Yes, you absolutely can shorten sweatpants yourself using a sewing machine! It’s a simple clothing change that helps your sweatpants fit just right. Getting the perfect length makes your pants look better and feel more comfortable. This guide will show you how to do a sweatpants hem alteration easily at home.
Why Change Sweatpants Length?
Sweatpants are cozy. But often, they are too long. They can drag on the floor. This makes them dirty and worn out quickly. Fixing the length helps them last longer. It also makes them look much neater. Maybe you bought a pair that is too big. Or maybe you want a shorter style. Learning how to shorten sweatpants sewing machine makes this possible.
What You Need
Gathering your tools first helps everything go smoothly. You likely have most of these at home already.
Your Tools
- Sweatpants you want to make shorter
- A sewing machine
- Good quality thread (match the sweatpants color or choose a fun contrast)
- Sharp scissors
- Fabric pins
- Measuring tape or a ruler
- Tailor’s chalk or a fabric marker (something that washes off)
- An iron and ironing board (helpful, but not always a must)
- A seam ripper (just in case)
- Optional: A double needle
- Optional: A serger
Getting Ready to Cut
This step is about finding the right length for your sweatpants. Take your time here. A good measurement means a good fit.
Trying On and Marking
Put on the sweatpants you want to shorten. Make sure you are wearing the shoes you usually wear with them. This is important for finding the correct length. Fold up the bottom of one pant leg to where you want the hem to end.
Use pins to hold the fold in place. Make sure the fold is even all around the leg. Look in a mirror. Walk around a bit. Check that the length feels right. Repeat this on the other pant leg. Try to make both legs the same length.
Measuring Sweatpants Length
Once you have the fold pinned, take off the sweatpants carefully. Lay one pant leg flat. Use your measuring tape or ruler. Measure the distance from the original hem edge up to the fold you just made. Write this number down. This is how much length you are removing.
Do this for the other leg too. Make sure the measurements match. If they are slightly different, decide which one you want to use as your guide. Aim for them to be the same.
Now, you need to mark where to cut. Remember that you need fabric to fold up to make the new hem. This extra fabric is called the hem allowance. Sweatpants usually have a hem that is about 1 to 1.5 inches wide when finished. So, you need to add this amount below your marked new hemline.
Let’s say you want the finished hem to be 1 inch wide. And you marked the new hemline. You need to cut 1 inch below that new hemline. This gives you the fabric to fold up. If the fabric is thick, you might want a wider hem allowance, like 1.5 inches. A common way is to fold up the fabric once (say, 0.5 inches) and then again (another 0.5 inches). So you cut 1 inch below the finished hemline.
Use your tailor’s chalk or fabric marker. Make a line all around the pant leg where you will cut. This line should be the marked length plus the hem allowance (like 1 inch or 1.5 inches). Do this on both legs.
Here is a simple way to think about it:
- Step 1: Put pants on, fold up, pin where you want the bottom of the finished hem to be.
- Step 2: Take pants off. Measure from the original hem up to your pins. This is the length to cut off plus the hem allowance.
- Step 3: Decide on your hem allowance width (e.g., 1 inch).
- Step 4: Measure down from your pins by the hem allowance width (e.g., 1 inch). Make your cutting line here.
- Step 5: Double check your cutting line on both legs.
Checking Your Marks
Lay the sweatpants flat. Make sure the cutting lines on both legs match up. They should be the same distance from the top of the pants. They should also be level with each other when the legs are stacked. This helps make sure your finished hems are even.
Cutting Sweatpants to Shorten
Cutting is the point of no return. Make sure your marks are right before you cut. Use sharp scissors. This helps you make a clean, straight cut.
Lay the sweatpants flat on a table. Smooth out one pant leg. Follow the cutting line you marked. Cut slowly and carefully. Try to keep your cut straight. Cut all the way around the leg.
Repeat this on the second pant leg. Make sure you cut along the marked line. Keep the two cut-off pieces. You might need them later if you want to put the original hem back on.
You have now done the cutting sweatpants to shorten step. The sweatpants are shorter, but the edges are raw. You need to sew the new hem.
