Hemming blazer sleeves (stitch witchery)?

ClaraT

I have a blazer (the Olivia Moon blazer from Nordstrom), and the sleeves are one turn too long (meaning if I turn them up once, the length is perfect). I took them to a nearby cleaner, and they would charge $28 for this. This seems high to me.

Unfortunately, I do not sew. A quick Google search ("hemming without sewing") led me to 'stitch witchery' which is a product that acts like double-sided tape but uses the heat from an iron to make the adhesion more permanent.

Has anyone used this product? Anything I should know before I purchase/use it? Advice, please.

This post has 1 photo. Photos uploaded by this member are only visible to other logged in members.

If you aren't a member, but would like to participate, please consider signing up. It only takes a minute and we'd love to have you.

12 years ago

Shopping

4 replies

Latest reply was from ClaraT

Diana

Veteran

It won't work well unless the fabric is pretty thin and unlined, which seems unlikely for a blazer. I think Stitch Witchery is meant to be a temporary fix most of the time, as it has never been very durable for me and unless it has improved, will start to come apart after a couple of wears.

I do use it on occasion to tape a hem, but then I'll also add a quick whipstich with a needle and thread. I don't think the Stitch Witchery works well on its own, but it does make the hem look neater and flatter.

12 years ago

ClaraT

Veteran

Thanks, Diana. (Sigh. I was hoping not to stitch at all...)

12 years ago

Gaylene

Veteran

The sleeves of the Olivia Moon jacket are an unlined knit, so Stitch Witchery might work. I'd use a press cloth because you need to use a fair bit of steam and heat to "melt" the product and get a decent bond. The product doesn't stand up very well to washing or dry cleaning, but that might not be much of an issue with a jacket. If you want to be on the safe side, I'd grab a needle and thread and whipstitch the edge in place on the wrong side after bonding. Even a few uneven stitches will help keep everything in place, so you don't need to worry about not being able to sew. Just match your thread to the background color and try to keep your stitches on the small side so they blend into the sleeve fabric.

12 years ago

ClaraT

Veteran

Thank you so much for the detailed suggestions, Gaylene.

12 years ago

Category