How to hem the bottom of a dress at home. How to make a short dress from a long dress How to hem a long dress from thin fabric

Most women at least once in their lives have a question: how to shorten a dress? There can be many reasons for this. Here are some of them.

• On a thinner figure, the item fits looser, making it longer.
• An outdated model can be revived by making it shorter.
• Boring length of the product.
• Change of style.

If you have chosen a dress to shorten and made a firm decision to modify it, you need to know the main points, using which you will get an excellent result. This is especially true when you need to shorten quickly. We'll tell you how to turn a long dress into a short one.

Materials and tools for shortening a dress

Before you begin, you should prepare the tools and materials that will be needed for shortening.

• Spool threads that match the color of the dress and match the fabric. For example, for chiffon dress It is better to use thin synthetic threads with glitter.
• Sewing machine.
• Overlock.
• Ruler, square.
• Flexible meter.
• Chalk on the fabric or you can replace it with a thin piece of soap. Take into account the color of the fabric, since the mark left by the chalk may not be visible. You can use a special water-soluble marker.

Important! The line from a water-soluble marker can only be washed off with cold water. If you wet it hot, the mark will remain.

• Sharp scissors.
• Pins with heads for lining the bottom.
• Needles.
• Special adhesive tape (for certain cases).

How to properly shorten a dress made from different fabrics

Once everything is selected, you can start working.

Length Determination

First of all, you need to decide on the length.

• Put on the dress, make a mark for the future edge, and pin it with a pin.
• After removing the dress, fold the edge along the mark and secure it along the length of the entire hem.
• Try on the outfit again to make sure it is the right length. Then remove and mark the line with chalk so that it runs 1 - 2 cm below the desired edge. This is hem reserve.

Important! This procedure must be carried out regardless of what fabric the dress is made of.

• Cut the fabric along the marked line.

Slice processing

Lightweight natural fabrics

The easiest way to process the bottom of a dress is made of light fabrics (cotton, thin linen, etc.). It is necessary to make a hem and perform a machine stitch or overlock processing.

Dense heavy fabrics

If the fabric is thick enough, such as suiting or jersey, then You can sew trouser tape or bias tape along the bottom edge.

• Attachment is carried out on the front side. Then fold the hem inward and gently steam with an iron. Better procedure pass through damp gauze or thin cloth. This will prevent the dress material from sticking to the iron. The bottom can be reinforced by sewing a straight seam, or you may not need to perform this action.

Knitwear, silk

A knitted dress requires special finishing on the bottom. This will allow you to avoid stretching the seam lengthwise. Processing is carried out either with a cover (flat) seam or with an overlock stitch.

• Overlock processing quite simple. The only condition is that you need an overlocker. The product is cut 0.5 cm below the desired mark. Then a stitch is made along the edge, without any folds. It is better to use a medium stitch width for knitwear; for chiffon and silky fabrics, use a narrow stitch with frequent stitches.
• Cover stitch needs an additional 2.5 cm hem. Along the bottom edge of the hem, the seam is processed using an overlocker. Then a hem is made along the marked line. And along the wrong side, a second seam is made, spaced 1 cm from the edge of the product. Then, stepping back the width of the foot (0.5–0.7 cm) from the edge upward, the second seam is sewn. After this, carefully iron through a damp cloth or using a steamer.

Processing a dress with decor at the bottom

If there is a need to sew braid or lace to the bottom edge, then Start cutting off excess fabric. Then the edges are processed and the lace is sewn on the front side., placing it on the fabric of the dress.

How to shorten a dress at the waist

For skirts or dress hems, where there is decoration with stones at the bottom of the product or pleats, shortening is done along the seam at the waist. The work is performed according to the following algorithm.

• Steam the belt or skirt.
• Measure the length at the waist on the cut piece, so that you can then combine it with the seam or waistband.
• Taking into account the seam allowances, markings are made.
• Trim off the excess.
• Try on the waist of a dress or the belt of a skirt.
• From bigger size subtract the smaller one and divide the result by two. The resulting number is the centimeters that need to be subtracted along the side seams. Otherwise, you won’t be able to match the top with the bottom of a dress or a skirt with a belt.
• After aligning the seams, parts of the product are ground down.

Universal method

The cut edge of the product is folded 1 cm and attached with a straight seam along the front side, departing from the edge by 0.5–0.7 cm.

Hemming the bottom is one of those operations that even those who do not like to sew have to deal with. Of course, sewing curtains or adjusting trousers according to height can be entrusted to professionals, but almost every woman has had to deal with the problem of a torn hem or the need to shorten too much long skirt. This is not difficult to do, and perhaps, having mastered these simple operations, you will love to sew on your own.

How to level the bottom?

When it comes to sewing curtains, most often the hem line is straight. If we are talking about a skirt, especially a flared one, then the bottom line is aligned directly on the figure, while the belt and clasp should be well adjusted.

To carry out this operation, stand on a flat surface in the shoes with which this item is supposed to be worn. In this case, an assistant, using a vertical wooden ruler, one end of which is placed on the floor, marks the corresponding level with chalk along the entire circumference of the hem.

However, this operation can be done independently if you fix a rope thickly rubbed with chalk in the doorway at the required height (Fig. 1). To the marked line it is necessary to add an allowance for hems and seams, the width of which will depend on the method of processing the bottom.

How to mark the hem line of a skirt yourself

Processing without bending

The most in a simple way, which does not require the use of special techniques, is processing the edges with an overlock. In some cases, such a stitch, for example, made with a contrasting thread, looks very attractive (Fig. 2).

