Instructions on Hemming a Dress

Many women find themselves wishing to have a new dress hemmed so that it fits and looks better. Taking a dress to a professional is an expense that can be easily avoided. Hemming a dress is actually an easy process. Anybody with basic sewing skills can complete the job in a small amount of time. Once you get the hang of it, you can even charge others for this service. Follow these steps to get stitching.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Sewing machine Straight pins Thread Iron or steamer

1. Begin by ironing or steaming the dress evenly so that it lays flat. Otherwise, your hem may turn out uneven.

2. Have the pereson wear the dress. Make sure that the person is wearing the shoes that she will have on when wearing the dress. She should also be standing up straight and still. If not, the length of the dress may not turn out as you desire.

3. Use straight pins to fold the fabric of the dress under. Once you have done so, mark the desired length (the length you will be hemming).

4. If you have excess fabric, you may choose to cut it or simply fold it in before sewing. Folding is a good choice if you anticipate that you may need to let the hem down in the future. If the dress may be worn by someone else, for example.

5. Remove the dress from the person and begin sewing. Use a standard sewing machine and thread that matches the color of the fabric to sew a straight line around the fabric that has been pinned.

6. Go back and forth to seal the final stitches once you have made it the entire way around the dress.

Tips & Warnings

• After pinning, you can iron a crease in the fabric to mark where you would like to hem. Depending on the fabric, you may want to hand sew the hem. This can be more time consuming, but it gives you more control over the final outcome.