How to Sew a Blind Hem Stitch With Your Sewing Machine

How do you sew a blind hem stitch on your home sewing machine? The blind hem stitch makes an almost invisible stitch on the front of the item. It is used to hem pants, skirts, curtains, dresses, etc.

You can sew a blind hem stitch by hand or with a sewing machine. This tutorial will show how to sew a hem with the sewing machine. If you are interested in sewing the hem by hand with a needle and thread, we have a blind hem tutorial for that method also.

We have lots of sewing tutorials such as edgestitch, french seams, gathering on our sewing basics page. Interested in sewing projects, check out this page with over 600 free projects and patterns.

Learn how to sew the blind hem stitch by watching our video or keep reading this post for a step-by-step photo tutorial with instructions.

COMPLETE VIDEO TUTORIAL AVAILABLE! The video below is a preview with no audio, to watch the whole video tutorial, click the link How to Sew a Blind Hem Stitch With Your Sewing Machine to watch in Youtube.

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WHAT YOU NEED for the blind hem stitch:

Something that Needs Hemming
Sewing Machine
Thread
Pins
Ruler
Blind Hem Presser Foot (Helpful but optional)
Iron

What is a blind hem stitch?

A blind hem stitch is a way of hemming where the stitches are almost invisible. Today, even basic sewing machines have this stitch preprogrammed into the machine. If your sewing machine has the blind hem stitch, it will look like the following picture.

Do you need a special presser foot?

To make the blind hem stitch with a sewing machine it is easier if you have a Blind Hem Stitch foot. However, you can do the stitch without it but you will have to be more careful when stitching and use a zigzag foot.

The blind hem stitch foot for my machine has a vertical bar between the two bars.

If you would like to buy one, try a blind hem foot universal one like one of these. Just make sure to read the description and make sure it will fit your machine. For under $10 you can purchase one and it will be a lot easier and neater making the blind hem stitch.

INSTRUCTIONS for doing the machine blind hem stitch:

Doing the blind hem stitch with a sewing machine is very easy once you understand the technique for folding the fabric correctly before stitching.

NOTE: For this photo tutorial, I am using a contrasting thread so you can see the stitching. When hemming your project, please use a thread that matches the items you are hemming.

STEP 1: FOLD RAW EDGE

Place the project on the iron board with the wrong side up. Turn down the raw edge of the fabric to the wrong side about a half-inch to three-quarters of an inch. Press it nice and flat.

STEP 2: TURN UNDER HEM

Next, turn the fabric under at the exact hemline. Press this fold flat.

With straight pins, pin the fabric in place. Referring to the above photo, please note you do not put the pins directly on the edge of the inside fold but position them a little away from the fold.

STEP 3: FOLD BACK ON ITSELF

Fold the project fabric back on itself with right sides together exposing a 1/4" of the hem edge.

STEP 4: PREPARING TO SEW THE BLIND HEM STICH

Thread the sewing machine and the bobbin with the color thread that matches the item you are hemming.

If you have a blind hem stitch foot, put it on the sewing machine and select the blind hem stitch.

Note: If you do not have a blind hem stitch foot, you can use the zigzag foot. If your sewing machine is not preprogrammed with a blind hem stitch, you can use a zigzag stitch. If using the zigzag stitch, you will have to adjust the stitch length and stitch width.

STEP 5: SEWING A BLIND HEM STITCH

Slide the fabric with the wrong side up, under the presser foot with the presser foot's vertical bar guide right next to the fold. Lower the presser foot and slowly begin stitching.

The blind hem stitch will stitch a few straight stitches and then a zigzag stitch. The straight stitches should stitch in the hem section of the fabric and the zigzag stitch just barely stitch into the main fabric at the fold. You may have to adjust the stitch width to ensure that the stitches are small.

Continue slowly stitching. As you stitch along, remove the pins. Don't stitch over them!

Once in a while, your machine may miss the fold when stitching. If it does, you will have to go back and restitch that part by machine or hand.

STEP 6: PRESS HEM

When completed the stitching is almost invisible on the right side of the fabric. The final step is to press the hem.

Here's a close-up of blind hem stitch on the wrong side using a contrasting thread.

Here's a close-up of blind hem stitch on the right side using a contrasting thread.

Here's a close-up using matching thread. You can barely see the stitches.

I love blind hemming with a sewing machine. It's a fantastic and fast way to complete a hem.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and bookmark it for future reference.

Happy Sewing!

QUESTIONS?

If you have any questions about this project, contact us through the YouTube Video comments or our Contact Us page. We respond to questions in e-mails and YouTube comments regularly.