Choosing the right length
When figuring out how to properly hem trousers, the first thing you should do is choose the appropriate length. It directly depends on the type of clothing and shoes used. According to the standard, for women, the trouser leg should reach the center of the heel. Men's boots should remain completely open. Taking into account the style, you should adhere to certain rules. For female models:
- straight. To the center of the heel;
- wide. Partially covers shoes;
- tapered. Reach to the ankle;
- flared. They go to the floor;
- sports. They expose the leg a little, the bottom of the trousers is above the ankle.
In the case of men's clothing, the requirements will be as follows:
- classic. Cover the heel, but only partially;
- with turns and narrowed. The top of the shoe remains open.
By following these recommendations, you will be able to hem your trouser legs exactly according to the rules. Naturally, this will have a positive effect on your appearance.
What will be useful at work
Experienced needlewomen know very well how to hem trousers by hand. Beginning craftswomen need to understand this issue in as much detail as possible. The work may require a ribbon, but it can be replaced with a web. The easiest way to perform these steps is on a machine, but if you don’t have sewing equipment, don’t despair. There is nothing easier than hemming your trousers by hand. Among the tools that may be needed are the following:
- scissors;
- needles;
- soap or chalk;
- iron and ironing board;
- ruler.
Before hemming men's trousers, you should carefully study the master class, which indicates all the stages of the work. It is strictly forbidden to use dull scissors in this case. Otherwise, the fabric may become deformed. If necessary, the ruler and measuring tape can be replaced with a construction tape.
The canvas should be laid out on a perfectly clean and as flat surface as possible. The table must be wiped down and everything unnecessary removed from it. Only after this can you put your clothes down.
It is recommended to choose exclusively high-quality tape with which the hemming will be carried out. To prevent the stitches from being visible, you need to select them to match the color of your pants. In this case, the hem will be as neat as possible.
How to mark the hem line of jeans?
According to tailoring experts, you can shorten jeans without cutting the bottom, but before work you need to make careful markings. Determine the length of the trousers and the width of the hem of the bottom edge depending on the chosen hemming method. It is advisable to use outside help for marking to secure the bottom with pins in a straight standing position. When marking the bottom of the product yourself, you need to look in the mirror from the front and from the side, checking the length of the product on each leg.
Methods for marking on denim:
- pin and iron the lapel line;
- mark with chalk: first, with strokes from the back and sides, and then, using a ruler, draw a straight line, laying out the product on the desktop;
- “grandmother’s way” - mark a line with a piece of soap (take a soap with a thin edge and draw with it like chalk);
- apply a contrast marker on the fabric - a felt-tip pen, which will disappear after heat treatment (wet ironing or washing).
After marking, before working on a sewing machine, it is recommended to sweep the seam by hand and carry out a test fitting. This can be done with threads that you plan to use in your work; it will be possible to evaluate how a contrasting seam will look on the fabric.
Preparatory manipulations
Before you fold the bottom of your trousers, you should prepare for this process. As already mentioned, the length is determined taking into account the model of the pants. It is most convenient to carry out such manipulations with an assistant. One person tries on clothes, while the other notes the desired height. You can also use an already hemmed product for this purpose. In order to avoid making mistakes, you need to follow simple instructions.
Purchased clothing is turned inside out. The same manipulations should be done with old pants. These products need to be folded so that the crotch seams touch. After this, the cutting line is marked.
Now you need to draw a right angle from the arrow and draw a horizontal line on both legs.
All that remains is to build the allowance line that is needed for the hem. Another line is drawn at this point. It should be approximately 3 cm below the first.
It is most convenient to mark all the lines on the material with an ordinary soap. Before cutting off the intended element, it is recommended to pin the trouser legs together with pins. This prevents the hem from shifting. Perform similar manipulations in turn with each trouser leg. As a rule, experienced needlewomen resort to this method, but novice craftswomen can also use it.
Hemming methods
Before hemming, you should choose a suitable method for performing such work. If shortening is done manually, you can make a blind seam or use a ribbon, which is ideal for classic models. If you need to cope with such a task as hemming trousers on a sewing machine, then the work will be done much easier and faster.
Blind seam
The method got its name due to the fact that if all the rules are strictly followed, the stitches are absolutely invisible. They hide between the canvases. In this case, you can use threads darker than the fabric, but the difference should be insignificant. The work is carried out according to simple instructions.
Initially, the clothes are turned inside out and pinned with pins.
You should make sure that the arrows, as well as the side seams, match perfectly.
The needle is stuck into the cut edge, while capturing only a few threads from the trouser leg.
The needle is brought out to the other side.
Work according to this scheme continues at intervals of maximum 0.5 cm.
After making a hidden seam, the bottom should be ironed. Such actions should be performed exclusively from the wrong side.
This method has one undeniable advantage. The seam is practically invisible when used.
Using glue web
If you don’t have not only a sewing machine, but also a needle and thread, you won’t be able to make a blind seam. In this situation, you can use a slightly different method. It is suitable even for thick materials such as denim. The main thing is to purchase a special web. It is a sticky tape that, when heated, begins to release an adhesive substance. The algorithm for using it is as follows:
The first thing to do is turn the pants inside out.
They are bent to the required length.
A piece of purchased cobweb is placed between the trouser leg and the collar.
The length is not cut, and the trouser leg is simply ironed at the fold on the wrong side.
Sometimes the web may not cope with the task the first time. This is due to its low quality. In such a situation, it is recommended to iron the clothes again using adhesive tape.
Using trouser tape
The method is suitable for any models. As a rule, it is used on clothes that are worn for graduation. The tape is designed to protect the trousers from rapid wear. This is a fairly narrow ribbon, equipped with small sides along the edge.