Processing the cut with a zigzag seam or a roller overlock, which creates a neat scar, is also good for thin fabrics (Fig. 3). After processing, the protruding threads of the fabric must be trimmed. An even more beautiful seam is obtained if you lay a zigzag stitch at some distance from the edge, and then carefully cut off the excess material.

A beautiful and neat hem is obtained by using bias tape. For thin fabrics it is attached in the form of a border. To do this, the bias tape (it’s better to take a ready-made one) is folded in half and ironed, then the edge of the fabric is placed inside it and stitched (Fig. 4). The same method is well suited for processing internal seams of bulk material.

To hem dense material in this way, you will need a hem of about 0.5 cm. The fabric and binding are folded right sides together and stitched along the bottom edge. Then the binding is folded over to the wrong side, ironed and stitched along its upper edge (Fig. 5). This hemming method is well suited when the skirt is not long enough for a standard hem.

Finishing the edge with a hem

The standard hem width for a skirt is 3-4 cm; for thin fabrics this value may be smaller. To make a neat hem line for a straight cut, it is convenient to use a sheet of paper with a horizontal line drawn at the required distance. Bend the edge of the hem this distance and iron it - you will get a perfect straight line, besides, the hem will not be printed on the front side (Fig. 6).

In flared lines, the fold is much more difficult to perform. To facilitate this operation, two parallel lines are laid along the bottom of the product (Fig. 7). Then the bottom line is gathered up a little, the fabric is folded inside out along the line of the top line, pinned and pressed.

The most simple method processing a folded edge, which even those who do not know how to sew can quickly handle, is to use adhesive tape. It is placed in the fold and treated with a hot iron (Fig. 8). For heavy textiles, it is recommended to insert two such tapes.


Professional dressmakers do not recommend using this method of fixing the hem, believing that it makes the fabric more rigid. In addition, the adhesive tape will most likely have to be re-glued after washing. In the time of our grandmothers, traditional stitches were used for products made from suit and coat fabric - blind (Fig. 9) and goat (Fig. 10), which are still made in expensive studios.

Beautiful execution of such a binder requires skill and a lot of time. In professional clothing production, this operation is most often performed with a hidden machine stitch. A simpler solution is to simply stitch the double-folded edge (Fig. 11), which is well suited for sportswear.

For a narrow hem, this stitch can be done using a special hemming foot. For thin fabric, as well as for flared models, a more suitable option is to process the edge with an overlocker, and then stitch it 0.2 cm above the ironed fold line (Fig. 12). To prevent the top edge from sagging, you can make two parallel lines with a wide hem.

One of the most beautiful, albeit complex, methods of hemming thin materials is the so-called Moscow seam. Its width is about 3 mm, while there are 2 lines on the wrong side, and one on the front side. They are performed in the following sequence (Fig. 13):

1. Leaving an allowance of 1 cm when cutting, make a hem of no more than 4 mm, iron and sew the fold as close to the edge as possible.
2. Carefully cut the fabric from edge to stitch, leaving more than 1 mm.
3. Once again turn the hem to the wrong side so that the stitching is approximately in the middle, and iron it.
4. Sew the hem from the inside out as close to the first line as possible. Experienced craftswomen make the first stitch with a contrasting thread, and then remove it to get one seam from the face and from the back.

If the dress is too expensive and you don’t want to trust someone to shorten the product, you will have to do the work yourself. Hemming options will depend on what fabric the product is made from.

Knitwear is considered a difficult material to process, so knitted dress You can’t just overcast with a classic seam. To shorten a dress, you will need a flat-stitch machine that processes the hem of the dress with a double seam.

But not everyone has such a machine, so to shorten a knitted product you can use parallel stitches made on a sewing machine

For items made of thin and flowing fabrics, you can use the invisible hem method. Such a seam requires additional time and materials, gives some thickening to the hem, but is well hidden.

To hem the hem using this method, you need to take a lining (organza or soft knitted fabric), make a pattern shaped like the bottom of the dress, sew the bottom of the dress and the lining pattern together, turn the seam inside out and iron it. Next, sew the top of the lining to the seam on the waistband of the product.

It is important to make the lining longer than the product itself (a couple of millimeters) so that it does not “drag”

Here's how to hem a dress without a machine: when hemming items made from woolen and suiting fabrics, a blind seam is used. Needle punctures will not be noticeable on such products. You need to hem using this method with a thin needle and one thread. The work should be done from right to left, with stitches of approximately 0.7 cm. The thread should be carried below the overlock stitch, then the hidden seam will be strong and securely hidden from prying eyes.

Also, for products made of dense and woolen fabrics, you can use the method of processing the hem with a special braid (braid). You just need to sew one edge of the braid on the wrong side, and on the front side, fixing the braid with pins, sew it, retreating 1 mm from the edge.

These are the ways you can bend hems various dresses. And if you are wondering whether it is possible to hem a wedding dress, then folk signs do not advise doing it yourself. Moreover, Wedding Dress is a very complex product, so it is better to entrust its shortening to professional craftsmen in the studio.

Shallowing and trimming the bottom. The product is turned inside out, laid out on the table, bending the front and back in the middle, side seams, darts, and bodice-skirt seams are aligned on the right and left sides of the product. Then, having specified the length of the product, use chalk to mark the cutting and hem lines for the bottom using an auxiliary pattern. Excess fabric is trimmed.
In products made from thick fabrics, the side seams and seams connecting parts of the skirt panels are cut at a distance from the bottom; equal to the width of the hem plus 2 - 4 cm, and the seams in the area from the bottom to the notch are ironed.

