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Wednesday, 1 July 2015

Letting Down A Hem Tutorial

Do you have a skirt (or pants) that you feel is just a little too short?

Here is a simple way to let down the hem for extra length.  As a tall girl I need to do this a lot! 

I've used a skirt here for my example.  You will notice that I've used a bright blue fabric, of course the sensible thing to do would be to use a coordinating fabric but I like the secret pop of colour inside my skirt!

 


1. Unpick the hem to see how much extra fabric you have to work with.  Press the hem flat using the highest iron setting the fabric will tolerate.  I place a slightly damp cloth over the hem when pressing.

2.  Take a scrap of fabric the same width as your skirt (or pant leg) and at least 5 cm high to give a nice finish.

3. With right sides together machine sew the fabric to the bottom edge of your skirt.

4. Fold under 0.5cm and sew along the raw edge of your added fabric. 



5.  Press the seam up towards the bottom of the skirt so your added fabric sits on the inside and not at the very edge of the skirt.

6.  Invisible hem (I prefer to do this by hand) and you're done. 






Ta da!  A little extra length that goes a long way!

 

 

 

 
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14 comments:

  1. angelina2 July 2015 at 09:09

    This is really helpful! I'm pretty short, but I have a long torso, so I'm often having to let down the hems of dresses.

    Angelina Is

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Unknown2 July 2015 at 10:05

      I'm so happy I could help! It really is easy and allows you to make the most of the hem allowance. Thanks for reading!
      x Allison

      Delete
  2. Carly 2 July 2015 at 11:37

    Great tutorial! I have always wondered how the seamstresses do this
    Dresses & Denim

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    Replies
    1. Unknown2 July 2015 at 15:21

      Thanks for reading Carly! I find this is the best method for letting down a hem and it's easy!
      x Allison

      Delete
  3. Unknown2 July 2015 at 23:01

    This will be such a big help. I always find that dresses/skirts are always just a little too short on me. I will have to give this a go, Thanks!

    Elle x |Elleamode

    ReplyDelete
  4. Unknown2 July 2015 at 23:01

    This will be such a big help. I always find that dresses/skirts are always just a little too short on me. I will have to give this a go, Thanks!

    Elle x |Elleamode

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Unknown3 July 2015 at 07:46

      Hi Elle, I'm so happy it's helpful to you! Happy lengthening! X Allison

      Delete
  5. Erica Kato3 July 2015 at 14:47

    Such a helpful tip!

    xo | The Fashion Forecast

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    Replies
    1. Unknown3 July 2015 at 16:09

      Thanks Erica! And thank you for stopping by! X Allison

      Delete
  6. Unknown4 July 2015 at 00:27

    So clever! I am five seven, not to tall but I know that finding nice length skirts can be hard! Thanks for commenting on my blog!
    -Margaret
    http://happyinheels.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Unknown4 July 2015 at 07:49

      Thanks for reading Margaret! X Allison

      Delete
  7. RuthyAnnie4 July 2015 at 02:15

    Great tip! I'm actually really short (5'2) but this is a great idea to use on mini skirts to make them a bit longer!

    www.mylittlenest.org

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Unknown4 July 2015 at 07:53

      Thanks Ruth! You can also use this technique if you want a nice hem finish when making a skirt shorter. Something I rarely do unless I want to turn a maxi into a midi!!! X Allison

      Delete
  8. Unknown4 July 2015 at 07:49

    Thank you!! X Allison

    ReplyDelete

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