Knitted fabrics are very practical and comfortable, but sewing them on conventional machines is quite difficult. Machine stitching often loops, sometimes there are gaps in the stitching, and in any case, its appearance is rather ugly. Even hemming the bottom by hand is difficult. The hem does not look “factory-made”; it often turns out or sags during wear.
In this article you will learn a simple and original way to hem the bottom of a knitted skirt, process cut sections of hem sleeves and sleeves of a knitted T-shirt, etc. True, for this you will need an overlocker or, in extreme cases, a zigzag stitch.
How to cut the hem of a dress
Not every new thing is the right length; sometimes you have to shorten it. And if you sew at home, you often have to bend a new product.
It is important to learn the invisible hem. And the overall impression of the girl’s appearance depends on how the bottom of the outfit looks.
To perform this operation at home, you will need patience and knowledge of the techniques that experienced seamstresses share with us.
Gusset
Additional attractiveness can be given to finished curtains by using a hidden diagonal seam to finish the corners. The method of its implementation is complex, but it looks very good on any rectangular products.
Procedure: Fold and iron the fabric 1-1.5 cm from the bottom and sides inside out. In the same way, we make the second hem, selecting the width that we plan to hem.
We unfold the second hem and make a corner diagonally with the front part of the fabric inward. We combine the edges and secure with a pin or needle along the line of the second fold closer to the corner.
Mark a 45 degree bevel to the fold marked with a pin, starting from the point at which the fold begins and towards the edge. We sew the corner along the resulting line and, stepping back from the seam 1 cm, cut off the corner.
We turn the product inside out and sew the folds along the contour. Iron the bend.
The video below details the diagonal blindstitch process.
How to fold a dress made of thick fabrics
A dress made of thick fabric most often has a straight cut. The hem should be 3-4 cm.
- Take a piece of paper.
- Draw the width of the hem on it.
- Bend the edge of the hem this distance and iron it.
- Then sew a blind seam or a “goat” seam.
In the flared lines along the bottom of the product, lay two parallel lines (Fig. 7). The bottom line needs to be slightly gathered. Along the line of the top stitch, fold the fabric inside out, pin it with pins and press it.
Hemming rules
The lengths of finished products may differ for windows located in the same room, and even for different sides of the same opening. Therefore, you should measure all possible values and take the average. This is especially important when the length of the curtains is selected to the floor or exactly under the window. The differences in this case become clearly visible.
The following tips will help you hem curtains and tulle correctly:
- Materials, especially those containing natural fibers, are prone to shrinkage. Therefore, before starting work, it is advisable to wash new curtains and then iron them, following the recommended mode for a certain type of fabric.
- It is advisable to let heavy curtains hang on the curtain for 2-3 days to finalize the length, since the fabric may stretch.
- It is convenient to measure the length on a hanging curtain: secure the selected length with pins on both sides, and then pin marks on the removed ones every 10-15 cm.
- You can measure the distance from the cornice to the selected level using a tape measure, and then calculate the difference between the actual and desired length of the canvas, mark it with pins or draw a marking.
- First you need to iron the fold, this will help to cut the fabric evenly. You can only tear fabric made from natural fibers: calico, chintz, cotton.
The width of the hem of the bottom edge is determined according to the situation. There are no strict recommendations on this matter. Making a large hem is more practical, since you won’t need to trim the curtain and there will be a supply of fabric in case the curtain needs to be lengthened. Wide hems look good decoratively and are suitable for long models of medium density, as well as weighting short curtains.
Blind seam. How to do
I urgently need to bend the hem, but I don’t have a machine. We'll do without a machine. Many dressmakers always use a hidden seam.
Hand hemming can be done on dresses made from wool or suit fabrics. Needle punctures on such materials will not be visible on the front side.
To hem a dress by hand, you need to take the right thread. First of all, it must match the color of the product. It is better to choose a thin, non-twisted thread so that it does not twist during the process.
