This technique should be used on all trousers; however I am going to just cover large hems on children’s clothes, although the same principle applies when doing smaller hems…….

Children have growth spurts, which mean putting a large hem on all their clothes makes a lot of sense.  School clothes in particular cost a lot of money, so it makes a lot of sense to leave a large hem.  The only problem our children have with large hems is that the other children can ridicule them because they have all this puckering happening around the hem line because the excessive hem allowance does not fit up into the trouser leg.  I am sure you have seen what I am talking about on children’s trousers, and also on adult’s trousers.   It looks unprofessional, and it is certainly not a great fashion statement.

So how do we leave a large hem without it looking puckered and ugly?

Technique - I usually leave a 10 cm (4 in) hem allowance.  By the time kids have grown 7.5 cm (3 in)  (2.5 cm (1 in) for hem allowance) they have probably grown out of the waist anyway.  Pin the trousers on your child and fold the excess fabric up inside the trouser.  Place a double pin at the outside seam, on the outside of the trousers.  When you are preparing the trousers, measure the amount folded under from the original hem to the new folded hem (this is the amount folded under) Take the pins out and place the trouser legs side by side to make sure the manufacturer hasn't given you a pair of trousers with one leg longer than the other.

This is why I ALWAYS pin the right leg only. That way I know that the right leg is the correct length that I pinned.

Using your chalk mark up the amount pinned under, then measure DOWN from that point by 10 cm (4 in) for the hem allowance.  Place three chalk marks at the front of the trousers (side,center,side) and three at the back of the trousers.  DO NOT CUT UP TO THIS MARK.  Place a nick in the fabric on the BOTTOM chalk mark.  Cut all the way around.  This way if you want to add the fabric back on at a later date you can because it is still in one piece.

Fold the hem allowance up on the outside to see how much needs to be opened in the seams for the hem allowance to sit flat on the inside.  Begin sewing on the inside from the new hem line (4” up from the cut edge) and sew out gradually to the over locking so that by the time you are at the cut edge, you are all the way out to the over locking.  Unpick the original seam.  Repeat on the opposite side if you need more fabric to be open. Fold the hem allowance up on the outside to see if it will fit into the trouser leg.

If you find that it does not fit, you can do a little cheat.  But first if you have an over locker (serge) then now is the time to over lock.  If you don’t own an over locker, then sew some ribbon over the top of the cut edge so that the ribbon is overlapping only.

Turn the trousers inside out and pin the hem allowance up making sure to line up the outside and inside seams.  If you find that it is still not fitting, begin your hand stitching 1 cm (½ in) from the FRONT CENTER FOLD.  By this I mean you have a crease in the front and back of the trousers.  Sew all the way around to 1 cm (½ in) from the FRONT CENTER FOLD.  When you turn the trousers inside out, the front center fold will still be there, but you will have a little gap on the inside.

By sewing the trousers this way, your child will not feel silly with a big hem, because it should not pucker and look unfashionable.

Happy sewing

Judith aka genie