This tutorial teaches you how to hem jeans and other casual style pants with the original hem, preserving the worn characteristics. If you don’t have a sewing machine, hand sewing is a great way to hem jeans. This technique is found in Nancy’s bestselling Quick Stitch to Wear Again book and can save you from spending $20+ at a tailor’s.
The heming process involves measuring and pining the length of the finished jeans legs, laying the jeans out on a flat surface, measuring the inseam, folding the hem inside out to the measured length, and sewing all the way around. This fast and easy DIY method saves you from having to take your jeans to a tailor.
To create a new hem on your jeans, use a piece of chalk to mark where the new hem should end and measure and draw a line ½ inch above the new hemline and ½ inch for straight leg jeans. Lay the jeans on a flat surface with the position for the new hem marked with pins or washable chalk/waxe. Fold the new hem over 3/8″ and press it all around with an iron. Fold it again over 1/2″ and press.
To prepare the hem, get a pair of denims and press out the hem if it is wonky-looking. Fold up 2″ for the hem and sew all the way around. This tutorial is a useful skill for anyone looking to hem jeans and preserve the original, faded hem.
📹 How to hem jeans using domestic sewing machine (WITHOUT original hem)
In this video I share a very common alteration – how to shorten jeans. For this technique, we will not be using original hem.
📹 How to Hem Jeans While Keeping Original Hem
Short people rejoice! Here’s an easy way to hem those jeans and keep the original distressed hem. SUPPLIES USED WEBSITE …
Great tutorial! Very useful information and well presented! I regularly hem my husband’s thick heavy duty jeans and for that I find that it also helps to adjust the top thread tension quite high and use a plastic jeans sewing tool for coming down off the thick seam to avoid a thread nest on the back side. The tool is called a Jean-a-ma-jig 😊
Nice job… Innovative! Great article..,Denim needle???? I have a consew model number 7360 R .I am sewing basic denim as well.. However, if the material gets a little thick the needle keeps breaking!! It works fine on other material.. But as soon as I get some denim under there like a hem, etc, the needle breaks Now I am using Organ Needles, 110/18. DB x 1. What is the strongest needle that I could possibly use??? You probably know better where to look then I would . Your needle looked thick and huge… if I try to put in a bigger needle, it won’t fit inside the intake hole or whatever you call it… you could probably tell me what the strongest needle that I could put in this machine. You can see a picture of my machine if you just type in 7360r… Thanks