It is necessary to hem with a thread not in two layers, but in one, otherwise a rough puncture will be visible on the front side
. How to sew with a blind seam? Use the needle to grab only one thread at a time, then there will be no marks left on the front side. The photo shows how a hidden stitch is sewn.
A knitted dress can be hemmed by using a double stitch on a machine. First, the edge is processed using an overlocker, the excess is cut off, and a double seam is sewn from the face. There is a special needle that can make such a stitch. Or you can first lay one line, then, retreating 0.7-0.8 cm, lay another one. Before performing this operation on a dress, practice on a different material.
The hidden seam can be like in the photo. It is very convenient to hem the hem of a product made of dense material.
Processing without bending
The simplest way, which does not require the use of special techniques, is to process the edge with an overlocker. In some cases, such a stitch, for example, made with a contrasting thread, looks very attractive (Fig. 2).
Processing the cut with a zigzag seam or a roller overlock, which creates a neat scar, is also good for thin fabrics (Fig. 3). After processing, the protruding threads of the fabric must be trimmed. An even more beautiful seam is obtained if you lay a zigzag stitch at some distance from the edge, and then carefully cut off the excess material.
A beautiful and neat hem is obtained by using bias tape. For thin fabrics it is attached in the form of a border. To do this, the bias tape (it’s better to take a ready-made one) is folded in half and ironed, then the edge of the fabric is placed inside it and stitched (Fig. 4). The same method is well suited for processing internal seams of bulk material.
To hem dense material in this way, you will need a hem of about 0.5 cm. The fabric and binding are folded right sides together and stitched along the bottom edge. Then the binding is folded over to the wrong side, ironed and stitched along its upper edge (Fig. 5). This hemming method is well suited when the skirt is not long enough for a standard hem.
"Goat" for knitwear
For dresses made of knitwear, the goat stitch is the most comfortable seam.
How to make a hem step by step:
- Fold the hem and iron.
- Insert the needle into the fabric from the wrong side and secure the thread.
- Then hook one thread of the fabric on the right side.
- Above the seam allowance, make a small stitch from right to left. It is advisable to capture as little tissue as possible.
- Next, at the seam allowance itself, make a stitch from left to right, grabbing the fabric.
- You should get a seam that looks like the letter “X”.
In this way, go over the entire hem of the bottom. Make sure that the threads are not visible on the front side of the product. Try to grab only one or two threads of material. The goat is a reliable seam; the bottom of the product will never unravel, even after numerous washes.
Using adhesive tape
This method is one of the easiest; it can be used even when you have absolutely no knowledge of any sewing technique. The adhesive tape itself comes in different widths, so you can find it in the same size as you want the width of the hem to be.
Glue it on the wrong side, iron it on the side of the paper tape, moving about a centimeter away from the edge of the folded fabric. After this, you need to remove the protective film from the paper, bend the hem to the desired length and iron again.
The excess fabric must then be carefully cut off. The seam will not be visible.
If the dress material is heavy textile, you will need two inserts.
Advantages of the method:
- The tape is suitable for fixing the hems of skirts, trousers, and coats.
- In fact, it is convenient and quick, and you can easily secure any hem.
Flaws:
- Professionals do not recommend using this option for securing the hem, believing that it increases the rigidity of the fabric, which will affect the appearance of the finished product. Since the glue has the property of hardening.
- The web is printed onto the face of the skirt fabric.
- Low quality cobwebs quickly lose their stickiness after just a few washes.
We offer you a two-minute video on how to properly glue the tape:
There are options for finishing the hem of the dress with and without hems.
Little tricks for hemming knitted items
A knitted dress can stretch so that the hem becomes uneven, spoiling the entire appearance. You can fold it with a goat, but there is one surefire trick that will help you update your favorite dress.
- Take a needle thinner than the one on which the outfit was knitted. Pass through the loops of one row. It is very important.
View from the inside.
- Undo those rows that are above the knitting needle.
Wind the threads into a ball, hold them over the steam, and rewind them into a ball again. They will become even again. From these you can tie the bottom with any pattern or close the loops.