Processing the bottom using a stitching machine. In products made from cotton and linen fabrics, the bottom of dresses and blouses is processed on a stitching machine (Fig. 87, a) with a device that provides a certain width of the hem. When processing the bottom without a device, the bottom is bent along the intended line towards the wrong side, the cut of the bottom is folded inward by 0.7 - 1 cm and stitched at a distance of 0.1 - 0.2 cm from the folded edge. When processing the bottom on a stitching machine with a device, the hem line is not marked.
The bottom of dresses and blouses widened at the bottom, which are worn under a skirt, is processed on a sewing machine with a narrow hem seam with a closed cut with two lines or using a special device - a switch (Fig. 87, b). The finished seam width is 0.2-0.3 cm.
Processing the bottom of a blouse using a special machine. The cut of the bottom of the blouse is bent towards the wrong side by 0.5-0.7 cm; when making products for individual orders, the folded edge is ironed. Then the folded edge is stitched on a special machine (Fig. 87, c). Excess fabric around the stitching is trimmed.
Processing the bottom of items made of dense fabrics. In products made from thin wool and silk fabrics that fray easily, the bottom section is overcast using a special machine, then folded toward the wrong side along the intended line, folded inward and basted.
In products straight silhouette The bottom is covered with one line.
In products that are slightly widened downwards, the bottom is covered with two lines: the first at a distance of 1 cm from the fold of the bottom, and the second is attached to the folded edge.
In products that are widened downwards and have a hem allowance, the bottom is basted in three lines: first, the cut is folded in and basted at a distance of 0.5 cm from the fold, and then the bottom is folded along the hem line and basted at a distance of 1 cm from the bottom fold and the last line attach the folded edge.
The swept bottom is hemmed using a special blindstitch machine. In products with a straight silhouette, it is allowed to hem the bottom using a special machine without preliminary basting. When manufacturing to individual orders, the swept edge is hemmed manually with hidden stitches (Fig. 87, d), invisible from the front side. In products made from dense woolen fabrics, from thick cotton fabrics (such as corduroy and corduroy), as well as in skirts with pleats, pleated and corrugated, the cut of the bottom after chamfering and trimming the parts is stitched using a special machine. Then the bottom is folded toward the wrong side along the intended line and hemmed using a blind stitch machine without folding the edge inward (Fig. 87, e).
In products made from dense, easily fraying fabrics of high groups, it is recommended to edge the bottom cut (Fig. 87, f) or treat it with a special braid (Fig. 87 g).
For edging, take a strip of thin silk fabric, place it on the front side of the product, aligning the cuts, and grind it at a distance of 0.3 - 0.5 cm from the cuts. A strip goes around the seam, forming an edging. The edging is secured with a stitch into the stitching seam of the strip. Then the bottom is folded towards the wrong side along the intended line, basted and hemmed using a special blindstitch machine or manually using stitches that are invisible from the front side.
When processing a cut with braid, it is applied to the front side of the hem allowance with an overhang of 0.7-1 cm (depending on the width of the braid) and adjusted at a distance of 0.1 - 0.2 cm from the edge of the braid. Then the bottom of the product is folded towards the wrong side along the intended line, basted and hemmed on a special machine with blind stitches or by hand, the basting threads are removed. The processed bottom of the product is ironed.

Processing the bottom of blouses with a stitched belt(Fig. 88, a). Before connecting the belt to the blouse, darts or gathers must be processed at the bottom of the blouse. Processing of darts and assemblies is described in Chapter. 1, § 4 and 6.
If the belt according to the model is closed, then it is bent across the middle and folded with the front side inward. The cuts are leveled and the ends of the belt are ground down. The width of the seam is 0.7 - 1 cm. The seam is laid out, the belt is turned right side out, folded along the middle with the wrong side inward and ironed.
If the belt has a fastener according to the model, then the processing of the belt is similar to the processing of stitched cuffs in the sleeves (see Chapter 1, § 18). In the side seam of the blouse, a cut along the continuation of the seam can be processed. The processing of the fastener located on the continuation of the seam is described in Chapter 1, § 8.
The belt is placed on the wrong side of the product with the lining down and stitched on the side of the blouse, evenly distributing the gathers and aligning the control notches.
The width of the seam is 0.7 - 1 cm. The belt is folded back, the seam is directed towards the belt, the cut of the belt is folded by 0.5 - 0.7 cm and adjusted at a distance of 0.1 cm from the folded edge. In this case, the stitching from the inside of the blouse should pass along the main parts at a distance of 0.1 cm from the seam of the belt (Fig. 88, 6).
When making products from woolen fabrics according to individual orders, it is allowed to stitch the belt, and fold the section of the under-belt and hem it with hidden hemming stitches, closing the seam of the belt stitching (Fig. 88, c).

Binder

The problem of quickly shortening the hem of a new dress or skirt, just purchased trousers or jeans) often arises before us. After all, there are situations when we really need these things immediately after purchase. How to do this quickly and efficiently?

You will need: contrasting threads for basting, a “centimeter”, a narrow piece of dry soap (if the product is dark) or colored crayons, adhesive tape with double-sided adhesive, gauze (approximately 30x30 mm), folded in half.

Adhesive tape has been used for quite a long time (15 years), which means that it can be easily purchased at any Fabric or Sewing Accessories store. Naturally, a specialized sewing accessories store http://www.atelyefaina.ru/shveinaya-furnitura.php is preferable - since there is always a choice there.

So what kind of adhesive tape do we need? Single-sided or double-sided?
I will give several types of double-sided adhesive tapes that give the necessary effect for hemming the bottom of products, as well as for minor repairs (repairing torn clothing and eliminating small holes, for example, when damaged by cigarette ash).