Getting the Hem Ready to Sew
The edge you just cut is raw. It can fray, though knit fabric like sweatpant material usually does not fray much. Still, you need to fold it up and sew it down to make a neat hem.
Folding the Fabric
Lay the cut pant leg flat. Fold the raw edge up towards the inside of the pant. How much do you fold up? You fold up the amount you saved for the hem allowance. If you saved 1 inch for the hem, fold up 1 inch.
You can fold the edge up once or twice. Folding twice hides the raw edge completely. This is a common way when not using a serger for finishing raw edge sweatpants.
- Option 1: Fold Once: Fold the raw edge up by the full hem allowance (e.g., 1 inch). The raw edge is now on the inside of the pant. You will sew through this raw edge.
- Option 2: Fold Twice: Fold the raw edge up a small amount first (e.g., 0.5 inches). Then fold up again another amount (e.g., another 0.5 inches). The total fold is 1 inch. The raw edge is tucked inside the fold. This is a neat finish.
For sweatpants, folding twice often works well. It gives a clean edge on the inside.
Pinning and Pressing
Once you have folded the hem, use fabric pins to hold the fold in place. Put pins all around the hem. Make sure the fold is even all the way around.
Ironing the fold helps it stay flat and makes sewing easier. Press the fold firmly with your iron. This creates a crisp line for you to sew along.
Do this for both pant legs. Make sure the folds are the same width on both legs.
Sewing Machine Settings for Sweatpants
Sweatpants are made from knit fabric. Knit fabric stretches. You need to use the right sewing machine settings for sweatpants. If you use a straight stitch on a stretchy fabric, the stitches might break when you stretch the pants.
Picking Your Stitch
You need a stitch that can stretch with the fabric.
- Zig-zag stitch: This is the easiest option if your machine has it. Set the stitch width to something narrow, like 2.5 mm. Set the stitch length to something short, like 2.5 mm. Test this on a scrap piece first. A zig-zag stitch allows the hem to stretch.
- Stretch stitch: Some machines have special stretch stitches. Look in your machine’s manual. These stitches look like little lightning bolts or are marked specially. They are designed for knit fabric.
- Double needle: Using a double needle is a great way to get a professional-looking hem. It sews two lines of straight stitches on the top and creates a zig-zag on the bottom. This zig-zag on the bottom is stretchy. It looks just like hems on many store-bought t-shirts and sweatpants.
Setting Up Your Machine
Make sure you have the right needle. A ballpoint needle or a stretch needle works best for knit fabrics. These needles have a rounded tip. They push the fabric fibers aside instead of piercing them. This prevents holes and skipped stitches.
Put the right thread on your machine. Polyester thread is usually best for sweatpants. It has some stretch.
Adjust your machine’s tension if needed. Start with the normal tension setting. Sew a test stitch on a scrap piece of fabric. If the stitches look loops or are too tight, adjust the tension dial slightly.
Hemming Sweatpants with Sewing Machine
Now you are ready to sew. This is the sewing stretch fabric hem part.
Put the pinned or pressed hem under the presser foot of your sewing machine. Start sewing near an inside seam. Sew all the way around the hem.
Keep the edge of the folded hem lined up with a guide on your presser foot or needle plate. This helps you sew a straight line.
Sew slowly and evenly. Do not pull or stretch the fabric as you sew. Let the machine feed the fabric through. If you pull, the hem might become wavy or stretched out.
Sew all the way around the hem. When you get back to where you started, overlap your stitches by about 1 inch. Backstitch a few stitches to lock the seam. This stops the stitches from coming undone.
Repeat on the other pant leg. Try to sew the second hem the same way as the first.
Using a Double Needle
Sewing stretch fabric hem with a double needle gives a very clean look.
- You need a double needle (make sure it fits your machine).
- You need two spools of thread.
- Thread your machine for a double needle (check your machine manual).
- Use a straight stitch setting. Your machine will automatically make a zig-zag on the back.
- Sew your folded hem as described above. The two straight lines of stitches will appear on the outside.
