How to Hem a Prom Dress
Measure and pin the new hem place., Cut off the original hem., Take out the lower side seams., Roll a tiny hem and pierce it with the needle., Snap the presser foot into place., Stitch a few stitches., Feed the raw edge into the pressure foot., Sew...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Measure and pin the new hem place.
Whoever will wear the dress needs to put it on, along with their shoes.
A second person should fold the bottom hem up to the desired length, folding it so that the excess fabric is on the underside of the dress.Use a ruler or measuring tape to see how much from the original hem you are going to shorten.
Pin this new hem in place by sticking sewing needles into the dress so the point of the pin is pushed from behind through the excess fabric, through the dress, and back into the dress and excess fabric a few centimeters away, so the pin stays in place.
Pin all the way around the dress to check the new hem length.
The dress wearer should always put on the shoes that they plan on wearing to prom.
The height of the heel will alter the length of the new hem. -
Step 2: Cut off the original hem.
Take a sharp pair of sewing shears and trim off the excess fabric at the bottom of the dress.
You should leave about 1/4 inch (6 mm) between your new, intended hemline, and the raw, cut edge of the dress.Later, the rolled hem itself will be about 1/8 inch (3 mm).
If you cannot cut off the old hem while it is pinned in place, mark the new hem with a fabric pencil and take out the pins before cutting off the excess material at the bottom of the dress. , Use a seam ripper to remove about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of the stitches from the side seams of the dress skirt.
These side seams are too bulky to feed through the rolled hem presser foot and will most likely jam up your entire machine.Save yourself the headache, and remove the side seams before making your hem. , Use your fingers to roll a tiny hem along the bottom edge of the dress.
Roll the hem so the jagged, raw edge is rolled inward and hidden.Hold down this rolled hem with your fingers, and place the hem onto the sewing machine.
Carefully lower the needle into them hem, while still holding it in place.
The rolled hem should to be about 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick.Roll the fabric under so that the hem is hidden on the inside of the skirt and the raw edge is hidden under the rolled fabric of the hem.
The rolled hem will almost be composed to two small rolls: one to roll the raw edge in, and the end edge rolled on top of that. , You will need a specific rolled hem presser foot to make a rolled hem on the dress.Keep the sewing needle in the down position and snap the rolled hem presser foot onto your machine.
Note that if you don’t have a presser foot that snaps into place and you need to screw it on instead, you will need to do this before you insert the needle into your hem. , Choose a stitching thread that is relatively the same color as the dress.
Be sure that your sewing machine settings are set to sew with a straight stitch.The outside of the fabric should be facing down, and the inside of the fabric should be facing up on the sewing machine.
Slowly stitch about 3 stitches with your machine.You only need enough to get the hem started and to hold down the fold. , Make sure that the needle is in the down in the fabric as you adjust the fabric.
Use your fingers to feed the raw edge of the material into the curved, hooked piece at the front of the presser foot.This will keep the raw edge of the hem folding as you continue to move it through the sewing machine.
This curved, hooked piece will guide the raw edge and bring it under the fabric, rolling it into place as you stitch.
As a result, you will not need to hand-roll the remainder of the hem; the machine should do that for you. , Continue sewing around the entire bottom hem of your dress.
The presser foot should do most of the work, but use your fingers as you work to gently and slowly coax the fabric into the hooked, curved part of the presser foot.
Make sure the fabric is feeding in correctly.The raw edge of the fabric should run parallel to the left edge of the presser foot, and the folded, hemmed edge should run parallel to the right edge of the of the presser foot.
If working in sections (you will be if you have side seams), you will need to start the process again with each new section. , Once the hem is done all the way around the dress, pin the side seams you took out earlier, and sew them back together with a straight stitch., The wearer should try the dress on to check the appearance of the new hem.
With this step, the process is complete.
Note that this is the recommended hemming method.
Since most prom dress skirts are flared instead of straight, the material is not even all the way around the bottom.
A basic hem will lead to bunching since so much material gets hemmed up.
With this technique, however, you are hemming the dress using as little material as possible, so there is very little risk of bunching the fabric. -
Step 3: Take out the lower side seams.
-
Step 4: Roll a tiny hem and pierce it with the needle.
