You’ve found that perfect skirt, but it is just a bit too long. Here’s how to save money on getting it adjusted. Hemming is a simple sewing task that’s easy to learn, and it’s one that will prove invaluable to you. If you know how to hem, you can breathe life into old clothes. You can shorten skirts and trousers and alter tops and dresses and reafshion lots of your clothes.
You will need
- seam ripper
- iron
- ironing board
- fabric chalk
- Scissors
- dressmaking pins
- sewing needle
- thread (preferably same colour as the item of clothing)
Step 1 Using the seam ripper, carefully unpick the hem of the skirt. Take care not to rip the fabric.
Step 2 Use the iron to press the original hemline out of the fabric
Step 3 Put the skirt on and decide how long you want it and mark the desired length using dressmaking pins. (It can be easier to get a friend to help you with this step.)
Step 4 Mark the desired hem length using fabric chalk. If necessary cut away any excess fabric leaving about 4cms below the chalk line to fold up and create a neat hem.
Step 5 Using the chalk line as a marker fold the fabric up to the desired length and press the hem into place and secure with dressmaking pins
Step 6 Stitch the hem into place. If you are doing this by hand use a blind stitch (see below) to ensure the sewing thread doesn’t show on the rightside (the outside of the garment) of the fabric. If you are sewing with a machine use a standard stitch that you would use on an ordinary seam
