Easy DIY · 의류 수선

Hand-Sew a Trouser or Skirt Hem in 6 Steps: Measure, Fold and Stitch

A beginner's six-step hand-hemming guide for everyday woven clothing: measure, allow for folds, stitch, finish and work safely.

AI-edited · Human admin approved

Wikimedia Commons / W.carter · W.carter / Wikimedia Commons, 'Sewing needle with two threads.jpg', CC BY-SA 4.0, original unmodified. · CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗

Adapted from Aalto University's 2024 Repair and Rewear guide. Valuable vintage garments, stretch knits, coatings or complex linings may require a professional. The cover shows a needle and thread—not actual hem stitching.

Your try-it-at-home checklist

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1. Try the garment on with your usual shoes and choose the length. Compare front, back and both sides; remove it before chalk marking. Do not pin clothing while it is being worn.
2. Check the care label and old hem. Plan sufficient folding allowance: Aalto uses 4 cm in one example, but that figure is not suitable for every garment.
3. Turn inside out and carefully unpick the old hem with a seam ripper if necessary. Recheck measurements before cutting. Put needles and sharp tools away safely afterward.
4. Fold the fabric along the mark and secure with basting or pins. Press only if the care label permits, at the specified setting. Do not leave a hot iron unattended.
5. Thread a needle with matching thread and secure it inside. Test blind hemming by catching just a few threads of outer fabric alternately with the folded hem. Practise on an unseen area first.
6. Sew around the edge, tie an inside knot and trim the thread. Try the garment on again and check evenness, pulling and visible stitches. Collect every pin and needle.

Aalto UniversityAalto Repair and Rewear – Mending Guide (2024) ↗Checked sewing and hem instructions including the PDF page images, seam ripping, marking, one example of 4 cm allowance, blind stitches and finishing. Adapted for everyday woven clothes.Wikimedia CommonsFile:Sewing needle with two threads.jpg ↗Own work by W.carter, file-level CC BY-SA 4.0 verified, needle and thread reference only.Wikimedia CommonsCommons:Reusing content outside Wikimedia/technical ↗Hotlinking allowed with separate file-specific license and credit requirements.

Your try-it-at-home checklist

Further reading

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