Since the result of their use is the same, and the store may not have the adhesive tape you need, I will give options for the most common adhesive tapes. Glue web is a thin melt of glue in the form of a web of different configurations, on paper and without paper, of various widths.

Feel free to purchase any of the following:

1 Hot-melt adhesive web. Width - 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 32, 50, 70 mm. white.

2. Cobweb “Mesh”. Width - 7, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40 mm. The “mesh” also comes on a paper basis, which is very convenient for use and storage. It is transparent due to its design.

To hem the bottom of a dress, skirt or trousers, adhesive tape 10 -15 mm wide is required. But this technology is used only for loose fabrics (silk, various synthetic fabrics, knitwear). This technology is not suitable for hemming thick coat fabrics and leather products.

Sequencing

1) We measure the exact length by which we need to shorten the product and add 15 mm. This will be the cutting line for the excess fabric. Let's cut it off. Then, we measure with a “centimeter” along the entire perimeter of the bottom of the product 15 mm upward and draw a hem line.
Don't forget to allow for 15mm of hem allowance.
We draw the hem line with either a dry piece of soap or chalk. I recommend using chalk in extreme cases, since after finishing work, it is not always completely removed from the fabric. Modern fabrics have different structures and can retain chalk residues.
2) Mark along the drawn hem line with a contrasting thread.
3) Bend the fabric 15 mm to the wrong side of the product and iron it. That's it - preparation for gluing the hem of the product has been completed
4) Then place adhesive tape between the main fabric and the ironed hem line. Using a damp gauze cloth placed over the hem, gradually moving along the hem line, iron it to the main fabric, holding the iron on the gauze for 2-3 seconds. Under the influence of steam, the hem is tightly connected to the main fabric.

It is important not to forget that the double-sided adhesive web is placed between the hem and the main fabric, and even then it is subjected to heat treatment (gluing) on ​​the side that will be on the wrong side.

Minor product repairs

Elimination of small tears and holes in the product is achieved by applying a patch either from a piece of fabric from the main product or from a fabric similar in color.

How it's done:

A patch is cut out of a piece of fabric in a size that repeats the shape of the damage, but enlarged by approximately 5 times (it can be less, but it depends on the size of the damage and the density of the fabric of the product). A contour is cut out of the adhesive tape to match the size of the patch.
In this case, it is better to use a wider adhesive tape.

The product is turned inside out and a patch is applied to the damaged area; an adhesive tape is placed between the fabric of the product and the patch, repeating the shape of the patch. Wet gauze is applied on top, and the patch is ironed to the product (time 2 - 3 seconds). If necessary, ironing is repeated.

Quite often it is necessary to hem the bottom edge of a product when sewing new clothes or during repairs.

Today we’ll talk about how to hem the bottom of a skirt, dress, trousers, coat, what types of manual stitches exist for hemming the bottom of a product and how to make them. You can also watch video lessons on this topic.

Hem of the bottom of the product

Hemming is often done by hand, even when the rest of the garment is sewn on a sewing machine.

When sewing dresses or skirts on the bias, the bottom is hemmed in several stages. The first thing to do is hang the product on a hanger for the day, then baste the bottom and turn the raw edge to the wrong side. Moreover, the hemline is marked by making sure to put the product on the person and evenly and patiently measuring the same distance from the floor to the desired hemline. And only after that the excess is cut off, leaving allowances for the hem using the chosen method.

If the fabric frays a lot or is too thick, sew on the right side of the raw edge and sew it as a hem.

Classic allowances on the straight line of the bottom of a skirt or coat are 4 cm, and if the bottom has a curved appearance, then 2 cm. But this is approximately. It all depends on the fabric itself and your wishes.

How to hem the bottom of a dress skirt if the fold is rounded

If you are hemming a flared or rounded hem, use a basting line to gather the fabric slightly. Space the gathered areas at even intervals, pin them in place, and then baste them in preparation for hemming. You can also, after gathering the fabric, sew bias tape to the edge of the product.

When working with dense woolen fabric You can iron the hem, which helps reduce its thickness a little. To prevent a bulge from appearing on the front side of the product, iron the hem onto a fabric or thick sheet of paper. Press the iron very lightly onto the fabric and then lift it straight away - never pull the iron across the surface of a damp fabric.

Hemming stitch

In a hemming seam, the second hem of the fabric should be narrower than the first, its width should be 7-10 mm. Secure the thread with two small stitches at the edge of this fold. Begin attaching the hem by picking up two or three threads from the main body of the fabric, then insert the needle back into the fold. This seam can be made from right to left or, conversely, from left to right.

Blind hem

A blind hem is very similar to a blind stitch. Pick up several threads of fabric with a needle, stick it into the fold and bring it out at a distance of 1 cm from the point of injection to make the next stitch. In the article about hemming the bottom of trousers, you can watch a video on how to make a blind seam by hand - link at the bottom of the page.

Seam "Goat"

This seam allows you to attach hems made of thick, non-fraying fabric without making a second hem. Essentially, the seam consists of large crosses, which are obtained by alternately performing “back needle” stitches on one layer of fabric, then on the other. Suitable for hemming loose fabrics and for coats made of wool and boucle fabrics.

This manual view stitches are also very often used in sewing clothes when hemming the bottom. And if you don’t know the secret stitch, then master this type of hem and then the question of how to hem a dress or skirt will disappear by itself.

American seam

How to hem the bottom of a skirt, blouse, dress made of chiffon, silk or other transparent fabrics? Use an American seam!

