If you've never hemmed a dress before, you might feel intimidated and unsure about where to start.
1.
Try on the dress to determine where you want the hem to be.
Don't wear heels or shoes that will tilt you forward so the hemline is uneven.
1.
Instead, stand up stand with your feet flat on the floor so you can see where the dress falls.
If you want to make the dress shorter, determine how much fabric you'd like to remove.
1.
– However, take them off when you begin to mark the hemline or it may be slanted.
2.
Turn the dress inside out and use fabric chalk to mark the hemline.
Take off the dress and turn it inside out before laying it flat on your work surface.
2.
Lay a ruler or measuring tape on the dress and make marks every 4 inches (10 cm) along the hemline.
2.
Then, lay a ruler across the marks to line them up and draw along the hemline.
3.
Draw another line 2 inches (5.1 cm) below the hemline.
3.
Use the chalk to make a parallel line below the hemline so you know where to actually cut the fabric.
3.
Once you've cut the fabric along this line, you'll fold it up so your hemline falls where you want.
4.
Cut the excess fabric from the bottom of the dress if you're shortening the dress.
4.
Once you know how much fabric to remove, use scissors to carefully cut along the lower line you marked.
4.
Discard the excess fabric or save the scraps for another sewing project.