-
Step 5: Snap the presser foot into place.
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Step 6: Stitch a few stitches.
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Step 7: Feed the raw edge into the pressure foot.
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Step 8: Sew along the remaining hem slowly.
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Step 9: Replace the lower seams.
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Step 10: Try it on.
Detailed Guide
Whoever will wear the dress needs to put it on, along with their shoes.
A second person should fold the bottom hem up to the desired length, folding it so that the excess fabric is on the underside of the dress.Use a ruler or measuring tape to see how much from the original hem you are going to shorten.
Pin this new hem in place by sticking sewing needles into the dress so the point of the pin is pushed from behind through the excess fabric, through the dress, and back into the dress and excess fabric a few centimeters away, so the pin stays in place.
Pin all the way around the dress to check the new hem length.
The dress wearer should always put on the shoes that they plan on wearing to prom.
The height of the heel will alter the length of the new hem.
Take a sharp pair of sewing shears and trim off the excess fabric at the bottom of the dress.
You should leave about 1/4 inch (6 mm) between your new, intended hemline, and the raw, cut edge of the dress.Later, the rolled hem itself will be about 1/8 inch (3 mm).
If you cannot cut off the old hem while it is pinned in place, mark the new hem with a fabric pencil and take out the pins before cutting off the excess material at the bottom of the dress. , Use a seam ripper to remove about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of the stitches from the side seams of the dress skirt.
These side seams are too bulky to feed through the rolled hem presser foot and will most likely jam up your entire machine.Save yourself the headache, and remove the side seams before making your hem. , Use your fingers to roll a tiny hem along the bottom edge of the dress.
Roll the hem so the jagged, raw edge is rolled inward and hidden.Hold down this rolled hem with your fingers, and place the hem onto the sewing machine.
Carefully lower the needle into them hem, while still holding it in place.
The rolled hem should to be about 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick.Roll the fabric under so that the hem is hidden on the inside of the skirt and the raw edge is hidden under the rolled fabric of the hem.
The rolled hem will almost be composed to two small rolls: one to roll the raw edge in, and the end edge rolled on top of that. , You will need a specific rolled hem presser foot to make a rolled hem on the dress.Keep the sewing needle in the down position and snap the rolled hem presser foot onto your machine.
Note that if you don’t have a presser foot that snaps into place and you need to screw it on instead, you will need to do this before you insert the needle into your hem. , Choose a stitching thread that is relatively the same color as the dress.
Be sure that your sewing machine settings are set to sew with a straight stitch.The outside of the fabric should be facing down, and the inside of the fabric should be facing up on the sewing machine.
Slowly stitch about 3 stitches with your machine.You only need enough to get the hem started and to hold down the fold. , Make sure that the needle is in the down in the fabric as you adjust the fabric.
Use your fingers to feed the raw edge of the material into the curved, hooked piece at the front of the presser foot.This will keep the raw edge of the hem folding as you continue to move it through the sewing machine.
This curved, hooked piece will guide the raw edge and bring it under the fabric, rolling it into place as you stitch.
As a result, you will not need to hand-roll the remainder of the hem; the machine should do that for you. , Continue sewing around the entire bottom hem of your dress.
The presser foot should do most of the work, but use your fingers as you work to gently and slowly coax the fabric into the hooked, curved part of the presser foot.
Make sure the fabric is feeding in correctly.The raw edge of the fabric should run parallel to the left edge of the presser foot, and the folded, hemmed edge should run parallel to the right edge of the of the presser foot.
If working in sections (you will be if you have side seams), you will need to start the process again with each new section. , Once the hem is done all the way around the dress, pin the side seams you took out earlier, and sew them back together with a straight stitch., The wearer should try the dress on to check the appearance of the new hem.
With this step, the process is complete.
Note that this is the recommended hemming method.
Since most prom dress skirts are flared instead of straight, the material is not even all the way around the bottom.
A basic hem will lead to bunching since so much material gets hemmed up.
With this technique, however, you are hemming the dress using as little material as possible, so there is very little risk of bunching the fabric.
About the Author
Sarah Myers
With a background in lifestyle and practical guides, Sarah Myers brings 11 years of hands-on experience to every article. Sarah believes in making complex topics accessible to everyone.
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