How do I sew a blind hem?

A blind hem is a machine stitch that catches only a thread or two of the outer fabric, so it is nearly invisible from the front.

The fold is the whole trick. Press the hem up as normal. Then fold the hem back on itself, so that a narrow strip of the hem allowance sticks out to the right and the bulk of the garment is folded to the left. The needle then zigzags along the strip and takes one small bite into the fold at each swing.

Use the blind hem stitch on your machine — usually shown as a few straight stitches followed by a single zigzag spike.

Use a blind hem foot if you have one. It has a guide that runs against the fold, which is what makes the bite consistent. Without it, the stitch depth wanders and the hem shows in places.

Adjust the swing width so the spike takes the smallest possible bite. Too deep and it shows from the front; too shallow and it misses the fold entirely. Test on a scrap of the actual fabric.

Where it works best. Medium-weight wovens — trousers, skirts, curtains. On very fine or very stiff fabric it is harder to hide, and a hand-sewn hem is often faster than fighting it.