Hemming a Skirt by Hand with a Blind Hem Stitch
Blogger: Ashley Feriante
Hemming a Skirt by Hand with a Blind Hem Stitch
‘Tis the season for holiday sewing which, to me, means it’s time to break out my fanciest fabrics and all of my most professional sewing finishes. This is where I pull out all of the stops and add my finishing touches by hand, rather than using a sewing machine. When sewing with special occasion fabrics, I try to avoid topstitching where possible. Long lines of top stitching can stick out like a sore thumb on shiny satins, disrupt patterns on a brocade, and even create pulls in delicate fabrics. By finishing my hems by hand with a blind hem stitch, I am able to create a nearly invisible hem that lets my special occasion fabrics shine!
The materials list for sewing a blind hem is a short one. You will need a skirt, a hand-sewing needle, and thread that closely matches the color of the fabric.
I have used a larger needle and a dark, contrasting thread so that they are both visible in photos. When sewing a blind hem, be sure to use a needle that is appropriate for the fabric and a thread that matches the fabric as closely as possible. Don’t get me wrong, I am usually a “I’m not leaving the house again- this thread match is close enough” kind of person. This is not one of those times. Trust me, a truly invisible finish is well worth the extra trip to the store for matching thread!
To start, follow the pattern directions for hemming the skirt. For this Waldorf skirt, I sewed the front and back skirt at the sides and pressed the bottom, raw edge up ½” (1.3 cm) and then another 1 ½” (3.8 cm). I finished the rest of my dress and saved all the hand-stitching for last, but you can always pause at this step to finish the hem before resuming the pattern directions.
Cut a length of thread several inches longer than the width of the hem and thread the needle, tying a knot at the end of the thread. For larger sizes or very full skirts, you can also work in several sections using shorter lengths of thread to avoid tangles.
Place the skirt with the wrong side facing up. Unfold the top memory crease at the starting point. Insert the needle into the wrong side of the fabric along the crease and pull the needle through to the right side of the fabric. Pull the thread taught and refold the memory crease. The thread should now start at the top, folded edge of the hem.
Insert the needle into the skirt, directly above where the thread comes out of the hem, as close to the folded edge as possible. Bring the needle back through the skirt immediately to the right of where it was inserted, catching just a few threads of the fabric on the needle. This teeny tiny stitch is the key to a blind hem- the smaller the stitch, the more invisible the blind hem will be!
Insert the needle back into the top, folded edge of the hem directly below where the previous skirt stitch ended. Be sure to only insert the needle into the folded hem edge and not through to the front of the skirt.
Bring the needle back up through the hem about 1 - 2” (2.5 - 5 cm) down the top, folded edge . The specific distance isn’t super important. Stitches spaced further apart are less visible, but they should be placed close enough together that the hem is secure and not sagging between stitches. For this Waldorf skirt, I am using the folded pleat edges as a guide for where to place my stitches.
Insert the needle into the skirt just above where the thread comes out of the folded hem edge. Bring the needle back through the skirt immediately to the right to create another tiny blind stitch.
Insert the needle into the top, folded hem edge, directly below where the previous stitch ended. Again, make sure that the needle is inserted into the hem edge only, and not through to the right side of the skirt.
Pull the needle back up about 1 - 2” (2.5 - 5 cm) along the folded hem edge. Repeat this process, creating tiny blind stitches 1-2” apart, until the end of the hem is reached. Fasten off with a knot.
Even with the black thread, you can see how inconspicuous the blind hem stitch is. When a matching thread is used, the result is a nearly invisible hem! Paired together with french seams and enclosed sleeve and bodice seams, the blind hem stitch can turn your next dress into a masterpiece that’s just as gorgeous inside as it is on the outside!
