Bottom hemming is one of the operations that even those who do not like to sew have to deal with. Of course, sewing curtains or fitting trousers by height can be entrusted to professionals, but almost every woman had to deal with the problem of a repulsed hem or the need to shorten too long skirt... It is not difficult to do this at all, and perhaps, having mastered these simple operations, you will love to sew on your own.

How to align the bottom?

When it comes about sewing curtains, most often the hem line is straight. If we are talking about a skirt, especially a flared one, then the bottom line is aligned directly on the figure, while the belt and fastener should fit well.

To carry out this operation, they stand on a flat surface in the shoes with which they are supposed to be worn this thing... At the same time, the assistant, using a vertical wooden ruler, one end of which is placed on the floor, marks the appropriate level with chalk along the entire circumference of the hem.

However, this operation can be done independently, if a rope, thickly rubbed with chalk, is fixed at the required height in the doorway (Fig. 1). To the marked line, you need to add an allowance for hem and seams, the width of which will depend on the method of processing the bottom.

How to mark the hemline of the skirt yourself

Hemless processing

The most in a simple way, which does not require the use of special techniques, is the overlock edge processing. In some cases, such a line, for example, made with a contrasting thread, looks very attractive (Fig. 2).

Processing the cut with a zigzag or roller overlock, in which a neat scar is formed, is also well suited for thin fabrics (Fig. 3). After processing, the protruding threads of the fabric must be cut off. An even more beautiful seam is obtained if the zigzag stitch is laid at some distance from the edge, and then carefully cut off the excess material.

A beautiful and neat hemming is obtained using a bias inlay. For thin fabrics, it is attached in the form of an edging. To do this, an oblique inlay (it is better to take a ready-made one) is folded in half and ironed, then the edge of the fabric is put inside it and overlaid (Fig. 4). The same method is well suited for processing the internal seams of bulk material.

To hem a dense material in this way, you need a hem of about 0.5 cm. The fabric and inlay are folded with the right sides and sewn along the bottom edge. Then the binding is folded back to seamy side, iron on and stitch along its upper edge (Fig. 5). This hemming method works well when the skirt is not long enough for a standard hem.

Hem overlapping

The standard hem of the skirt is 3-4 cm, for thin fabrics this value may be less. To make a neat fold line with a straight cut, it is convenient to use a sheet of paper with a horizontal line drawn at the required distance. Bend the edge of the hem by this distance and iron it - you will get a perfectly straight line, moreover, the hem will not be printed on the front side (Fig. 6).

In flared lines, the fold is much more difficult. To facilitate this operation, two parallel lines are laid along the bottom of the product (Fig. 7). Then the bottom line is picked up a little, the fabric is folded inside out along the line of the top line, pinned and smoothed.

The most simple method processing a folded edge, which even those who do not know how to sew can quickly cope with, is the use of adhesive tape. It is placed in the fold and treated with a hot iron (fig. 8). For heavy textiles, it is recommended to insert two of these tapes.


Professional dressmakers do not recommend using this method of fixing the hem, believing that it makes the fabric more rigid. In addition, the adhesive tape will most likely have to be re-glued after washing. At the time of our grandmothers, traditional seams were used for products made of costume and coat fabric - blindfold (Fig. 9) and a goat (Fig. 10), which are still made in expensive ateliers.

The beautiful execution of such a filing requires skill and a lot of time. In the professional manufacture of clothing, this operation is most often performed with a secret machine stitch. A simpler solution is to simply stitch off the double-folded hem (fig. 11), which works well for sportswear.

For narrow hemming, this stitch can be sewn using the special hemming foot. For fine fabrics and for flared models more suitable option the edge is processed with an overlock, and then its topstitching is 0.2 cm above the ironed fold line (Fig. 12). To prevent the top edge from drooping, two parallel stitches can be made with a wide hem.

One of the most beautiful, albeit difficult ways filing of thin materials is the so-called Moscow seam. Its width is about 3 mm, while on the seamy side there are 2 lines, and on the front side - one. They are performed in the following sequence (Fig. 13):

1. Leaving an allowance of 1 cm during cutting, make a fold of no more than 4 mm, iron out and sew the fold as close to the edge as possible.
2. Carefully cut the fabric from edge to line, leaving more than 1 mm.
3. Once again, turn the hem to the wrong side so that the line is approximately in the middle, and iron it.
4. Sew the hem from the wrong side as close as possible to the first line. Experienced craftswomen make the first stitching with a contrasting thread, and then remove it to get one seam from the face and from the inside.

Regardless of the style and composition of the product, you can shorten the dress in a short time without experience and special equipment. The tips below are especially useful if you are suddenly invited to a party or other event and your favorite dress seems old-fashioned. Thanks to our recommendations, you can change your outfit in just 15 minutes, emphasizing the dignity of your figure.

