Hemming/Turning Up Trousers

Katgoddess

I have just brought a sewing machine from Tesco Extra triple points weekend.

I've just shocked myself by managing to thread it correctly and have been testing it out on an old cut up work shirt. Have also ordered some interesting patterns from the US to work my way up to in a few months, and a couple of sewing books from Tesco Extra (triple points!) which should be here in a month... :rolleyes:

So anyway, I would like to take up the hem of my best black trousers and a pair of jeans that are too long for me. I can't find anything here (sorry squeaky) and the best google can find is here which doesn't mention sewing machines.

I get the measuring and ironing part. How do I sew them on a machine without sewing the trouser legs shut? :rotfl:

Any other advise appreciated as well... :beer:

xxbutterflygirlxx

Most machines have a thingy which comes off to allow you to sew trouser / sleeve hems but the way that suits me best is to sew with the trousers turned right side out but sewing on the wrong side - on the inside of the leg as you are holding it. It means you have to wrestle a bit with fabric sometimes but I find I sew more accurately like that.
I was a bit of a chocolate teapot there, sorry. I hope someone else can explain things better than me!
For doing jeans I would definitely recommend a needle suited to heavy fabrics or at least be very careful over the seams. I always jump out of my skin when a needle breaks!

rammy007

which one did you buy?i also bought one

Katgoddess

The toyota £79.99 one.

calleyw

I will let you in to a little secret a few months ago I took up some trousers that I had. They had been sat in the wardrobe for months but where too long to wear out as they dragged along the ground and I have a massive phobia about dog and cat muck.

Anyway I sewed them shut :rotfl: Which at the time I fuming but was funny afterwards.

I have taken to unpicking seams on my clothes as I am loosing weight and can't afford to buy new clothes.

Mind you my machine was second hand and cost me £95 :eek: but it does have a metal body rather then plastic and is heavy so I think I will last me a long time.

But since having the machine I have re-done the seams on 3 pairs of trousers and just re-done 2 pairs again. Hemmed and taken out zips on the too long apair. And re-seamed a couple of polo shirts that are a little bit to big for me now. So reckon at the moment I have saved a min of £60 in buying new clothes. So nearly paid for itself.

Now I am taking apart a blouse with cuffs on it. And I have no idea how to put it back together again. LOL!!!!!!!! So if hear swearing come from my direction you will know why.

Good luck. It is hard to explain how to do it without pictures of someone showing you. Really all you have to do is to grab one side of the trousers put it under the foot and then sew round in a circle, Don't put them down flat like you are ironing that is what I did. Make sure you have plently of room and give yourself plently of time and take it slow.

Yours

Calley

Katgoddess

Thank you people! I think I understand what you mean.

I have just fixed the pocket of one of my work shirts! I'll hopefully be hemming my black trousers tomorrow.

My next project will be to make this A Line skirt with some old material. I don't wear short skirts as I can never get them to look nice on me. Of course if I get an old pair of curtains to look nice on me anything is possible. This is all very exciting!!!

calleyw

Here is a good website with loads of fabric projects even make your own wrist rest.

http://www.gotfabric.com/projects/


Enjoy

Yours

Calley

frugalfairy_3

Hi Katgoddess, I hope you enjoy your new toy. Had a quick look at the machine online and it says it has a flatbed or removable platform. If you take this off (it's like a shaped table that slides under the needle to make the whole thing flat) it should then look like the picture of the machine on the website (not explaining this very well, sorry). Having the table taken off makes it a lot easier to hem trouser legs and sleeves, the leg of the trouser probably won't slide completely onto the base of the machine but you should be able to push just one side of the leg under the needle without the danger of sewing both sides together at once.

You may find when turning your new hem up that it doesn't quite seem to fit the rest of the leg, and the leg ripples a bit under it. To stop this, with a sharp pair of scissors just slit open the seam a tiny bit of the bottom of the hem until it spreads enough to stop the rippling. Clear as mud, I bet, sorry.

Oh and if you're sewing jeans definitely get a 'jeans' needle or a thick one otherwise you may break your needle on the thick fabric.

Let me know if I can be of further help. Good luck!
FF

xxbutterflygirlxx

Much better explained than me!
That a-line skirt looks good, might have a go myself.

maryb

do you want to do a hem where you can't see the stitching on the outside? If so, use the blind hem stitch if there is one. I use this all the time for hems and it takes seconds once you get the hang of folding the fabric the right way

nearlyrich

I have a Toyota machine, it's over 20 years old and it is still going well I don't do much sewing these days, too busy, but I used to make clothes for myself and for the children when they were little.

Turning up trousers with a blind hem is great once you get the hang of it good luck...