Practice using a double needle on scrap fabric first. It can take a little getting used to. The result is a very professional finish. This is often the key to how to keep original hem sweatpants looking factory-made if you reattach them later, but it’s also great for a new hem.
Keeping the Original Hem
What if you love the look of the original hem? You can cut it off and reattach it higher up. This method, learning how to keep original hem sweatpants, is a bit more advanced. But it gives a result that looks just like it did before you shortened it.
Steps to Keep the Original Hem
- Measure and Mark: Put the sweatpants on. Mark the new length above the original hem. Mark where you want the bottom of the original hem to sit.
- Measure the Original Hem: Measure the height of the original hem. It might be 1 inch or 1.5 inches or more.
- Mark the Cut Line: Measure above your desired hemline by the height of the original hem. Mark a cutting line here. This is where you cut off the pant leg with the original hem still attached.
- Cut: Cut the pant leg off along this upper cutting line. You now have the main part of the pant and the original hem piece.
- Shorten the Main Pant Leg: Measure the distance from the cutting line down to where you want the original hem to sit. This is the amount you need to remove from the main pant leg. Mark a second cutting line this distance below the first cut line. Cut the main pant leg along this second line.
- Attach Original Hem: You now have the main pant leg (shorter) and the original hem piece. Put the main pant leg inside the original hem piece. The raw edge of the main pant leg should line up with the raw edge inside the original hem.
- Pin: Pin the two raw edges together all the way around.
- Sew: Use your sewing machine to sew these two edges together. Use a stretch stitch or a zig-zag stitch. Sew just below the original hem stitching line, inside the hem allowance.
- Finish the Seam: The seam where you joined the two pieces is raw. You can finish it with a serger (using a serger on sweatpants hem is great for this step), a zig-zag stitch, or by trimming it close and maybe folding it over and sewing down (this is harder with thick fabric).
- Press: Press the seam upwards into the pant leg.
This method is more work. But it looks very professional because you keep the factory hem stitch and finish.
Finishing Raw Edge Sweatpants
When you shorten sweatpants, you create a new raw edge. You need to finish this edge.
- Folding Twice: As mentioned earlier, folding the edge up once and then again hides the raw edge inside the hem fold. This is a simple and good finish for sweatpants.
- Zig-zag Stitch: Before folding the hem, you can sew a zig-zag stitch along the raw edge. This helps keep it from unraveling. Then fold the hem up once and sew it.
- Serger: Using a serger on sweatpants hem is the most professional way to finish the edge. A serger trims the fabric and wraps the edge with thread at the same time.
Using a Serger on Sweatpants Hem
If you have a serger, you can use it in a few ways:
- Finish the Edge First: Sew around the raw edge with the serger. This makes a clean, finished edge. Then fold the hem up once and sew it down with your regular sewing machine using a stretch or double needle stitch.
- Serge the Hem: Some people fold the hem up and serge along the top folded edge. This finishes the raw edge and sews the hem at the same time. This gives a serged edge visible on the inside.
- Serge and Fold Again: Serge the raw edge. Fold it up once. Serge the folded edge again. This creates a decorative, sturdy hem often seen on athletic wear.
Using a serger gives a very durable and stretchy finish. It is great for knit fabrics like sweatpants.
Sewing Stretch Fabric Hem Tips
Sewing knit fabrics like sweatpants can be tricky. Here are some tips for sewing stretch fabric hem:
- Use the Right Needle: Always use a ballpoint or stretch needle.
- Use the Right Stitch: Use a zig-zag, stretch stitch, or double needle.
- Don’t Stretch the Fabric: As you sew, do not push or pull the fabric. Let the machine do the work. Stretching the fabric while sewing can cause the hem to be wavy.
- Adjust Presser Foot Pressure: If your machine allows, lower the presser foot pressure slightly. This helps the fabric feed without stretching.
- Test First: Always test your stitch and settings on a scrap piece of the sweatpant fabric before sewing on the actual hem.
- Use Pins or Clips: Pin the hem well or use sewing clips. This keeps the fabric in place while you sew.