This type of hem is performed on very thin fabrics. Using a very fine needle, sew a basting stitch along the marked hem line. Then cut the fabric 5mm from this line and start rolling the cut with your thumb and forefinger over the seam line you made. Insert the needle into the resulting roll, pick up one or two threads of the main fabric and stick the needle into the roll again. Every few stitches, tighten the thread to secure the bolster to the fabric.

The method and choice of stitch type for hemming the bottom of the product depends on the density of the fabric and the shape of the hem line.

Knowing these basic hand stitches and types of seams, you will always know how to hem the bottom of a skirt or trousers, dress or coat. This will always be useful to you in life. Because we all periodically face the need to shorten a coat or skirt, trousers and other clothes.

Regardless of the style and composition of the product, you can shorten the dress in a short time without experience or special equipment. The tips below are especially relevant if you are suddenly invited to a party or other event, and your favorite dress seems old-fashioned. Thanks to our recommendations, you can change your outfit in just 15 minutes, emphasizing your figure.

Accessories and tools

To work you will need:

• threads to match the fabric;
• tape measure;
• chalk, soap or a special water-soluble pencil;
• ruler;
• pins;
• scissors;
• sewing needles for handmade work;
• sewing machine and overlocker (if possible).

Dress with braid

This method is suitable for dresses made of suiting or other dense fabric with a straight cut. The braid will give a flatter cut, forming straight lines. smooth edges. Mark the desired length and secure the hem with a pin. Make a mark with chalk or soap, draw a hem line. Don't forget about the allowance. In this case, it is about 1 cm. Sew the trouser braid along the top edge on the front side of the dress. Then make a hem and carry out a wet-heat treatment of the seam. Secure the bottom with a straight machine stitch along the wrong or right side. Similarly, you can finish the bottom of the dress with bias tape if the fabric is thin.

Knitted dress

If your outfit is a floor-length dress, then the bottom of the product can be processed in two ways: the first is with a cover stitch, the second is with an overlock stitch. In the first option, the seam is made by a special machine, which is not available in every studio. But it can be done at home, spending a little more time.

Cover stitch

Measure the length of the product, leaving 2.5 cm for the allowance. Process the cut on the overlocker, make a hem along the intended line and lay the first line along the wrong side 1 cm from the edge of the product. The second line must be made the width of the foot (0.5-0.7 cm) from the first line. When finished, iron the item using the steam function.

Overlock stitch

Everything is very simple here. Measure the length of the product, adding 0.5 cm. Cut off the excess fabric along the marked line and sew an overlock stitch of medium width.

Dress for the occasion

The bottom section of the dress can be trimmed with lace. This method is relevant for elegant items or clothes that already have trim. Measure the length and cut off the excess fabric along the marked line. You can sew lace in two ways:

• First: overcast the cut along the front side and stitch the lace.
• Second: place the lace on the fabric “face to face” and sew 0.5-1 cm. Secure over the lace and iron the seam. Place a finishing stitch along the front side of the dress by 0.1-0.2 cm.

Dress with pleated skirt

It happens that you need to shorten a dress, the bottom of which is embroidered with stones, decorated with lace, embroidery, or is complex. technological process. In such situations, shortening occurs at the expense of the waist. Step-by-step instructions:

1. Determine the length.
2. Flog your skirt.
3. Measure your current waist circumference.
4. Mark according to the seam allowance.
5. Trim off excess fabric.
6. Measure the circumference of the skirt at the waist.
7. Subtract the smaller from the larger number.
8. Divide the final number by 2.
9. The result is the number of centimeters you need to remove along the side seams.
10. Line up the seams and sew the skirt to the top of the dress.
11. Overcast the seam and perform a WTO.

Universal method

Most common The method is hem and straight machine stitching. For this:

• step back 1.5-2 cm from the intended length;
• cut the fabric;
• stitch;
• fold the edge to the marked line and sew a straight stitch along the front side of the product by 1-1.5 cm.

Impromptu method

If you do not have sewing and cutting skills, and you do not have a sewing machine, then use this method. Determine the length of the dress as indicated above. Leave a 2.5 cm seam allowance from the marked line. Double fold, press or baste the seam. Take a needle and sewing thread desired color, then use blind stitches to secure the fabric. The hidden seam is made carefully, using a needle to pry up the upper threads of the two parts of the fabric. The stitches should be made oblique, small in size and at the same distance.

Remember: it is very important to visually imagine the entire process (sequence of actions), and then get to work. This way you can avoid mistakes and shorten your dress correctly.

The dress is the favorite clothing of many fashionistas. If you have purchased an outfit you like, but you are not satisfied with its length, you can shorten it. In this article we will tell you how to hem a dress from different materials.

Hemming a knitwear dress

This fabric is considered the most difficult, since it will not be possible to overcast with a classic seam. After all, when stretched again, the thread will simply break. In order to shorten an outfit, you need a special flat-stitch machine. She processes the product with a double seam. If you look from the wrong side, you will see a dense thick line of tangled threads. There are two neat lines on the front side. Of course, not everyone has such a car. Therefore, you can roll up the dress using a regular sewing machine using parallel lines.

How to make stitching invisible

This can be done in two ways:

• manually;
• using a thin fabric lining.

The first method is suitable if the outfit is made of thick suiting fabric. The thickness of the fabric allows you to lay the thread between the fibers of the material. To avoid visible puncture marks, you will need a thin and short needle, as well as dense fishing line of small thickness. You need to overlock the cut area and bend the edge by 5 mm. After this, using an oblique seam, grab the cut and the fabric 1 cm above it. Try to thread the needle between the fibers so that the puncture site is not visible. After the entire edge has been processed, iron the product.

