Simple Narrow Hem Trick

As I was making my dear daughter a new apron for Christmas – and the directions called for a ‘narrow hem’.  Directions – if any more are given, usually say to “press under 1/4″ then turn and press under 1/4″ again and topstitch.

Long ago – when making many silky type blouses in my custom dressmaking years, I came up with ‘my way’ of doing this – which I feel is MUCH easier – especially since you won’t burn your fingers.

1.  Fold the right side to the wrong side a generous 1/2” at the ironing board, and press.

2.  AT THE MACHINE, with the wrong side up, simply tuck under the raw edge as you stitch – a few inches at a time.  Do NOT try to do this and pin it all to begin with.  If you have the  ‘needle down’ feature on your machine – make sure to use it to hold things in place each time you stop to turn under more fabric.  See the photo below for a real ‘picture’ of how I do this.

Be advised, that the thread in your BOBBIN is what will show on the outside of the garment.

Narrow Hem Technique