- Ironing is Your Friend: Pressing the hem before sewing helps create a clean, flat edge to sew. Pressing again after sewing makes the finished hem look neat.
Sweatpants Hem Alteration Summary
Making sweatpants shorter is a common type of clothing alteration. It involves measuring, cutting, preparing the hem, and sewing.
Here is a simple overview of the steps for a basic hem:
| Step | Action | Key Tip |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Measure Length | Try on, pin fold, mark desired hemline. | Wear shoes you’ll use. |
| 2. Mark Cutting Line | Add hem allowance (e.g., 1-1.5 inches) below hemline, mark cut line. | Measure carefully on both legs. |
| 3. Cut | Cut along the marked line. | Use sharp scissors. Cut evenly. |
| 4. Prepare Hem | Fold raw edge up (once or twice), pin, and press. | Folding twice hides the raw edge. |
| 5. Set Up Machine | Use ballpoint/stretch needle, polyester thread, stretch stitch (zig-zag, double needle). | Test on scrap fabric first. |
| 6. Sew | Sew around the hem using the chosen stitch. | Don’t stretch fabric. Sew slowly. Lock stitches. |
| 7. Finish | Press the finished hem. | Makes it look professional. |
If you want to keep the original hem, the steps change, involving cutting off the old hem and reattaching it higher. Using a serger on sweatpants hem can improve the finish, especially when keeping the original hem or just finishing a new raw edge.
Learning from Mistakes
Don’t worry if your first hem is not perfect. Sewing takes practice. Maybe the hem is a little wavy. This often happens from stretching the fabric while sewing. Or maybe the stitches skipped. This means you might need a different needle or to check your thread.
You can usually use your seam ripper to take out stitches if you need to fix something. Then you can try sewing it again. Each time you sew, you will get better.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much fabric should I leave for a sweatpant hem?
Leave about 1 to 1.5 inches of fabric below your desired finished hemline. This gives you enough to fold up and sew the new hem.
What is the best stitch for hemming sweatpants?
A zig-zag stitch, a special stretch stitch on your machine, or using a double needle with a straight stitch setting are all good. They let the hem stretch so the stitches do not break.
Do I need a special needle for sweatpants?
Yes, using a ballpoint needle or a stretch needle is best. These needles are designed for knit fabrics like sweatpants and help prevent skipped stitches and holes.
Can I hem sweatpants by hand?
Yes, you can hem sweatpants by hand using a stretchy stitch like a catchstitch or a hand-picked zig-zag. However, it will take much longer and might not be as strong or even as a machine hem. A sewing machine is recommended.
How can I keep the original hem on my sweatpants?
You cut off the original hem, shorten the main pant leg above where you cut, and then sew the original hem back onto the shortened pant leg. This is more advanced but keeps the factory look.
What does a double needle do for sweatpants?
A double needle sews two parallel lines of stitches on the outside and a zig-zag stitch on the inside. This creates a stretchy, neat hem that looks like the hems on many store-bought knit clothes.
Is using a serger necessary?
No, you do not need a serger to hem sweatpants. You can finish the raw edge by folding it twice before sewing or by using a zig-zag stitch on your regular machine. A serger just gives a very professional and durable edge finish.
Why is my sweatpant hem wavy after sewing?
This often happens if you stretched the fabric while sewing. Try not to pull or push the fabric. Let the machine feed it evenly. Using a walking foot on your machine can also help prevent waving.
What thread should I use?
Polyester thread is generally best for sewing sweatpants because it has some stretch and strength.
Conclusion
Shortening sweatpants is a skill you can easily learn with a sewing machine. It helps you get a custom fit. By measuring carefully, cutting straight, and using the right sewing machine settings for sweatpants, you can create a neat and strong hem.
Whether you choose a simple folded hem with a zig-zag or use a double needle for a store-bought look, hemming sweatpants with sewing machine is a satisfying project. Even trying to keep original hem sweatpants is possible with a bit more effort. Don’t be afraid to try! A perfect fit is just a few steps away.