How To Hem a Bubble Dress

Let me show you how easy it is to hem a bubble dress. Here is a strapless gown that a customer brought in earlier this week: Sometimes, if the dress isn’t overly long, I can just tack the dress up at random spots and stitch a bar tack in to hold up the hem. Most…

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Hemming With Twin Needles

Have you ever sewn with twin needles? They are awesome! Schmetz makes several different kinds. This is one of them: You can find them at Joann Fabrics. Schmetz makes twin needles where the needles are different widths apart, which is really nice. Do you see the numbers at the bottom of the package of twin…

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Hem…Using the Inseam Measurement

Several of my customers leave their pants to be hemmed on my porch without ever coming inside. It’s because I hem their pants using their inseam measurement. The inseam is the seam on the inner leg that runs from the crotch area to the hem edge of the pants. Once I know what their inseam measurement is,…

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How To Mark Your Hems..Another Method

As I mentioned in How To Mark Your Pants For Hemming…One Method,  there are many ways to mark a hem. Besides the method I showed you in that post, I have tried using several measuring devices, including a yardstick. None of them worked super well for me. They all had their issues. But many thanks to Christy, a…

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How To Mark Your Pants For Hemming…One Method

There are several ways to mark a pair of pants in order to hem them. I have used the same method for years. It is so easy that your kids, husband, neighbor, or friend could do it easily. And so can you! First, I make sure the customer has on a pair of shoes that…

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Taking in the Waist and Center Back on Denim Pants and Skirts

One of the more common alterations I do is taking in the waist and center back on pants, jeans and skirts. Most people try and solve this problem by just making a dart or two in the back of the pants. That doesn’t work too well if your pants or skirt is made of thick fabric…

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How To Sew a Partial Hem

There are many instances where you may need to sew just part of a hem. Maybe you have a skirt that is uneven, too long in the front or back, or maybe you have pants with the same problem. Many times, when I get a bridal gown to alter, the bride likes the train length…

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How to Hem Lining on Pants (or Skirts)

We’ve covered so many ways to hem pants so far. If you’ve missed those, click on “Alterations” right here, or above, and it will lead you to all the posts I’ve written on hemming. But, for now, lets look at how to hem lining on pants or skirts. It’s very simple. Don’t be intimidated. First,…

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Hem With a Vent (or Slit)…Technique #2

The last post was on how to hem a pair of pants with a vent or slit in the side. This post will give you instructions on how to do a vent another way. This technique can be used with skirts that have vents on the side or center back seam. Here’s what this pair…

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Hemming Pants With a Vent (or Slit) in Them

Once in awhile,  you’ll buy a pair of pants that have a vent (or notch) in the hem like these: The vent is a slit that is located on the side seam of the pants at the hem. You may want to hem those pants up, but you don’t know how to replicate that vent. It…

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