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DIY hemming guide

For this blog post we're doing a bit of diy...

here's how to make a handy hemming guide!

We use our guide often when hemming garments, it allows you to iron over your fabric using the correctly spaced out lines, creating perfectly measured hems.

What you'll need -

> Card

> Scissors

> Pen/pencil

> Ruler or cutting mat

Start by grabbing some cardboard, this can be an old cereal packet or even one of our card envelopes that we use for our sewing kits. Great use for recycling it!

Simply cut a long rectangle, this can be any size you desire. Ours is approx 30cms x 8cms. Try and ensure those edges are straight as this is what you'll be using to create those lovely even hems!

Now it's time to pop your measurements onto the cardboard. We have two that we use here at HQ, one in inches and the other in centimetres. Either use your cutting mat as a guide or pop marks on your card using a ruler to create the lines you require. See ours below as a reference.

  

Now it's time to use your handy guide. Take your ironing board and garment that needs hemming. Place your guide on the wrong side of your fabric and fold up the hem to the required measurement on your guide.

Use the line as a guide for folding your fabric, with the raw edge touching the line on your guide. Ensure the bottom of your cardboard guide is firmly in the crease of the fold of the fabric. Then start pressing, work your way around the hem of your garment, repeating the process if necessary to hide any raw edges.This will give you an evenly measured pressed hem. Ready to pop in a few pins and sew up the final step of your garment! 

We hope you have found this tutorial helpful and that you enjoy using your new hemming guide. There are lots of fab dressmaking projects to choose from over on our website here - https://www.owlandsewingcat.com/collections/dressmaking-patterns

4 comments

  • Been using owl and sewing cat for many years. I have most of their patterns over the years and still using today. Keep up the good work xx

    Gail Prince
  • a very handy guide to have, will be using it when doing my next item of sewing.

    priscilla salter
  • I have been a member for 2 years now and would fully recommend becoming a member of owl and sewing cat.
    The quality of the products are outstanding, and the instructions are so easy to follow. Well done for bringing us such a wonderful club. I’m watching the letter box for my next product. Feels like xmas xxxx

    JANET WINN
  • I have been a member for 2 years now and would fully recommend becoming a member of owl and sewing cat.
    The quality of the products are outstanding, and the instructions are so easy to follow. Well done for bringing us such a wonderful club. I’m watching the letter box for my next product. Feels like xmas xxxx

    JANET WINN

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