Fittings and instruments

To work you will need:

• threads to match the fabric;
• tape measure;
• crayon, remnant or special water-soluble pencil;
• ruler;
• pins;
• scissors;
• sewing needles for handmade;
• sewing machine and overlock (if possible).

Tape dress

This method is suitable for outfits from a costume or other thick fabric straight cut. The tape will give the cut a tight, straight edge. Mark the desired length and secure the hem with a pin. Mark with crayons or remnants, draw a fold line. Do not forget about the allowance. In this case, it is in the order of 1 cm. Sew the trouser tape along the top edge on the front side of the dress. Then fold and slide wet heat treatment seam. Secure the hem with a straight machine stitch on the wrong side or right side. Similarly, you can process the bottom of the dress with a bias tape if the fabric is thin.

Jersey dress

If your outfit is a floor-length dress, then the bottom of the product can be processed in two ways: the first - with an overlock stitch, the second - with an overlock stitch. In the first version, the seam is performed by a special machine, which is not available in every atelier. But it can also be done at home, spending a little more time.

Cover seam

Measure the length of the product, leaving 2.5 cm for the allowance. Overlock the cut, hem along the marked line, and sew the first stitch on the wrong side 1 cm from the edge of the garment. The second line must be sewn to the width of the foot (0.5–0.7 cm) from the first line. When finished, iron the garment using the steaming function.

Overlock stitching

Everything is very simple here. Measure the length of the garment by adding 0.5 cm. Cut the excess fabric along the marked line and sew a medium-width overlock stitch.

Dress for the occasion

The bottom section of the dress can be trimmed with lace. This method is relevant for smart products or clothes, where decoration is already present. Measure the length and cut off the excess fabric along the marked line. There are two ways to sew lace:

• First, overcast the right side and topstitch the lace.
• Second: attach the lace to the fabric “face to face” and sew 0.5–1 cm. Overcast along the lace, iron the seam. Place the finishing stitch on the front of the dress by 0.1–0.2 cm.

Dress with pleated skirt

It so happens that it is necessary to shorten a dress, the bottom of which is embroidered with stones, decorated with lace, embroidery, or is a complex technological process. In such situations, the shortening occurs at the expense of the waist. Step-by-step instruction:

1. Determine the length.
2. Rip off the skirt.
3. Measure your old waist.
4. Mark out with the seam allowance.
5. Trim off excess fabric.
6. Measure the circumference of your skirt around your waist.
7. Subtract the smaller one from the larger indicator.
8. Divide the final number by 2.
9. The result is the number of centimeters you need to remove at the side seams.
10. Level the seams and sew the skirt to the top of the dress.
11. Overcast the seam and do the WTO.

Universal way

Most common the method is hem and straight machine stitch. For this:

• depart from the intended length 1.5–2 cm;
• cut the fabric;
• overcast;
• fold the edge to the marked line and sew a straight stitch on the right side of the product by 1–1.5 cm.

Impromptu method

If you do not have the skills of sewing and cutting, and you do not have a sewing machine, then use this method. Determine the length of the dress as above. Leave an allowance of 2.5 cm from the marked line. Double hem, iron or baste the seam. Take a needle and sewing thread of the desired color, then secure the fabric with blind stitches. The hidden seam is sewn neatly by prying the upper threads of the two pieces of fabric with the needle. The stitches must be made oblique, small in size and at the same distance.

Remember: it is very important to visually imagine the whole process (sequence of actions), and then get down to work. Thus, you can avoid mistakes and shorten the dress correctly.

The female half of humanity is always worried about whether their dress is short enough to show beautiful legs and whether it is long enough not to show figure flaws and not look vulgar. And although girls have more than a dozen skirts in their wardrobe, this does not stop them from changing the lengths of existing clothes.

How do you shorten a dress to make it look sexy without being vulgar?

In order to shorten the dress, you will need a sewing kit, a sewing machine, a crayon or bar of soap, and a helper.

To get started, put on the dress that you want to shorten, stand up straight and ask someone to help you mark the dress as needed. Mark with a small piece of soap or a piece of soap the length you would like to get the result. Have a helper do this to keep you straightened like a reed. After that, ask your assistant to pin the dress to a new level so that the excess dress is inside. And again, see if this length suits you. If the dress is narrow cut, then outline new length it is quite simple and when sewing a new length, it is absolutely not necessary to cut off excess fabric. It is enough to sew them well inside. This is useful in case the new length seems too short to you.

If your dress has a flared silhouette, then the excess fabric will still have to be trimmed, but you can bend the fabric, taking into account if you have to redo and lengthen it.

