Be sure to take a notch out of the side seams. Jaymi Heimbuch
DCL
If you lean a bit on the short side, you likely have to hem every pair of pants you buy. Trips to the tailor can add up if you don't know the basics of hemming. Or if you do have basic skills, a hem on slacks or a skirt might not be a big deal. But jeans can be complicated.
The material is thicker, you use a more specific thread and needle, and you want the hem to look aged just like it does when you buy them. Here's a way to get the hem of your jeans to look store-bought. And it's not tough at all!
Materials:
Upholstery or jean thread in a color that matches
the existing thread on your jeans
A jeans needle for your sewing machine (100/16 or even 80/12 will work)
Fabric scissors
Measuring tape
Pins
Iron
Sewing machine
Fine grain sandpaper (you'll see why)
How to Hem Jeans
1.Decide on the length of your jeans. It's always a good call to have the hem just brush the ground when you're standing up straight and wearing the shoes you're most likely to wear with them. When you pin, be sure to take the jeans off, measure to make sure the hem is even all the way around, iron where the new hem is, and put them back on
2.Trim the excess material leaving a 1" hem allowance below the new hemline. Cut an extra
3.Fold the hem
4.Start sewing near a seam
5.Once your hem is sewn, take your sand paper and gently rough up the bottom of your hem and a little along the outer side. This will give it that aged, worn look that matches the rest of the jeans.
Voila! You have jeans that fit just right and look store-bought, and it wasn't difficult, scary, or expensive to make them that way!
