Hemstitching is a beautiful way to finish the hem. It uses the drawn thread embroidery work to sew the hem and is a popular hem used in many vintage clothes and linen. You can easily use it on your napkins, towels, and handkerchiefs and hem of dresses, skirts, kid’s frocks, scarves etc.
To do hemstitching, first the the edge of the fabric is turned to the back and folded twice. Press it there in place. You can pin this here or baste stitch in place.
Now draw out the threads above the folded edge. I have cut 10 horizontal threads (one each) with the seam ripper and then pulled the threads out.
Pull 10 to 12 horizontal thread from above the folded edge, leaving the vertical threads intact. Usually a space of 1/4 inch or even 1/8 inch is made this way.Â
Now stitches are made gathering a bunch of vertical threads together on the space you have made.
Simple hemstitching
In this method, a bunch of vertical threads on the drawn out space are gathered and tied with thread, near the folded edge, even as you stitch the hem.
Work this stitch like this –
Bring up the needle from under the folded edge as in the picture below.
Come down and take up 6 threads or so, under the needle.
Bring up the needle and then bring it down.
When you tighten the thread (a little) the threads are tied.
Then you go on to the next stitch – do the same thing again.
ie, again bring up the needle from under the folded edge, as you did earlier, a little (1/2″ or so) away from the first stitch.Â
Do the loop as you did earlier.
Continue in this manner.Â
On the other side, the hemstitching will look like this.
Double hemstitching
This hemstitching has the single hemstitching on one side and another hemstitching on the other edge of the drawn thread space. This ties are not taken through the fabric – the needle is simply taken through the already gathered threads as in the picture below.
Machine stitched hemstitching.
You can get a simple hemstitching effect with a sewing machine. Use wing needles and do decorative stitches – your fabric will get a drawn thread embroidery look that you painstakingly make by hand, very easily.
Related posts: How to sew hem : with sewing machine ; How to sew hem : by hand; Â Drawn thread embroidery
Sarina, Thank you for this post on hemstitching. I’ve often wondered how this beautiful detailing is achieved in linen napkins, and now I know. So thrilled to have found your blog! ~Le
Nice to know that, Leanne
It is a good opening