How to Shorten Clothing Items

There are many times we are shopping and find the perfect pair of pants or skirt, only to find it is too long. Here are some tips to help you shorten clothing items so they will be the right length for you.

There are three types of hem allowances. The first one is a straight hem. Next is flared, and lastly is tapered. Lay your garment flat and fold the edge up a couple of inches. If the width at the bottom edge is dqual to the width of the garment where it is lying, your hem allowance will lie flat and be straight. If the bottom edge is wider, your garment flares. If it is narrower, your garment tapers.

Once you have determined your hem is straight, you need to assess the weight of the fabric you will be working with. Heavy fabrics, such as denim, should be hemmed to minimize bulk. If it is a pair of jeans, there is probably a double turned hem. Fold the fabric up to the desired length and press with a hot iron. Trim the fabric to one half of an inch above the hem line. Now use a zigzag stitch, or other finishing stitch, to sew the raw edge.

If your hem is flared, you will need to gather the edge of the fabric slightly to make it fit. The best way to minimize this is to make the hem as narrow as possible. Since the gathers will add bulk, finish the raw edge with zigzag stitches. You can also use seam tape. This is especially useful if the fabric is bulky. Carefully pin the hem in place so the gathers will be at the appropriate places. This should help the hem lie flat. If you are using seam tape or lace, take a running stitch along the tape edge. If notuse the longest stitch setting on your machine and stitch along the fold. With a pin, pull a few of the stitches between the anchor pins to gather the edge. Now hemstitch to keep in place.

Tapered hems are the most difficult of the three to shorten. You will need to gather the garment to fit the hem. But, you don't want the gathers to show. Try to make the hem as narrow as possible and place your stitches a little farther apart to minimize the pinched look on the outside.

Being able to shorten garments will give you a much larger choice when it comes to purchasing clothing. Hopefully, these tips will help you shorten all the garments you find the need to.