Materials and tools
Every woman should know how to hem pants by hand. To work you will need braid; sometimes they use cobwebs. It is more convenient to shorten pants using a sewing machine, but you can also do it by hand. To take measurements, you should prepare a measuring tape. The list of required tools includes:
- Sharp tailor's scissors.
- A set of needles with different eye diameters.
- A piece of laundry soap or chalk for marking fabric (you can also use a special marker).
- Iron (on ironing board).
- Wooden or metal ruler.
Before work, you can watch a video tutorial on how to shorten trousers of different styles. Under no circumstances should you use dull scissors for work, otherwise you may deform the fabric. If you suddenly don’t have a centimeter or ruler at hand, you can replace them with a tape measure.
You need to lay out the fabric for processing on an absolutely clean and perfectly flat surface. Before putting the material on the table, you need to thoroughly wipe it and remove all foreign objects. The tape used for ironing trousers should be of good quality.
To make the seams invisible, you should use threads of the same color as the fabric. Then the bottom of the trousers will look neat.
Expert advice
Useful advice from professionals will always come in handy:
Before processing the hem of the skirt, you need to let it hang on the hangers. If you are sewing a skirt cut on the bias, then even before you start cutting the fabric, you also need to take the shape and sag under the weight.
We take into account the overall width of the skirt; the larger it is, the narrower the hem. The narrowest skirt is the sun, single, as well as double, triple.
Hemming a wide skirt
You should not follow progress and fix the hem of the skirt with an adhesive pad, mesh or solid. This hem will not last longer than a couple of washes. Always sew the fabric, in any way possible.
The entire ensemble as a whole largely depends on how carefully your skirt is hemmed. Thickening along the edge or a suddenly bursting thread will not decorate anyone. But a high-quality hem always gives off top-class clothing. You just need to master the basic techniques, which is not difficult at all.
During sewing, you have to repeatedly adjust the bottom of the skirt. Let's learn some simple ways to straighten the hem of a skirt.
What to combine with
The noodle dress is a universal option for almost any occasion: be it a date, workdays or a holiday celebration. You just need to know a few rules that will make combining such an outfit with other clothes much easier.
In order not to make a mistake and choose a dress that will look good on your figure, follow these recommendations:
- A noodle dress made of fabric with added elastane is perfect for pregnant girls. This fabric has excellent stretch, is pleasant to the touch, and very soft;
- A long noodle dress below the knee is contraindicated for girls with short stature or disproportionately short legs. It visually “cuts” the leg just above the ankle, making it 4-5 centimeters shorter, which reduces height;
- A noodle dress with a slit at the back or side is perfect for a romantic date or photo shoot and will add a sexy, feminine feel to your look. For a winter outfit, the cut should not be more than 10-15 centimeters. Bare thighs will look out of place in winter weather;
- For girls of short or medium height, it is better to choose an outfit that is knee-length or slightly higher in order to balance the figure and make it more proportional;
- A short-sleeve noodle dress is suitable for autumn-spring or summer; it will look beautiful with heeled sandals, pumps or platform sandals;
- A dress with long sleeves is perfect for the winter period; it will look appropriate both at a business meeting and at a birthday party.
If you don’t have much time to choose an outfit, and the desire to conquer everyone with your sense of style is endless, you can draw inspiration from ready-made looks using a noodle dress as the main element:
- To create an office look, a noodle dress can be combined with jackets or blazers made of thick, textured fabrics. Pumps and mid-heeled sandals are perfect for this combination. Accessories include stud earrings or a watch on a wide strap;
- For a bold, unusual look, a noodle dress is combined with a leather jacket, flat boots, and massive jewelry in the form of chains or bracelets;
- For an autumn look, you can add a wide belt to match the dress or a contrasting one, high-heeled boots, a coat with a zipper or buttons. A shawl or scarf, originally tied around the neck, will look beautiful;
- For a winter look, you can add leg warmers or thick leggings to the dress if the dress is above the knee length. Leather gloves will be an original addition.
Using these simple rules, choosing a noodle dress and creating a wonderful look with it will not be difficult!