Correct formation of marks, by which you will create a new dress length

The chalk mark is not the final length for which the dress should be shortened. From this mark, you need to measure about another five centimeters for hemming the fabric and processing the seam. And if you keep the entire length, then the chalk mark just shows the place where the fabric will bend and go to the wrong part of the garment.

If you have a dress of a regular style, with a curly hem, then deciding to shorten it, you need to mark each height difference and reduce it equally, then mark all trim lines, taking into account the margin for hem, and only then trim the dress.

You can outline the length you like with the help of special weaving pins or needles, or it is even better to walk around the room with the marked length and understand whether it is comfortable for you when walking.

How to shorten a dress - what is important to remember?

Of course, when shortening a dress, you need to understand that each length corresponds to a specific place and time. If you shorten an office skirt to a mini version, you need to understand that after that you will no longer be able to go to work in it, and if you trim a maxi skirt, then it may acquire an incomprehensible gaudy length. Elegant black Italian-length dresses look cheap and dull when made shorter.

Therefore, choosing and changing the length of the product, as never before, the rule is that it is better to first measure it a hundred times, and then cut it off once.

And yet, if you decide to shorten the dress, pay attention to what color it is. A too short red dress or a dress with a leopard print looks vulgar. Like others paying too bright colors... You can shorten dresses, showing others your beautiful legs, but at the same time you need to maintain a sense of proportion and not overdo it, trying to make a fashionable outfit.

And of course, it's important to choose the right accessories and shoes to match your updated outfit. The length of the dress changes the mood and style, so classic pumps and pearl earrings may no longer fit if you decide to shorten the dress by twenty centimeters. So before trimming, think twice about the end result and how it fits together.

The hem on T-shirts, dresses, pullovers bought in the store is made on a sewing machine. You can buy such a household assistant, but not everyone can afford it.

In one of the master classes, we talked about. Today you will learn how to correctly hem the hem in knitwear without the help of a sewing machine.

The hem of the bottom and sleeves on knitwear can be hemmed, on sewing machine or overlock.

On the overlocker, this can be done using the special blindstitch foot. For details, see the video tutorial "".

A blind seam made on a typewriter or overlock will practically not be noticeable on voluminous, embossed knitwear and printed fabrics.

But if you want, on the contrary, to make the hem seam noticeable, you can highlight it with a double or triple decorative stitch. Moreover, it is fast, beautiful and reliable, since the stitching turns out to be strong. The optimal stitch width for such a hem is 2.5 mm.

Manual blind stitch

Overlock the bottom of the garment and sleeves.

Fold the hem allowance to the wrong side and iron. Hem with a cross stitch "goat". To do this, grab one or two threads of the fabric with the needle from above and below from the cut of the allowance (edge ​​of the overlock stitch). Be careful not to run the stitches to the right side of the fabric. The distance between the grips should be no more than 1 cm. Before finishing the stitching and securing the thread, slightly stretch the fabric.

The “goat” finishing seam is most often hemmed with an allowance for hemming the bottom of products made of thin, delicate, silk and elastic fabrics.

Machine blind seam

Unscrew the hem allowance on the right side so that the seam allowance protrudes 0.7 cm from the wrong side. Set the blind stitch on the sewing machine and adjust the stitch width so that the needle only slightly grips the fabric at the fold. Try on a shred.

Then sew over the overhanging hem allowance. The optimum stitch length is 1 mm.

Finishing stitch or seam with a twin needle

Overlock the bottom of the garment and sleeves. Fold the hem allowance to the wrong side and iron.

Stitch with a double or even triple needle. The use of these needles maintains the elasticity of the finished seam.

If you are sewing from heavy or low stretch jersey, you can sew one to two or three parallel straight stitches with one needle.

The raw cut should be cut close to the seam from the wrong side.

• On jerseys the hem is ironed by raising and lowering the iron to prevent stretching of the fabric.
• If the stitching is bumpy or uneven, adjust the thread tension and release the pressure of the presser foot against the fabric.
• To the needle with front side fell exactly on the edge of the seam allowance, lay a basting stitch along it with contrasting threads.

There are often times when women are worried about the issue of too long a dress. Perhaps, when buying a little thing, they took it without careful measurement, or the model eventually lost its originality and style, but it is somehow expensive and I don't want to throw it away. There are several ways to resolve the issue of how to shorten the dress.

When shortening the dress, you need to determine the new length of the product so that it retains its originality, a new zest appears, but at the same time everything does not look vulgar. When altering clothes, you need to remember the simplest rule: everything should be thought out well, calculated and only then done.

Long dress, shortening

When removing the length, it is important not to do stupid things with the chosen model, for example, by cutting off a maxi skirt and calculating the length incorrectly, clothes can be turned into a tasteless thing. WITH evening dress there is a risk to say goodbye: it can lose its elegance and charm. To correctly determine how from long dress to make a short one, it will be useful to learn a few professional secrets that fashion designers use in their work.

