Hemming jeans, with the original hem

After reading one of my favorite sewing tutorial blogs, and seeing that she was attempting to hem jeans with the original hem. I was impressed that she would just jump in, having never done it, on her blog.  I love, even more so, that she used her daughters jeans; something I would SO do!

I learned it from “Threads” magazine, just in time for my first “customer” my mom, who cut her jeans wrong by mistake.  Very useful for the “home-hem-gone-wrong”.  This also happens to be something I’ve done numerous times for customers.  It’s great for those pairs of jeans that have the great worn in look, especially if you’ve paid quite a bit of money for that look. 

It’s not has hard as it sounds, but as I’ve discovered, very hard to relate through just words.  So here I’m going to show the steps, in pics, so it’s more easily understood.  I too am a visual learner and need it to be shown to me, hopefully the pics help.  If you still have questions, feel more than welcome to ask them.  (Please excuse the black pants, they’re the only jeans I had that needed to be hemmed)

So here we go –

1) First, mark where you want the hem to fall.  And cut it ON that line.  I know, this falls contrary to everything you know about hemming, but this is where you really want to cut it.  Also cut the original hem off about a 1/2″ or less above the top stitching.

Cutting exactly where you want it to fall on your leg.Cut above the original top stitch line. 1/2" or less above the original top stitching.1/2" above original top stitching.1/2" above original top stitching.

Cut above the original top stitch line.

 

2) Remove the stitching and open up the hem.  Don’t iron it, you want the folds still.

The outside.The inside, opened up.

 *note* When placing the bottoms back on, I switch the left to the right and right to left, so the side seams folds match up.  Not necessary, unless you have issues like me.

3) Pin the original hem back on to the bottom, right sides together, matching cut edges.  Also making sure you have the back and front correct.  Most jeans have larger backs than fronts and these will need to line up.

Make sure to have right sides together.

4) You’re going to sew just to the right of the of the original stop stitching.

The green line shows where the original top stitching was. Normally you would use regular thread, I used white jeans thread so you could see my stitching.Normally you would use regular thread, I used white jeans thread so you could see my stitching.

Normally you would use regular thread, I used white jeans thread so you could see my stitching.

 

5) Fold over the original hem over the seam allowances.  Sandwiching the new seams inside the fold, hiding them.

Fold the seams towards the bottom of the pants.Fold the original hem up, covering the stitching you just did. Sandwiching the new seams inside the hem.This is what it will look like from the outside.Fold the original hem up, covering the stitching you just did. Sandwiching the new seams inside the hem.This is what it will look like from the outside.

Fold the original hem up, covering the stitching you just did. Sandwiching the new seams inside the hem.

This is what it will look like from the outside.

 

6) Sew the new top stitch, either very close to the new seam line, or over the original top stitch line if you’re trying to preserve the worn look that some jeans have above the top stitching.

This is what your finished hem will look like, usually with blue jeans and gold thread. With these pants, would be black thread.This is what the inside will look like.This is what it will look like on the inside.

This is what it will look like on the inside.

 

I hope this helps explain how to do this a little better than just in words.