Sewing Lessons & FAQ

[Smuterella]

I am feeling rather proud of myself - I have made a rather good if slightly wonky apron using the pattern KittyT sent over, and now have taken up two pairs of trousers using this wonderful tutorial!

http://www.planetjune.com/blog/how-to-take-up-trousers/

 

[ShrinkingViolet]

I'd say to try asking at your local sewing shop. (Assuming you have one, of course) Some in my area send them out to be sharpened, but even if yours doesn't, there are often people in such shops who do sew, and are willing to share their recommendations.

I did as you suggested and asked a lady in a fabric store. She didn't recommend sending them out for sharpening since it would cost as much as a new pair of shears AND I could risk getting them back ruined!

Her suggestion was to cut into very fine sand paper with the pinking shears and sharpen them that way. Either that or try to sharpen each little blade individually with sand paper. Has anyone heard of this before? I've heard of pin cushions stuffed with sand to keep needles sharp ...

 

[ShooShooBaby]

Her suggestion was to cut into very fine sand paper with the pinking shears and sharpen them that way. Either that or try to sharpen each little blade individually with sand paper. Has anyone heard of this before? I've heard of pin cushions stuffed with sand to keep needles sharp ...

i've heard from scrapbookers that cutting through foil sharpens the decorative-edge scissors they use. that or the sandpaper sounds like a good idea to me!

 

[Lady Day]

...and now have taken up two pairs of trousers using this wonderful tutorial!

http://www.planetjune.com/blog/how-to-take-up-trousers/

Congrads on the apron, wonky is a start

Um...this tutorial is on how to HEM trousers, and its a limited one as well. In that tutorial, you cut off the excess of the pant leg, so if you want to change and make them longer later down the road, you are out of luck

LD

 

[playbelle]

Congrads on the apron, wonky is a start

Um...this tutorial is on how to HEM trousers, and its a limited one as well. In that tutorial, you cut off the excess of the pant leg, so if you want to change and make them longer later down the road, you are out of luck

LD

I recently shortened a pair of trousers as advised in this tutorial. The tutorial is about taking in jeans and keeping the original hem, but it worked just as well for my purpose, which was to take in a pair of dress pants with cuffs, and doing it the lazy way - keeping the cuffs without having to redo them. And depending on how much you need to shorten the trousers, you can keep some extra length hidden in there if you think you might want to make them longer again later.

 

[Smuterella]

can someone explain the difference between taking up (shortening) and hemming? same thing innit?

and I wouldn't want to take them down unless my legs shrunk or grew, would I?

hmmm

confused....

 

[playbelle]

can someone explain the difference between taking up (shortening) and hemming? same thing innit?

and I wouldn't want to take them down unless my legs shrunk or grew, would I?

I have no idea! I guess hemming is just making a finished hem, whereas shortening is both making the hem and making the legs shorter? [huh]

As for letting the hem down again, could be needed if the trousers shrunk in the wash. Can't think of other reasons at the moment anyway.

 

[Miss 1929]

All the same thing

can someone explain the difference between taking up (shortening) and hemming? same thing innit?

and I wouldn't want to take them down unless my legs shrunk or grew, would I?

hmmm

confused....

I don't think you would have to let them down again unless:
a. they were made into capris or something and you kept the excess fabric in there in case you decided you wanted to let them down
b. you grew. Are you done growing? I grew three inces between the ages of 20 and 23. Go figure!

 

[Smuterella]

I don't think you would have to let them down again unless:
a. they were made into capris or something and you kept the excess fabric in there in case you decided you wanted to let them down
b. you grew. Are you done growing? I grew three inces between the ages of 20 and 23. Go figure!

no, these days I'm growing outwards rather than upwards

 

[Lady Day]

Here is how i see it:

Hemming is taking the excess fabric of whatever you are hemming (skirt, pant, cuff) and turning it inside to the appropriate length and stitching it in place.

Shortening (for lack of a better word) can be applied as a term to the same thing, but I would thing this term implies actually taking off that excess material (cutting) then turning the allowance under and stitching as needed.

So shortening could be seen as a more permanent solution than hemming.
But this is just my understanding.

LD

 

[Sunny]

Also, hemming is a regular step in completing a garment. Shortening is an alteration, necessary either because the pattern wasn't modified ahead of time, or the garment was already completed and must be re-fitted.

 

[Smuterella]

Also, hemming is a regular step in completing a garment. Shortening is an alteration, necessary either because the pattern wasn't modified ahead of time, or the garment was already completed and must be re-fitted.

ok, well in that case I think I used the term correctly

thanks

 

[olive bleu]

speaking of hemming... does anyone have any tried and true tips for hemming circle skirts? I have no problems with anything else, but there is just so much fabric to do on those, i find it very difficult to get it even. and nearly lose my mind everytime i make one

 

[mrswheats]

speaking of hemming... does anyone have any tried and true tips for hemming circle skirts? I have no problems with anything else, but there is just so much fabric to do on those, i find it very difficult to get it even. and nearly lose my mind everytime i make one

The best thing I've found is to run a gathering stitch around the edge, and as you pin the hem, you ease the excess fabric into the smaller circumference.
OR you can take my super-lazy approach, and make little folds that get stitched down into the underside of the hem

 

[olive bleu]

OR you can take my super-lazy approach, and make little folds that get stitched down into the underside of the hem

yeah, that is exactly what i end up doing as well.My dedication to neatness and perfectly finsihed seams/hems can vary depending on the project and my mood( and how much time i have till i have to wear the thing)lol . I wasn't sure if there is a "proper" method for this.

 

[lillielil]

speaking of hemming... does anyone have any tried and true tips for hemming circle skirts? I have no problems with anything else, but there is just so much fabric to do on those, i find it very difficult to get it even. and nearly lose my mind everytime i make one

My tried and true method is bias tape. I think I've given up on tidily hemming circle skirts.

 

[Babydoll]

speaking of hemming... does anyone have any tried and true tips for hemming circle skirts? I have no problems with anything else, but there is just so much fabric to do on those, i find it very difficult to get it even. and nearly lose my mind everytime i make one

I invested in a rolled hem foot for my sewing machine.

You feed the fabric in through the "funnel" (the curved shape) at the front of the foot, and it folds it over the fabric and stitches it before it comes out the other side of the foot. It works pretty well for me! (And I make A LOT of circle skirts!)

 

[Darhling]

^ I have a foot like that and never knew the purpose of it!!! Thank you so much!!

 

[Babydoll]

You are welcome! There are also video and written tutorials online of how to use it. Do a google search for "rolled hem foot sewing".

 

[Snookie]

I've got a rolled hem foot, but have never gotten the knack of it, so I do mine the hard way.

Olivebleu, the suggestion Swingtimegal made of running a gathering stitch is good, and then pin the hem in place, and steam the bottom before actually hemming it. Steaming it will set the gathers into place and make the hemming process MUCH less plainful. Unless you make it tiny (like using a rolled hem foot), don't try and fold the hem twice - finish the raw edge some other way. I've got an overlock, so that's what I do. Otherwise, hem tape is probably your best bet.