How to hem a chiffon dress

For this you will need a thin lining. It can be soft knitwear or organza. Make a pattern that should be shaped like the bottom of the product. Sew the bottom of the dress and the lining together. Turn the seam inside out and press it. Now sew the upper part of the lining to the seam on the waistband. It is necessary that the length of the lining be several millimeters longer than the length of the dress. This way the product will not “pull”.

Clothes made from very thin fabric can simply be overlocked. Once you get rid of the fraying threads, there is no need to hem anything. The more often the seam, the more reliable the stitching. This is the way to treat fabrics that are fraying. This is usually done in casual wear or maxi dresses.

American seam

This method of hemming a dress is used if the outfit is made of translucent fabric. You need to use your thumb to roll the bottom of the outfit into a roller of small diameter. You should end up with something like a tube. Now pierce the fabric from the front side to a width of 1-2 threads. The entire tube should be covered with thread. After work, iron the cut area.

Finishing the edge with a braid

To decorate the bottom of the product, use a special braid. This method is ideal for processing the cut area of ​​suiting and plain fabrics. You need to sew one edge of the braid on the wrong side. And pin the ribbon from the front edge with pins. Sew the binding, retreating 1 mm from the edge.

If your dress is very expensive and you are not comfortable with needle and thread, contact a tailor. There, for little money, they can make a dress from any fabric.

Hemming the bottom is one of those operations that even those who do not like to sew have to deal with. Of course, sewing curtains or adjusting trousers to fit your height can be entrusted to professionals, but almost every woman has had to deal with the problem of a torn hem or the need to shorten a skirt that is too long. This is not difficult to do, and perhaps, having mastered these simple operations, you will love to sew on your own.

How to level the bottom?

When it comes to sewing curtains, most often the hem line is straight. If we are talking about a skirt, especially a flared one, then the bottom line is aligned directly on the figure, while the belt and clasp should be well adjusted.

To carry out this operation, stand on a flat surface in the shoes with which this item is supposed to be worn. In this case, an assistant, using a vertical wooden ruler, one end of which is placed on the floor, marks the corresponding level with chalk along the entire circumference of the hem.

However, this operation can be done independently if you fix a rope thickly rubbed with chalk in the doorway at the required height (Fig. 1). To the marked line it is necessary to add an allowance for hems and seams, the width of which will depend on the method of processing the bottom.

How to mark the hem line of a skirt yourself

Processing without bending

The simplest way, which does not require the use of special techniques, is to process the edges with an overlock. In some cases, such a stitch, for example, made with a contrasting thread, looks very attractive (Fig. 2).

Processing the cut with a zigzag seam or a roller overlock, which creates a neat scar, is also good for thin fabrics (Fig. 3). After processing, the protruding threads of the fabric must be trimmed. An even more beautiful seam is obtained if you lay a zigzag stitch at some distance from the edge, and then carefully cut off the excess material.

A beautiful and neat hem is obtained by using bias tape. For thin fabrics it is attached in the form of a border. To do this, the bias tape (it’s better to take a ready-made one) is folded in half and ironed, then the edge of the fabric is placed inside it and stitched (Fig. 4). The same method is well suited for processing internal seams of bulk material.

To hem dense material in this way, you will need a hem of about 0.5 cm. The fabric and binding are folded right sides together and stitched along the bottom edge. Then the binding is folded over to the wrong side, ironed and stitched along its upper edge (Fig. 5). This hemming method is well suited when the skirt is not long enough for a standard hem.

Finishing the edge with a hem

The standard hem width for a skirt is 3-4 cm; for thin fabrics this value may be smaller. To make a neat hem line for a straight cut, it is convenient to use a sheet of paper with a horizontal line drawn at the required distance. Bend the edge of the hem this distance and iron it - you will get a perfectly straight line, and the hem will not be imprinted on the front side (Fig. 6).

In flared lines, the fold is much more difficult to perform. To facilitate this operation, two parallel lines are laid along the bottom of the product (Fig. 7). Then the bottom line is gathered up a little, the fabric is folded inside out along the line of the top line, pinned and pressed.

The simplest method for processing a folded edge, which even those who do not know how to sew can quickly handle, is to use adhesive tape. It is placed in the fold and treated with a hot iron (Fig. 8). For heavy textiles, it is recommended to insert two such tapes.

Professional dressmakers do not recommend using this method of fixing the hem, believing that it makes the fabric more rigid. In addition, the adhesive tape will most likely have to be re-glued after washing. In the time of our grandmothers, traditional stitches were used for products made from suit and coat fabric - blind (Fig. 9) and goat (Fig. 10), which are still made in expensive studios.

Beautiful execution of such a binder requires skill and a lot of time. In professional clothing production, this operation is most often performed with a hidden machine stitch. A simpler solution is to simply stitch the double-folded edge (Fig. 11), which is well suited for sportswear.

One of the most beautiful, albeit complex, methods of hemming thin materials is the so-called Moscow seam. Its width is about 3 mm, while there are 2 lines on the wrong side, and one on the front side. They are performed in the following sequence (Fig. 13):

1. Leaving an allowance of 1 cm when cutting, make a hem of no more than 4 mm, iron and sew the fold as close to the edge as possible.
2. Carefully cut the fabric from edge to stitch, leaving more than 1 mm.
3. Once again turn the hem to the wrong side so that the stitching is approximately in the middle, and iron it.
4. Sew the hem from the inside out as close to the first line as possible. Experienced craftswomen make the first stitch with a contrasting thread, and then remove it to get one seam from the face and from the back.

If the dress is too expensive and you don’t want to trust someone to shorten the product, you will have to do the work yourself. Hemming options will depend on what fabric the product is made from.

