Skill level: beginner

Have you been using tape, staples, or simply rolling up the cuff of your pants to prevent them from dragging on the ground, but are dissatisfied because your efforts don’t last or leave an unflattering look? Or maybe you usually take your pants to the tailor, but would like to start doing it yourself. This workshop was MADE for you! Your instructor, Katie, will guide you through the basics of Pant Hemming in this 3-hour workshop.

We’ll review blind hem and “American Style” pant hems, and you’ll have time to hem a pair of your own pants as well. By the time you’re finished, you’ll have the confidence to customize the length of all your pants!

We’ll be focusing on how to hem woven materials, so please bring a skirt or pair of pants that are made from a woven material such as denim, twill, or linen that you’d like to shorten. We will not be covering how to hem knit/stretch materials in-depth.

**PRE-WORK REQUIRED**

• When you have selected the garment you want to hem, email the instructor at hello@oldriverdesign.com with a photo of the garment. This will allow us to ensure that we have appropriately colored thread on hand for your garment!

• If you have not already done so, make sure to pre-wash your garment to account for shrinkage.

• Determine how short you want to hem your pants. This is extra important if you are hemming pants for someone else (spouse, child, etc) because they won’t be at the workshop! If you are doing this for your own pants, you may need to enlist a friend to help you out, or if bending over is difficult for you.

  • To do this, you can follow these steps:

    • Have the owner of the pants try them on.

    • Fold one of the pant legs up until you get the length you want. You will fold the pants towards the outside (ie outside touching outside) rather than the inside. 

    • Use what you have available to you to mark the pants – two safety pins or tape are recommended, but straight pins can work too (be mindful not to poke yourself!).

    • Have the wearer sit down in the pants and also stand and wear the type of shoes they plan to wear with the pants (ie sneakers, loafers, heels, etc) to check that the length is still good. 

    • Continue to adjust the fold line until you find the right length.

Participants should have completed our Introduction to Sewing class or be able to demonstrate basic sewing machine proficiency.*