Shortening Jeans While Saving the Original Hem

Need to shorten jeans in a hurry? With this technique, you can keep your original hem and don't even have to cut away any fabric!

Download the pdf of this technique here. 

 Supplies:

• Mettler TRANSFIL Monofilament Thread (use clear for lighter jeans and smoke for dark jeans)
• Pair of jeans in need of hemming

Step 1. Measure how many inches the jeans need to be shortened. Take that number and add 1, then divide that number in half. This is the number you will need.

Step 2. Turn up the hem of your jeans the number you just determined. Pin.

Step 3. Change to your zipper foot and sew right next to the original hem as shown. Using a zipper foot is essential to get as close as possible to the original hem.

Step 4. Turn the folded area back inside the jeans and press. 

Step 5. Top stitch the folded area close to the original hem stitching with your basic sewing foot or edge stitch foot. Using the Transfil thread will make this topstitching nearly invisible.