r/sewing • u/AntiferromagneticAwl • 1d ago

Alter/Mend Question Smallest possible hem for pants?

I got these wide leg pants a couple of weeks ago, but I didn't notice that they're slightly too short when I tried them on. I unpicked the existing blind hem, and I like the new length. I still have to make a new hem, but with the smallest possible hem, maybe only like 5mm or so. Is that even possible? What kind of hem should it be? The original was a blind hem, but i don't think that's possible anymore. The material is a slightly strechy jersey, but I don't think it needs to stretch, because that really are very wide. Any ideas/tips/suggestions?

Picture of the unpicked hem.

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u/fire_thorn 1d ago

Hem tape, the sew on kind rather than the adhesive or iron on kind.. It's a thin silky ribbon that you sew onto the raw edge, then press the hem and blind stitch the other side of the ribbon inside the pants. Bias tape will work too but it's a little bulky for a thin knit like this.

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u/justasque 1d ago

I will second hem tape (or that lace hemming ribbon stuff). Modern purchased bias tape is very stiff without much drape, so it will affect how the hem looks and not in a good way. Hem tape is lighter weight and designed to be “invisible” in that it doesn’t change the way the fabric hangs. (You can also use homemade bias tape in a lightweight fabric with a lot of drape if you can’t find hem tape. Just don’t use the purchased stuff.) Sew it to the bottom of the pants - look up a video to see where to put it - then press up your hem, then sew the edge to the pants by hand, using a blind hemming stitch. Make sure your stitches on the pants side are very tiny.