How to Hem a Dress / Skirt: by Hand or with a Sewing Machine
Hemming a dress or a skirt is a beginner project in sewing, and will usually take a beginner about 30 minutes to 1.5 hours to complete. However, this does not apply to complex dresses like prom and wedding dresses, which is covered elsewhere. It is important to note that a hem must be done well for a dress to look good.
The cost is essentially nothing, except for some thread and a marker. How much will this save to do it yourself compared to paying a tailor? A typical tailor will charge $20 – $60 to hem a dress.
Hemming can be done either by hand or with a sewing machine, and this article will show you how to do both. You will also learn how to hem without sewing (using hemming tape), as well as how to use a coverstitch machine.
You will be completing this hem using a “blind stitch.”
NOTE: Fabrics that Cannot be Used for This Tutorial
You will not be able to hem stretchy fabric, such as a knitThe nice thing about knit fabrics is that they are usually softer and a bit more breathable than woven fabrics. Knit fabrics are more difficult to work with because they stretch and the edges curl. Beginner sewists, beware! How to tell if it's a knit? Grab the fabric in question and pull it gently from side to side, top to bottom, diagonally. Does it stretch easily in all directions? If so, it’s probably a knit fabric. If you can only get a bit of stretch diagonally, it’s probably a woven f... More because it needs a “catch stitch”, otherwise, the stitch will not stretch. Now, we cover this stich in the stitching section of this site, so you could still do this, as long as you used that stitch, however, a catch stitch is very slow to do by hand, which is why I usually use a sewing machine, serger or coverstitch machine to hem knits.
Also, you cannot hem lightweight materials such as silk, chiffon, and lace using this tutorial since they require another type of stitch called a “rolled hem.” Rolled hems can be made by hand or with a sewing machine.
(Can we still tell them how?)
Basically, any non–woven material should work, like cottons, polyester, and other non-stretchy, standard fabric.
For simplicity, only a plain hemline is being demonstrated here. This does not involve a more complex hem that includes a lining or a kick pleat.
Materials Needed:
- Chalk pencil, dressmaker’s chalk or water-soluble pen (for marking)
- Thread (color should match dress color so that it blends)
- Needle
- Tape measure/ruler
- Pins
- Scissors
- Thread
Preparing a Dress to Hem:
It is suggested that if you are hemming a dress that you have made that you let it hang for 24 hours to allow the fabric to relax, especially if the dress has a full skirt.
1. First, you need to determine the final length of the dress, based on your personal preference. If the dress is long, and you plan to wear it with heels, you may want to consider that as well.
2. Put on the dress without shoes, so you can get an even height all the way around. For the next step you will need a helper (unless you have a dress form). Place the end of a ruler on the floor and measure straight up on to the dress and mark the hem all the way around.
If you happen to own another dress or skirt and you like its length, you can just copy it. On this other dress, measure the distance from the waist to the bottom of the garment, and then copy that length on the dress you are hemming.
3. Remove the dress for the next steps.
4. Next, make a line below the first line. The distance between the two will vary between 1 ½ inches to 2 ½ inches. Again, you are using a woven fabric for this demo, so other materials like silk may not use this same distance. Also, the narrower the skirt or dress, the deeper the hem. For example, a pencil skirt will have a 2 ½ inch hem while a full skirt uses a 1 ½ inch hem.
5. After you have drawn this line, you are going to draw another line below the one you just made. This line should be about ¼ inch. This is called the turn-under. It’s purpose is to prevent the fabric from fraying.
6. Now that you have three lines, cut the dress at the lowest line, which is the turn-under line.
7. Beginning at the seam of the dress, fold up the hemline, which is the top line, to the inside of the dress and pin close to the fold. Continue folding and pinning along the hemline all the way across until you have finished.
8. Iron the hem so that it is even and lays flat.
8. Next, fold the turn-under inward (wrong side to wrong side), and pin all the way across.
9. Now your dress is ready to stitch, so skip to the section below depending if you are going to hand stitch or machine stitch. Remember, the thread color should be a color that closely matches the dress because you probably would not want a black thread on a white dress, unless you like that particular look.
Hand Versus Sewing Machine: Which One Should You Do?
A sewing machine can save maybe 30 minutes on a typical dress, but a hand hem is much nicer.looking. It’s also going to be a bit easier though to hem with a sewing machine.
How to Finish the Hem by Hand (No Sewing Machine is Used)
The basic stitch is a blind stitch.
1. Cut a piece of thread about the length from your fingertips to your elbow. You do not want it longer than this because it will tangle as you stitch. Do not worry about it being too short either since you are going to use multiple pieces of thread to complete the hem.
2. Thread your needle with a single strand of thread, pulling the thread about 2/3rds the way through. You may need to dampen your fingers and dampen the end of the thread to thread the needle.