Knitwear is considered a difficult material to process, so a knitted dress cannot simply be overcast with a classic seam. To shorten a dress, you will need a flat-stitch machine that processes the hem of the dress with a double seam.

But not everyone has such a machine, so to shorten a knitted product you can use parallel stitches made on a sewing machine

For items made of thin and flowing fabrics, you can use the invisible hem method. Such a seam requires additional time and materials, gives some thickening to the hem, but is well hidden.

To hem the hem using this method, you need to take a lining (organza or soft knitted fabric), make a pattern shaped like the bottom of the dress, sew the bottom of the dress and the lining pattern together, turn the seam inside out and iron it. Next, sew the top of the lining to the seam on the waistband of the product.

It is important to make the lining longer than the product itself (a couple of millimeters) so that it does not “drag”

Here's how to hem a dress without a machine: when hemming items made from woolen and suiting fabrics, a blind seam is used. Needle punctures will not be noticeable on such products. You need to hem using this method with a thin needle and one thread. The work should be done from right to left, with stitches of approximately 0.7 cm. The thread should be carried below the overlock stitch, then the hidden seam will be strong and securely hidden from prying eyes.

Also, for products made of dense and woolen fabrics, you can use the method of processing the hem with a special braid (braid). You just need to sew one edge of the braid on the wrong side, and on the front side, fixing the braid with pins, sew it, retreating 1 mm from the edge.

These are the ways you can bend the hems of various dresses. And if you are wondering whether it is possible to hem a wedding dress, then folk signs do not advise doing it yourself. Moreover, a wedding dress is a very complex product, so it is better to entrust its shortening to professional craftsmen in the atelier.

Hemming the bottom is one of those operations that even those who do not like to sew have to deal with. Of course, sewing curtains or adjusting trousers to fit your height can be entrusted to professionals, but almost every woman has had to deal with the problem of a torn hem or the need to shorten a skirt that is too long. This is not difficult to do, and perhaps, having mastered these simple operations, you will love to sew on your own.

How to level the bottom?

When it comes to sewing curtains, most often the hem line is straight. If we are talking about a skirt, especially a flared one, then the bottom line is aligned directly on the figure, while the belt and clasp should be well adjusted.

To carry out this operation, stand on a flat surface in the shoes with which this item is supposed to be worn. In this case, an assistant, using a vertical wooden ruler, one end of which is placed on the floor, marks the corresponding level with chalk along the entire circumference of the hem.

However, this operation can be done independently if you fix a rope thickly rubbed with chalk in the doorway at the required height (Fig. 1). To the marked line it is necessary to add an allowance for hems and seams, the width of which will depend on the method of processing the bottom.

How to mark the hem line of a skirt yourself

Processing without bending

The simplest way, which does not require the use of special techniques, is to process the edge with an overlocker. In some cases, such a stitch, for example, made with a contrasting thread, looks very attractive (Fig. 2).

Processing the cut with a zigzag seam or a roller overlock, which creates a neat scar, is also good for thin fabrics (Fig. 3). After processing, the protruding threads of the fabric must be trimmed. An even more beautiful seam is obtained if you lay a zigzag stitch at some distance from the edge, and then carefully cut off the excess material.

A beautiful and neat hem is obtained by using bias tape. For thin fabrics it is attached in the form of a border. To do this, the bias tape (it’s better to take a ready-made one) is folded in half and ironed, then the edge of the fabric is placed inside it and stitched (Fig. 4). The same method is well suited for processing internal seams of bulk material.

To hem dense material in this way, you will need a hem of about 0.5 cm. The fabric and binding are folded right sides together and stitched along the bottom edge. Then the binding is folded over to the wrong side, ironed and stitched along its upper edge (Fig. 5). This hemming method is well suited when the skirt is not long enough for a standard hem.

Finishing the edge with a hem

The standard hem width for a skirt is 3-4 cm; for thin fabrics this value may be smaller. To make a neat hem line for a straight cut, it is convenient to use a sheet of paper with a horizontal line drawn at the required distance. Bend the edge of the hem this distance and iron it - you will get a perfectly straight line, and the hem will not be imprinted on the front side (Fig. 6).

In flared lines, the fold is much more difficult to perform. To facilitate this operation, two parallel lines are laid along the bottom of the product (Fig. 7). Then the bottom line is gathered up a little, the fabric is folded inside out along the line of the top line, pinned and pressed.

The simplest method for processing a folded edge, which even those who do not know how to sew can quickly handle, is to use adhesive tape. It is placed in the fold and treated with a hot iron (Fig. 8). For heavy textiles, it is recommended to insert two such tapes.

Professional dressmakers do not recommend using this method of fixing the hem, believing that it makes the fabric more rigid. In addition, the adhesive tape will most likely have to be re-glued after washing. In the time of our grandmothers, traditional seams were used for products made from suit and coat fabric - blind (Fig. 9) and goat (Fig. 10), which are still made in expensive studios.

Beautiful execution of such a binder requires skill and a lot of time. In professional clothing production, this operation is most often performed with a hidden machine stitch. A simpler solution is to simply stitch the double-folded edge (Fig. 11), which is well suited for sportswear.

For a narrow hem, this stitch can be done using a special hemming foot. For thin fabric, as well as for flared models, a more suitable option is to process the edge with an overlocker, and then stitch it 0.2 cm above the ironed fold line (Fig. 12). To prevent the top edge from sagging, you can make two parallel lines with a wide hem.

