Hand Sewing a Blind Hem

Learn how to sew a blind hem by hand for an invisible and durable hem finish. Mary Beth Temple shows you how in this easy to follow tutorial.

The blind hem can be used on jackets, trousers, skirts, or anywhere you want to hem an item but don’t want to see the stitching on the right side of the fabric.

Mary Beth outlines several tips for completing the blind hem for a truly invisible finish on the right side of the fabric. First, Mary Beth recommends using a fine hand sewing needle and only one strand of thread. Also, use a thread color that matches the fabric color as closely as possible. This will help the stitches to be camouflaged on the right side.

Mary Beth discusses how to fold the seam allowance, and then the hem allowance to prepare the hem for stitching. Then, Mary Beth demonstrates how to pick up very few threads on the outward facing layer of fabric, and how to travel the stitch within the fold on the wrong side, to create an easy, invisible hem stitch.

Learn how to achieve the blind hem stitch by machine in this video: How to Sew a Blind Hem Stitch on a Sewing Machine.

If you are hemming a garment that will receive a lot of wear at the hem, such as trousers, the stitches should be fairly close together, to avoid snag opportunities.

Mary Beth recommends pressing the work on a wool pad or a couple of towels, to avoid a sharp press, which will show the foldline of the hem allowance to the right side.

For more hemming tips, tricks, and techniques, check out these videos:
Hems for Special Occasions
How to Hem Jeans
How to Hem a Curved Edge