the fabric and thread color it’s usually very hard to see. Your web site is awesome! My vintage Bernina does have the stitch and the foot, but I could never make any sense out of the instructions. doh. Thread the needle with a single thread and tie a knot at one end. While sewing, guide the folded edge along the blind hem guide. (Different machines can behave differently.) I recently made the Meringue skirt where you recommend doing a blind hem to attach the hem lining, but I just couldn’t face figuring it out and resorted to fusible hem tape (which worked fine, but it sure felt like cheating). It’s stressful as I’m aiming to sew a silk skirt and the hemming issue is going to be an issue. Stitch slowly, making sure to keep the fold right up against the plate. You will need to press a double fold hem which is then folded back on itself. Thanks for your great and always informative blog! As you might remember, the blind hem stitch consists of zigzag stitches with straight stitches in between. 1- How to do an Invisible hem with an Invisible Hem Serger/Overlock Foot. I feel the same as Juliet. How to Fold Fabric in the Round for a Blind Hem. This is the part that used to frustrate me, but with a higher quality foot, this never seems to happen anymore. It definitely makes sense; your directions were clear and the pictures helped a ton. Will definitely try it now as my sister wants me to make her some curtains with deadline! What type are they? It could make all the difference. I have a question… on the last few steps it looks like the pants are inside out. I have been sewing for over 40 years,so it’s refreshing to see people are still doing their own clothes. I was using stitch #4 which 0n my machine is like an overlock stitch, instead of the correct # 6!! Never again will I pay a tailor for hemming. (If you don’t have a special foot just use the regular one and keep the fabric folded as you stitch.) :). (If your machine doesn’t have a special presser foot don’t worry about it. On materials that can take a little heat, ironing the fold is recommended as it makes hemming easier. 2. I have two pairs of beautifully hemmed slacks, and the knowledge to do it again. So I might try it. You can see what it looks like here. A follow up to the "How to Use a Blind Hem Foot" tutorial showing how to use the Blind Hem foot to hem a pair of trousers. For a lightweight silk fabric, probably not. If you have trouble with your hems, you might consider trying another foot, if your machine accepts them. 2. You are tackling all the techniques that I have been avoiding for years , blind hems and invisible zippers! She believes the primary role of a business should be to help people. Thank you for this tutorial! Those are Kork-ease, some of my favorite and most comfy shoes. STEP 7 – Place the hem under the presser foot. Also, it is in how well you fold your fabric, and that you should slow slowly and watch each stitch. Is it totally necessary to have a blind hem foot? Step 3: Fold hem towards right side so that the heads of the pins are now on the right and there is a fold in the garment just to the left of the hem fold. You can just remove the existing pins and repin at this point. Fold at the fold line, adjust the two layers so they are together and like one material and not two materials stacked. I haven’t tried blind hems on my other machines – a 2 year old Singer, and a 40 to 50 year old Kenmore.) Step 1: Set up the machine for Blind Hem Stitch and attach blind hem presser foot if available. To hold it in place, insert pins with the point sticking out towards the bottom and the head in towards the top of the garment (the opposite of how you’d normally do it). 9) Pin in place again. The Stitch for the hem is a few straight stitches to the right then a jump to the left, where the nibble is taken from your hem fabric. Or, if the garment is much longer than desired, you can cut off the bottom with fabric scissors. It was really helpful! Here’s how it will look once it’s stitched! Looking forward to receiving your book and learning more. A sewist at my local Janome store showed me how to do this and it all looked so easy. Awesome! Now I can fix all my store bought dress pants that have come un-hemmed. Add an extra inch to that. This method sounds great – can’t wait to try it. 2) Mark two more lines, one above and below your hem line. Now I’ll look for a better foot! How to Machine Blind Hem Stitch - DIY Tutorial. Read my posts to Juliet about stitch length and width. A rolled hem is sewn by hand or machine on lightweight fabric. Refer to your machine’s manual to confirm the foot and the stitch number.