One of the most beautiful, albeit complex, methods of hemming thin materials is the so-called Moscow seam. Its width is about 3 mm, while there are 2 lines on the wrong side, and one on the front side. They are performed in the following sequence (Fig. 13):

1. Leaving an allowance of 1 cm when cutting, make a hem of no more than 4 mm, iron and sew the fold as close to the edge as possible.
2. Carefully cut the fabric from edge to stitch, leaving more than 1 mm.
3. Once again turn the hem to the wrong side so that the stitching is approximately in the middle, and iron it.
4. Sew the hem from the inside out as close to the first line as possible. Experienced craftswomen make the first stitch with a contrasting thread, and then remove it to get one seam from the face and from the back.

Let's take a closer look at pencil and several other options for processing the bottom.

The first thing to do is try on the skirt and determine its final length. When trying on, make a mark on the front at the desired height, we will use it as a guide.

Fold the skirt so that the side seams are aligned, and the folds are in the middle of the front and back panels of the skirt.

The pencil skirt is tapered at the sides, so when laid out on a table, its bottom has a curved appearance. This is completely normal for a tapered skirt. The smaller the taper, the straighter the hemline. For a straight skirt it is completely straight.

Before, how to hem a skirt, draw a bottom line. We draw a line through our mark to the side seam. This line should be at a 90° angle to the fold of the front panel of the skirt (can be checked with a triangle). We do the same with the rear panel.

These two lines converge at one point on the side seam and form an angle that needs to be smoothly rounded. To do this (preferably using a pattern), draw a smooth line a little lower. We got the hemline of the skirt.

Now you need to even out the hem allowance and cut off the excess. The normal allowance for processing the bottom of the skirt is 3-4 cm. At this distance from the first line below, we will draw another line in parallel - this is the cut line.

Pin the skirt along the first line to secure the two layers of fabric. Now we cut off all the excess along the cut line.

Do not rush to remove the pins - on the back of the skirt they will help to copy the hemline. We put marks and draw a line along them.

We continue processing the bottom of the skirt - we sew the cut, turn it inside out exactly along our line, and pin it with pins. We do this all over the bottom of the skirt.

How to make a double wide hem at the bottom of a skirt

Another option - suitable for sports style models - denim skirts, cotton and linen skirts with stitching. We hem the bottom of the skirt with a double hem and stitching. The hem can be quite wide - up to 8 cm.

The internal fold of such a hem can be narrow - 1-1.5 cm or wide, like the external one. So, for a finished hem 3 cm wide, make an allowance for finishing the bottom of the skirt of 6 cm.

Procedure: draw a hem line on the front side of the skirt, iron all 6 cm on the wrong side, and now bend this 6 cm in half (cut to fold) and iron it again. All that remains is to hem the skirt on the machine. It is better to stitch from the front side. You can pre-baste.

Finishing the bottom of the skirt with a narrow hem

If you saved on fabric and the allowance turned out to be narrow, there is this option for processing the bottom of the skirt - overcast it and stitch it to the edge. But still, this treatment is more suitable for thin fabrics or models with oblique cuts - skirts cut on the bias, flared skirts (sun, half-sun), skirts with flounces, frills.

For light skirts made of chiffon and other thin fabrics, a master class will help you hem the skirt correctly. This seam is used for straight and rounded cuts of the thinnest fabrics.

Moscow seam

If the skirt is from light fabric, easy to process and the bottom cut is straight or slightly rounded, then a narrow double hem can be made. The hem allowance is 2 cm. Fold it twice, 0.5-1 cm each, and stitch. If your eye is weak, do as in the example with a wide double hem, using an iron.

I can’t call myself such a fan of sewing, but every woman should be able to sew the simplest skirt, much less sew up a hole or sew on a button.

However, sometimes you have to work hard on the product. My headache- these are stitches on thick areas of the product. For example, when working with denim items.

It can also be problematic tame the dress or a skirt that is too long when you want to do it quickly and without the help of an atelier.

How to sew on a machine

Experienced dressmakers know special tricks with which these everyday moments cease to be a problem.

We have prepared 10 for you useful life hacks, with which sewing will become interesting, exciting, and most importantly, simple.

1.If you don’t like doing monotonous work, a real challenge for you will be to mark exactly the seam allowances on the fabric. To make this process easier, the best solution would be to make a template like this.

2. When you're home alone, and something you recently bought is too much long dress you definitely want to wear it tomorrow, exactly measure out the part that needs to be shortened, this simple method will help you. In the doorway, fix a rope or thick thread at the desired height, rubbing it thickly with chalk. To the marked line you need to add a hem allowance, the width of which will depend on the method of processing the bottom.

3. To make stitching on thick areas of fabric easier, place cardboard under the back of the foot and neck with ease and pleasure.

4. And this is another simple and convenient trick. Take some thin elastic bands and use them as stitching guides.

5. I really like this one convenient way outline the pattern immediately with seam allowances. To do this, wrap two pencils with tape and feel free to get to work. And if the allowance should be wider, add another pencil with the lead facing up in the middle of the design.

6. Correctly and accurately prepared binding is the key to convenient and quick edging of the entire product. Creating bias tape for many craftswomen was, is and remains one of the most difficult problems. I suggest you make such a template from paper, and working with the processing of this “terrible beast” will become easier and simpler.

7. Here’s an idea for a template for even allowances for hemming the bottom of the product. Very convenient and not difficult at all!

8. Another clever trick to make pinning easier air loops. The basis is again a paper template.

9. If there are no pins at home, ordinary clothespins or hairpins will replace them.

10. How do you like this method of processing loops on knitwear? Very convenient, isn't it?

As you can see, there are such subtleties and wisdom in sewing that are sometimes difficult to reach on your own, and here they really help out advice from experienced dressmakers. Feel free to adopt these simple tricks, and the issue of sewing and repairing your favorite clothes will no longer be a problem for you.