What is a rolled hem?
The rolled hem is a teeny tiny hemming technique that finishes all of the seam allowances inside the hem. It is suitable for use on light to medium weight fabrics and is wonderful on sheer fabrics due to the size and neat finish of the hem. Perfect for use on silks and sheers the rolled hem is often used in lingerie garments or occasion wear.
Unfortunately it does not work as well on heavier fabrics as the hem can become bulky.
It is possible to purchase a specific rolled hem foot for your sewing machine, however I personally find the rolled foot troublesome to use (compared to this method). With this technique I promise you will achieve professional results, plus you don’t need to spend out on another sewing machine foot!
Watch our corresponding YouTube tutorial: How To: Rolled Hem Tutorial.
How to sew a rolled hem?
Start by sewing a seam along the hem of the garment. You will need a sew a seam 1/4″ (5mm) away from the desired finished hem length. If you are working with a hem allowance of 5/8″ (1.5cm) this will be 3/8″ (1cm) away from the edge of the fabric.
Sew the seam using a standard stitch length and backstitch at the start and end. If you are working with silk or a similar fabric you may wish to tie off your threads and use a smaller stitch length. Test your fabric prior to use.
With the WRONG side of the fabric facing up, press the stitching flat to meld the stitches into the fabric.
Then press the hem allowance to the WRONG side of the garment to show the previous line of stitching and approximately 1/8″ (3mm) of fabric.
Using the sewing machine, sew on top of the previous stitching line. Perfect for practising accuracy whilst sewing!
Press flat to meld the stitches into the fabric.
Trim off the remaining seam (hem) allowance. Trim as close to the stitching as possible, this will be about 1/8″ (2mm) away.
Turn the small hem towards the WRONG side, to hide the raw edge of the fabric. Press in position.
Stitch directly on top of the stitching line, again…
Although there will be 2 stitching lines on the back of the garment, the rolled hem will hide all of the fraying edges of the seam allowance and leave one line of stitching on the FRONT of the garment.
Congratulations on sewing your very first rolled hem, although the numerous rows of sewing can be time consuming (especially if your working with a full skirt), I promise the finished result will be a neat and professional hem.
We would love to see what you’ve been making with this tutorial. Feel free to share your work on Facebook and Instagram.
A rolled hem is a very narrow hemming technique that neatly encloses all raw fabric edges inside the hem. It creates a fine, delicate finish and is ideal for lightweight to medium-weight fabrics, particularly sheer fabrics where a bulky hem would be distracting.
Because of its size and clean finish, the rolled hem is perfect for silks, sheers, lingerie, and occasion wear. It provides a professional result while remaining almost invisible from the right side of the garment.
Rolled hems are not well suited to heavier fabrics, as the thickness can quickly become bulky and difficult to control.
You can purchase a dedicated rolled hem foot for your sewing machine, however I personally find the rolled hem foot more troublesome to use than this method. With the technique below, you’ll achieve beautiful, professional results — and you won’t need to invest in another sewing machine foot.
You can also watch the corresponding video tutorial on YouTube:
How To: Rolled Hem Tutorial
Begin by sewing a line of stitching along the hem edge of the garment. This stitch should sit 1/4” (5 mm) above the finished hem length.
If your hem allowance is 5/8” (1.5 cm), this means sewing 3/8” (1 cm) in from the raw edge.
Use a standard stitch length and backstitch at the beginning and end. When working with silk or very fine fabrics, you may prefer to use a smaller stitch length and tie off the threads instead. Always test on a fabric scrap first.
With the wrong side of the fabric facing up, press the stitching flat to meld the stitches into the fabric.
Then press the hem allowance up towards the wrong side of the garment so that the previous stitching line is visible, along with approximately 1/8” (3 mm) of fabric beyond it.
Using the sewing machine, stitch directly on top of the previous stitching line.
This step is excellent practice for improving sewing accuracy.
Press the stitching flat again to set the seam.
Carefully trim away the remaining hem allowance as close to the stitching as possible — around 1/8” (2 mm). Take your time here, as accuracy makes a big difference to the final finish.
Turn the narrow hem once more towards the wrong side of the garment, enclosing the raw edge completely. Press into position.
Stitch directly on top of the previous stitching line again to secure the rolled hem.
Although this method involves multiple rows of stitching — and can be time-consuming on garments with long hems or full skirts — the result is a beautifully neat, professional rolled hem.
You’ll notice that while there are two lines of stitching on the wrong side of the garment, the rolled hem fully encloses the raw edges and leaves a single, clean line of stitching on the right side.
Congratulations on sewing your first rolled hem 🎉
We’d love to see what you’ve been making with this tutorial. Feel free to share your work with us on Facebook or Instagram.
A rolled hem is a very narrow hemming technique that neatly encloses all raw fabric edges inside the hem. It creates a fine, delicate finish and is ideal for lightweight to medium-weight fabrics, particularly sheer fabrics where a bulky hem would be distracting.
Because of its small size and clean finish, the rolled hem is commonly used on silks, sheers, lingerie, and occasion wear. It produces a professional result while remaining almost invisible from the right side of the garment.
Rolled hems are not suitable for heavier fabrics, as the thickness of the fabric can quickly become bulky and difficult to control.
While you can purchase a dedicated rolled hem foot for your sewing machine, I personally find the rolled hem foot more troublesome to use than the method outlined below. With this technique, you’ll achieve beautiful, professional results — without needing to invest in another sewing machine foot.
You can also watch the corresponding video tutorial here:
How To: Rolled Hem Tutorial
Begin by sewing a line of stitching along the hem edge of the garment. This stitch should sit ¼” (5 mm) above the finished hem length.
If your hem allowance is ⅝” (1.5 cm), this means sewing ⅜” (1 cm) in from the raw edge.
Use a standard stitch length and backstitch at the beginning and end. When working with silk or very fine fabrics, you may prefer to use a shorter stitch length and tie off the threads instead. Always test your settings on a fabric scrap before starting.
With the wrong side of the fabric facing up, press the stitching flat to meld the stitches into the fabric.
Next, press the hem allowance up towards the wrong side of the garment so that the previous stitching line is visible, along with approximately ⅛” (3 mm) of fabric beyond it.
Using the sewing machine, stitch directly on top of the previous stitching line.
This step is excellent practice for improving sewing accuracy.
Press the stitching flat again to set the seam.
Carefully trim away the remaining hem allowance as close to the stitching as possible — approximately ⅛” (2 mm). Take your time with this step, as accuracy will greatly affect the final finish of the rolled hem.
Turn the narrow hem once more towards the wrong side of the garment, fully enclosing the raw fabric edge. Press into position.
Stitch directly on top of the previous stitching line again to secure the rolled hem.
Although this method involves multiple rows of stitching — and can be time-consuming, particularly on full skirts or long hems — the result is a beautifully neat, professional rolled hem.
You’ll notice that while there are two lines of stitching on the wrong side of the garment, the rolled hem fully encloses all raw edges and leaves a single, clean line of stitching on the right side.
Congratulations on sewing your very first rolled hem 🎉
We’d love to see what you’ve been making with this tutorial — feel free to share your work with us on Facebook or Instagram.
