how to hem a dress
How to Hem a Dress
Buying a dress only to find that it's too long is the worst, and going to the tailor every time this happens is expensive. This article guides you through the process of hemming your dresses at home.
Dresses are very elegant pieces of clothing which can be worn as casuals, formals, and as party wear. With their versatile patterns, colors, and designs, it is impossible not to have one hanging in your closet. Back in the day, women wore full length gowns which were very difficult to manage. These gowns reduced to knee and tea length dresses with time. However, many times, when you purchase summer dresses or evening wear, you might find the length of the dress a bit uneven. Instead of finding a tailor and getting it corrected or even replacing the dress, you can simply hem it yourself. Hemming a dress is one of the easiest things to do, you don't even need a sewing machine for this.
Tips for Hemming
Today, with the fashion industry exploring unique trends and styles, there are many new dress designs available in stores. You have to either get a free size or get it altered so that it fits you. However, most places charge you for these alterations. If you don't want to burn a hole in your pocket, the easiest way out is to learn to hem.
Hemming is known to be the simplest stitching trick. You don't need to cut, use a sewing machine, or make difficult folds. You can shorten and adjust the length of your dress by following a few steps.
- You don't have to worry about which material you are dealing with, e.g.: silk, cotton, nylon, denim, etc. They can all be hemmed using the same procedure.
- Unlike other stitching methods used to stitch, there is not much you need to gather. You only need a needle, thread, and an iron to straighten the creases.
- To start with the process, you need to first measure the length of the dress and find out which is your desired length.
- When you are done measuring, use a seam ripper to unpick the current hem. Be very gentle and make sure you don't tear the fabric.
- You may notice some creases created by the first hem, these could lead to uneven hemming when you are ready to stitch it back. With the help of an iron, get rid of these creases and make the surface flat and even.
- Now, mark the border of the second hem (your desired length) with a piece of chalk and carefully fold the fabric to make a flat strip. Run the iron over this strip to keep it folded so that it doesn't come undone while you stitch.
- You can add a few pins to make this fold stay stable and then start stitching from one corner. Pull out the pins as you go, only pulling out the ones in the part that you have to stitch.
- Once the entire border of the dress is hemmed up properly, check again for uniformity and close the stitch with a knot. Your dress is ready to be tried on.