3. Tie a knot in the thread at the end of the long piece. DETAILS. Hold the needle in your left hand, pressing against the eye so the thread won’t slip out. Take the other end of the thread and make a loop on your right index finger. Using your right thumb, roll the loop off your index finger and pull into a knot.
Another way to do a knot is to stitch twice in the same place, but do not pull the thread all the way through. As you make each stitch pass the needle through the loop before you pull the stitch tight, which tightens the knot down to the fabric.
4. Now let’s locate where the needle will go to start sewing the hem. Find either a side or back seam of the dress to start.
5. Also, if you are right handed, then it is easiest to sew from right-to-left, and if you are left-handed sew from left to right.
6. Your first stitch: Once you have located this spot on a seam, grab a couple threads of the seam fabric that’s on the inside of the dress, and pull the needle through it being careful not to push the needle out through the front of the dress. Then grab a couple threads of the turn-under, and pull the needle through that as well.
7. Pull the thread through until the knot catches on the seam.
8. Next stitch: ¼” – ½ inch from where your stitch is in the turn-under, put your needle into the dress taking only a couple threads and then take a couple threads of the turn-under immediately above this stitch and pull thread through.
9. Repeat all the way around:
10. If you run out of thread: Just before you run out of thread, you need to fasten it off. To do this you will make a couple stitches, one on top of the other on the turn-under part of the dress, and this is how.
- First, make a stitch, but do not pull it all the way through, so that you have a loop; put the needle through the loop and then pull tight.
- Repeat. This will secure the thread.
- Cut remainder of the thread off.
11. Put a new piece of thread into the needle; add the knot as you did the first time, and start a new stitch where you ended the last one. Then continue stitching around the dress.
12. Finishing your hem: When you reach the point where you first started the hem, fasten your thread off. To do this, see step #10.
NOTE: If by chance, the hem thread ever breaks someday, it can unravel completely, so to keep this from happening, especially in children’s clothes, you may want to knot the hem every 6” or so.
How to Finish the Hem with a Sewing Machine
The first way to hem with a machine is called a single turn hem.
1 .Turn up hem to the wrong side of dress.
2. Sew close to the edge with a straight stitch.
3. The next type of machine hem is a blind stitch.
4. Since the edge of the dress that you cut is raw, you first need to make a zigzag stitch with the sewing machine or a serger. This will prevent it from fraying.
5. Turn up the hem all the way around to the inside of the dress, and pin or baste as you go.
6. old the hem to the right side of dress leaving a little hem edge exposed at bottom. Pin but not too close to fold
7. On your sewing machine put on the blind hem foot and set the matching to use the blind hem stitch.
8. Sew the hem; the sewn line should be just below the finished edge. Unfold the hem, and then press the hem on the right side.
How to Finish the Hem with a Coverstitch
A coverstitch is a machine that is a dedicated hemming machine, which gives you a more professional, or store-bought look. It is similar to a serger except it does not have a cutting blade.
It is probably more valuable to you if you are doing a lot of hemming due to the fact that it is a faster way to finish a hem. Coverstitching is used mainly for hemming knits and stretchy fabrics.
To learn more about using a coverstitch, see our coverstitch tutorial.
Hemming Tape, or How to Hem a Dress Without Sewing or Cutting
This is a fusible tape that you can purchase HERE or at your local fabric store. The best use for using fusible tape is for temporary repairs or in an emergency.
Most require ironing and are semi-permanent, in that they can be difficult to remove later on, often times requiring nail polish remover. Some newer tapes do not require ironing, and are much easier to remove. We will discuss the iron-on type.
1. Please be sure to follow the package directions when using fusible tape. There are various kinds of tape.
2. Heat your iron to the temperature recommended on the package. Usually, heavier fabrics like denim will need higher heat. Some delicate fabrics are not iron-able, so hemming tape may not work in these cases.
3. Turn up the hem of your dress on the fold line and either pin or baste close to the fold line.
4. Note: Should the edge of the hem need to be finished, use either a zigzag stitch or a serger before the hem is turned up.
5. Cut a piece of fusible tape the length of the hem.
6. Insert the fusible hem tape between the hem edge and the wrong side of the dress; make sure the tape is just below the finished edge. Vertically pin in place.
7. Using a pressing cloth and a steam iron, press the edge of the hem to fuse the tape to the fabric. Let cool. Remove basting stitches and/or pins.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why & when to hem dress?
Hem a dress when you want it shorter than it is. Another case to hem a dress would be if you made your own dress.
To what length should I hem my dress?
For example, if the dress drags on the floor when you wear it, and you do not want it dragging. Otherwise, it’s really just a personal preference if you want a shorter dress.
How can I make a temporary hem for my dress?
Use the same process as for a regular hem, but use a basting stitch to hem it. When you want to remove it, this stitch will pull out easily. Hemming tape would also work, because it’s not permanent.