How to sew a blind hem on a machine
A blind hem uses a special stitch and foot to catch the garment with only a tiny bite, so the hem is almost invisible from the right side. Good on skirts, trousers and curtains.
Pinny's tip
Test on a scrap of the same fabric. The bite on the fold needs adjusting for each fabric.
Test on a scrap of the same fabric. The bite on the fold needs adjusting for each fabric.
What you'll need
- Blind hem foot: usually supplied with the machine.
- Blind hem stitch: a few straight stitches then a zigzag bite.
- Iron and pins: the fold is everything.
Step by step
- Finish the raw edge (zigzag or overlock) and press the hem up to the length you want.
- Fold the hem back under the garment so about 5mm (3/16 in) of the finished edge sticks out beyond the fold. Pin.
- Fit the blind hem foot and choose the blind hem stitch.
- Put the fold against the foot's guide so the straight stitches land on the hem allowance and the zigzag just nicks the fold.
- Sew slowly all the way round.
- Unfold and press. Adjust stitch width if the bites show too much.
Watch
Perfect Blind Hem: How to Sew Invisible Hems On A Sewing Machine (5:35)
By The Last Stitch · Open on YouTube
The video this technique page has always pointed to, a 5-minute one from The Last Stitch. Embedded from YouTube with credit; we don't host it. It only loads when you press play.
Common mistakes
- Bites too big. Narrow the stitch width or move the guide.
- Missing the fold. Widen slightly; the zigzag must catch one or two threads.
- Using it on very fine fabric. A hand-sewn hem may show less.
Watch it done
- Perfect Blind Hem: How to Sew Invisible Hems On A Sewing Machine by The Last Stitch on YouTube. Opens on YouTube; the video belongs to its creator.
- Sew a Blind Hem Stitch on a Home Sewing Machine | Sewing Tutorial with Angela Wolf by Craftsy on YouTube. Opens on YouTube; the video belongs to its creator.
- Invisible Hem Tutorial | EASY with sewing machine by Anette Aguirre on YouTube. Opens on YouTube; the video belongs to its creator.
Sources
All checked November 1, 2026. We read these; we did not test the products ourselves.