How to fix a fallen hem by hand

What you need and how to prepare

Gather a fine hand-sewing needle, thread matched to the fabric (slightly darker hides better than lighter), pins, small scissors and an iron. Then:

• Turn the garment inside out and find where the intact stitching ends on each side of the gap.
• Secure those ends with two or three small stitches on top of each other. Some machine hems, especially on ready-made trousers, are chain stitched and keep unravelling if a loose end is pulled.
• Trim the broken threads, but do not pull them.
• Press the hem up along the original fold, at the heat the care label allows. The old crease is your guide, so there is nothing to measure.
• Pin it every few centimetres, with the pins at right angles to the edge.

The invisible hem stitch, step by step

Use a single thread about the length of your forearm; longer thread tangles. Work from right to left if you are right-handed, with the folded hem edge towards you. Check the right side as you go: if you can see a stitch, the bite was too big, so unpick that one and take less.

• Anchor the thread inside the hem allowance, a little before the gap, so the knot is hidden.
• Pick up one or two threads of the garment fabric directly above the hem edge. This tiny bite is the only part that could show outside.
• Slide the needle along inside the fold of the hem for about half a centimetre and bring it out.
• Repeat, keeping the thread relaxed. Stitches pulled tight make a row of dimples on the right side.
• Lock every few stitches with a small backstitch in the hem allowance only, so a future snag cannot bring the whole hem down.
• Overlap the old stitching by a centimetre or two, fasten off inside the allowance and press lightly from the wrong side.

Matching the stitch to the hem

Not every hem is finished the same way, and our hemline guide shows the main types. Choose the stitch to match what was there:

• Trousers and plain kameez hems with no visible stitching: the slip stitch above.
• Hems with a visible line of machine stitching, as on many lawn kameez and dupattas: a small, even backstitch along the old needle holes looks close to the original.
• Thick fabrics such as khaddar: a catch stitch, worked in small crosses between hem and garment, flexes without pulling.
• Stretchy fabrics: leave a little slack in every stitch, or the thread will snap when the fabric stretches.

A fix for today

Avoid glue and staples, which can mark fabric permanently. These hold a hem for a day without harm:

• Iron-on hemming tape: quick and neat on cotton and other fabrics that can take the heat. Test it on an inside area first; it is not for sheer fabric, velvet or anything that marks under an iron, and it can leave the hem stiff.
• Double-sided fashion tape: no heat, holds for an evening, peels off afterwards.
• Safety pins: pin from the inside through the hem allowance and one or two threads of the garment, with the pins lying along the hem.

When to hand it to a tailor

Take the garment to a tailor near you if the hem carries lace or a border, is lined or faced, curves sharply, has a rolled edge on chiffon, or if the fabric itself has torn. Repairs and alterations to existing clothes are home care or a job for someone who can see the piece; they are not a service we provide. Our guide to making your suits last longer lists other small repairs worth doing early.

Hems that keep dropping are often simply too long and get caught under a heel. On a new outfit made through custom stitching, lengths are cut to the measurements you give, so measure in the shoes you will wear and note it in your quote request.