There are several types of trouser tapes:
- thin;
- medium in thickness;
- increased level of strength.
The color of such products also varies. When hemming classic trouser models, it is recommended to give preference to wear-resistant options. For women's clothing and pants made of lightweight materials, less dense ribbons are an excellent solution. Their color should match the color of the item of clothing itself. To bend, you only need to perform a few steps.
A fold line is drawn on the fabric.
A ribbon is laid along the intended line.
The trouser leg is stitched in a circle.
The edge is covered with the remaining ribbon.
If the tape remains sticking out, it will soon begin to crumble. Naturally, this will make the clothes look unkempt. This method should only be used by needlewomen who have already mastered the basics of sewing. It can also be used to adjust pants designed for a child. This way it is possible to make the trousers longer by approximately 4 cm.
Fast way
Also known as Turkish. Hemming is done using a sewing machine. Initially, markings are made using pins and basting is performed. The scheme of actions is quite simple and comes down to performing just a few steps.
The trouser leg is rolled up and fixed in this position.
It is stitched as close as possible to the seam allowances or simply overcast by hand.
Ironed upwards.
Fixed along the seam line.
The last stage in this case is extremely important. If you ignore it, the seam allowances will begin to bend. Due to this, the trouser legs may be of different lengths.
Instructions for hemming while maintaining the factory seam
An integral element of clothing is a decorative seam. Many people, having bought jeans that fit them perfectly at the waist, but are not the right length, wonder how to maintain the factory finish.
To do this, you need to adhere to the following procedure:
- determine the length and width of the hem on the wrong side;
- Unfold the item and straighten out all the folds;
- From the intended length, measure upward the width of the hem;
- draw a line parallel to the floor and put 1 centimeter down;
- draw a second line and perform all of the above steps on the other leg;
- cut along the second line;
- take a scrap with a factory stitch and set aside 1 cm from the hem;
- draw lines and cut off excess.
Hemming jeans while maintaining the factory seam
Hemming jeans while maintaining the seam should be done as follows:
- attach details with trim to the trousers;
- align the cuts and chip inside and on the sides;
- carefully sweep away the parts;
- stitch from the factory seam to 1 mm;
- make cutting allowances to the line a few millimeters;
- trim the bottom allowance to 4 mm;
- Iron the edges to the hem;
- Apply a stitch 1 mm from the factory seam and overcast the allowances.
In this simple way you can hem jeans while maintaining the factory seam.
Shortening models with cuffs
Nowadays, trouser models equipped with cuffs at the bottom are becoming especially popular. They are in demand not only among men, but also among women. When cutting them, no difficulties arise either. You just need to strictly follow the instructions.
A mark is made in the area of the lower cut.
The cuff is folded to the wrong side, after which a double seam is laid along it.
The allowances are carefully hemmed by making a blind seam.
The cuff on the trousers is turned inside out and stitched. Its edge is fixed directly above the crotch seam.
The final step in this case is ironing the fabric. The cuffs are usually double. True, if the length should be made not less, but more, they are made one and a half. As a rule, such actions are performed in the case of children's pants.
It is extremely important that the cuffs are symmetrical after hemming. If you are not confident that everything will be done correctly, then it is better to entrust the matter to professionals. It should also be taken into account that men's clothing of this style may be slightly shorter than in the case of a classic cut. Such deviations according to the rules of the informal stylistic direction are quite acceptable.
Finishing
After shortening, the clothes should be washed and ironed. Before performing these manipulations, you must fasten the zipper on your trousers, as well as all buttons without exception. It is recommended to give preference to detergents intended for delicate items.
If washing is done by hand, you can additionally use a brush. It will act as an additional tool. Powder or regular soap is applied to it, after which the entire surface is thoroughly wiped. Particular attention is paid to the hemmed part. It is strongly not recommended to wring out clothes after this. The water should drain from it naturally.
Ironing after shortening should begin from the pocket area . Then you need to go over the waist with the iron. With its help, you need to carefully straighten all the folds. To form the arrows, the top and inner seams of the product are combined. The surface of the iron moves as smoothly as possible. This way it is possible to avoid the appearance of unevenness and folds. When processing a fold line, be sure to turn on the steaming function.
Often the arrows disappear very quickly. In order to preserve them for as long as possible, you can use one trick. Before ironing, you just need to rub the fabric with soap.
On light-colored items, the iron often leaves scorch marks, which significantly spoil the appearance. To avoid their appearance, we recommend ironing through thin fabric folded in layers. In this case, gauze should not be used. It has a heterogeneous structure and unevenness may appear on clothes.
To shorten a piece of clothing, it is not at all necessary to contact an experienced craftsman. It’s quite possible to do these steps yourself, even at home. You just need to accurately determine the appropriate length and prepare everything that will be useful in your work. If you strictly follow the instructions, the trousers will turn out beautiful and fit perfectly.
Required materials and tools
Tools that are necessary for high-quality work on hemming jeans:
- Machine for sewing thick material;
- Thick needles;
- Centimeter and textile marker;
- Scissors or fabric roller;
- Pins
- Yarn in the color of the product.
Visual result
Tailors advise taking measurements exactly along the right trouser leg. Then you need to carefully align the trousers - lay them out on the table or floor, fold them inside with the trouser legs, align them along the side seams, waistline, pockets and back seam. Jeans should not be skewed. Since the fabric is stretch, it can move very much on the surface.
Rules for cutting jeans so as not to spoil their appearance: first you need to try them on, mark the fold line and tuck them, try on the pants with shoes. Then you need to cut the right trouser leg, try it on again and shorten the left trouser leg. Before making a machine seam, the bend must be basted with bright threads.
Note! In textile stores you can purchase special threads that are intended only for working with denim. But only modern machines can work with them
Raw edges