When shortening clothes, it is recommended to pay attention first of all to the material from which the product is made. If the event for which the dress is being prepared has a special meaning, for example, it is a wedding or prom, then you need to work especially carefully. When shortening an outfit, you can easily ruin the excellent work of a professional, which, due to the length, did not fit a little in size.

• The tool you need to work.

To properly shorten the dress, you need some tool and certain skills to own it.

1. The right number of threads of the appropriate tone.
2. Devices for marking the surface of the fabric: pencils with water-soluble properties, crayon or remnant of a light tone.
3. A set of pins and special needles, it is better to use small ones.
4. Scissors (this tool must have a high quality blade sharpening).
5. A sewing machine and, if possible, an overlock device.
6. Sewing needles that are useful for manual work.
7. A special device-eye, which will help to quickly thread the thread into the needle.

And, of course, knowledge and mastery of sewing techniques are required. If a woman has not been involved in such work up to this point, it is difficult to count on a high quality of work in advance. The experience of such work can be gained when repairing household items that are not scary to ruin, but at the same time the necessary skills will appear, and the sewing technique will develop.

Shortening jerseys

To shorten a knitted dress, you can use two of the most popular methods:

• Cut the product at the seams.
• Turn up the stitching.

How to shorten a dress - video

The first method will require not only skills, but also a special device that is not always available in the studio. Its absence is not a reason for abandoning what was conceived, all the work can be done manually, spending a little more time.

After the completion of the operation, the seam area is smoothed with a steam iron.

Working with an overlock is much easier:

1. The product is measured and a margin of 0.5 cm is left from the edge.
2. Surplus material is cut along the designated boundaries.
3. The line is executed using an overlock.

Shortening knitwear

Difficulty of shortening knitted products is that the work requires special attention, since it is easy to ruin a thing if you do not know the knitting technique. To shorten knitted dress, you can apply one of several methods.

How to shorten a knitted thing - video

Along with shortening the dress along the length of the hem, you can also shorten the sleeves. The principle of operation is preserved, but at the same time the execution time is reduced.

When shaping the length of the dress, it is important not to cut the fabric immediately along the line, but to use a minimum margin of about five centimeters, this will provide the necessary distance for the formation of fixing seams.

Cropped dress model. What is the outfit worn with?

Why are women so eager to use dresses for everyday wear, which, by their type, belong to fashion designers as mini-outfits? First of all, of course, these products are able to show in a favorable light the graceful lines of the hips and legs.

Cropped dresses - what to wear and what accessories to use in addition? Stylists and fashion designers will answer these questions, since it is they who are engaged in shaping the image of a woman.

• Stylists offer as a supplement to short dress use a cropped model of a jacket, it will help visually enhance the correction of a woman's figure. Cropped jackets emphasize the girl's fragility and slimness of the body.
• With the choice of shoes, everything is also easy: almost any type of shoes that matches the model in color and other parameters can be combined with a dress.
• With the onset of cold weather, many women of fashion are worried that their favorite outfit will have to be put off for a while in the wardrobe. This is a completely unfounded concern: cropped dresses look elegant and beautiful with low, tight-fitting boots.
• Many of the women unfairly believe that shoes for such an outfit should have high heel... It is not always correct solution: small stature combined with huge heels will break the harmony.

Choice of makeup, accessories and jewelry

Correctly selected cosmetics are aimed at completing the image of a woman. V this case- taking into account the fact that cropped models reveal more areas of the female body.

It is important not to use tones that can provoke conclusions about a vulgar taste. When adding shadows, blush and powder, it is important not to overdo it: with enough skillful movements, mark the desired areas of the skin of the face and neck.

There are no restrictions regarding hairstyles for such clothing models. Styled hair, loose or short options hairstyles.

Accessories that are used to complement the look should not hurt the eye. If it is a belt, it should not be too wide and contrasting in color. Handbags should not be too bulky, purses with snaps made of various materials are best suited.

As jewelry, you can use several jewelry at the same time, but they should not be very large. Suitable, for example, earrings, rings and a brooch from the same collection or a separate jewelry made of gold with the addition of stones.

When choosing lingerie, every woman must decide for herself which color range and she will choose the model, the main thing is to remember that excesses or minimization are not always welcome.

When shortening a dress, it is imperative to take into account not only your tastes and preferences, but also those factors that nature has endowed: the growth and complexion of the body. If you picked up a thing in the store, but decided to shorten it at home, then think about how profitable this solution is. The most important thing is to know when to stop in everything and try to make your outfit more beautiful in all respects.