Thread: Yet another newbie seamstress question - hems

Okay, so I added the waistband to my crazy rainbow skirt yesterday and have made peace with the seam in the front. You really don't notice it much and it's just supposed to be a fun skirt for a little while anyway.

Now I have a question about the hem. I'd like to hem it so it's a bit longer in the back than it is in the front (so it's even all around) but I do not have a dress form. I tried to show my husband how to pin it, but he flustered so I'm trying to find another way to do this.

How would I go about making the hem longer in the back and shorter in the front and still know if I'm cutting the fabric (there's like 4 inches of extra length) and sewing it evenly? Would it be better just to pick one length and do that all the way around?

Thanks so much for your help (and patience) with all the questions!

If you don't have a good friend who can pin it while it is on you the best thing to do is to make your own dress form. You can do it with an old t-shirt, a couple of rolls of duct tape and some stuffing.

How to make a duct tape dress form for sewing and quilting clothing « Wild Onion

Craftzine.com blog : HOW TO - Make a Duct Tape Dress Form

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cs8B4mRVeXU]YouTube - Duct Tape Dress Form[/ame]

I then put mine on a stool plus a couple of dictionaries to get the right height and hemming skirts is much easier.

okay, in theory you can just use a measuring tape - measure from the middle front to the bottom, front back and on both sides. Lay the skirt down flat on the ground and use the measuring tape to pin the hem, then try it on to make sure you got it right. Keep in mind stretch fabrics might shrink or stretch on your body depending on the fit and cut.

good luck

If it were me, I'd put a safety pin at the back waistband, take my chalk hem marker
www.Clotilde.com - Deluxe Chalk Hem Marker, stand on my rubbermaid foot stool (used only for marking hems :) ) and have friend/self mark the hem at the longest length desired (4" longer than normal). Remove the skirt carefully and immediately cut on the marked line. Then, fold the skirt hem into halves, quarters, then eighths and lightly press each fold and/or mark with safety pins.

Get back on the stool with the waist safety pin at your back center and create four more marks: one 3" below normal length, one 2" below, one 1" below, and one at the normal hem (0"). Remove the skirt carefully so you don't mess up the chalk. The front of the skirt (think of it as fold 1) will be at the 0" mark. Your mid-front points (fold 2 and 8) will be at the 1" mark. The sides (fold 3 and 7) will be at the 2" mark, the mid-back (fold 4 and 6) at the 3", the back (fold 5) at the current 4" mark. Use pins, fabric marking pen, or a different colored chalk to draw your new hem line, going from point to point. Then cut and hem. Replace the safety pin at the back waistband with a loop of ribbon or grosgrain to help you remember how to put the skirt back on. If you are going to dance wildly in this skirt, try mounting it on trunks (or attaching with pins, some do) to keep it from twisting.

PS Don't forget to hang this skirt unless it is nothing but tiers cut on the grain! If it is a circle skirt, hang for a week. If gored, two days. IMO

Wow! I have been wanting to buy a dress form for a while. I'm definitely going to do this!!!! I think I have an old light stand that I can stick this
on......
My husband usually doesn't help me with dance projects, but this one he might, hehehe...g.:

I agree! I luv-luv-LOVE that video...Defnitely gotta do this! And how cute was her helper-habibi BF/hubby, doing his best Vanna impersonation??? :)

You could also try a modified version of this technique: Sewing Tip - marking skirt hem by yourself.