Sew Smart & Savvy
Tapered Hems
Mrs. R.T. Reed asks: How do I hem tapered pants? The pants seem to be so much longer than they used to be.
Mrs. Reed, Tapered pants can present a problem when hemming because the leg of the pant continues to narrow. Try these techniques to create a smooth hem finish on shortened pant legs.
Step One: Wearing the shoes that you intend to wear with the pant, have a friend position a pin against the heel of the shoe indicating the new hemline. Be sure to measure both legs separately because most women have one leg longer (or one hip higher) than the other, resulting in two different pant-leg measurements.
Step Two: Use tailoršs chalk to mark the new hem for your pant by lightly drawing a line from the pin mark to a corresponding mark at the front of the pant. Position a straightedge ruler along the hemline and mark a 1 1/2-inch hem (Figure 1). Using a rotary mat and cutter, trim off the excess pant leg.
Step Three: Use a straight pin to transfer the 1 1/2-inch hem to the inside of the pant leg as shown in Figure 2; mark with pin on both inside and outside pant-leg side seams.
Step Four: Straight-stitch from cut edge of hem to pin (Figure 3). Open the seam allowance from the cut edge of the hem to the pin. Lightly press. Repeat for each seam on the legs of the pant.
Step Five: Edge-finish the cut edge of the hem. Fold along the hemline and then blind-hem into place.
