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Moderated by Deepika
Posted on: 10/28/18 2:19 PM ET
Okay...how the heck do you mark a hem on your own skirt?
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Paula
"In Seattle you haven't had enough coffee until you can thread a sewing machine while it's running."
- Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com founder
Visit my blog at www.sewconfused.blogspot.com
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/paulag1955/sewing-inspiration/
"In Seattle you haven't had enough coffee until you can thread a sewing machine while it's running."
- Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com founder
Visit my blog at www.sewconfused.blogspot.com
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/paulag1955/sewing-inspiration/
Posted on: 10/28/18 2:26 PM ET
In reply to Sew Confused
I guess-really. If it is a fairly straight skirt, I guess where I want the hem by pinning up the front. Then I measure from the waist down each seam the same amount and pin up the hem. I try it on. I might need to let some down in the front or the back to get if even (more likely the front since that is where I carry my weight). The more correct way is to measure from the floor up. Could your husband (I think you mentioned being married??? or significant other) do this for you? I go for "good enough" as no one is really going to pay attention. If it is a circle or full skirt, I just guess and hem it all the same as the fullness usually works to hide a little imperfection in hem length.
Posted on: 10/28/18 2:33 PM ET
In reply to Sew Confused
Adjust at the waist till the cross-grains are level at CF and CB. Figure how much of a hem you want to turn up, and turn it up evenly all the way around.
Posted on: 10/28/18 2:40 PM ET
In reply to Marie367
Yes, I have a husband, but I think marking a hem is beyond patience and skill. Especially since I already told him I'm not in love with the skirt. BUT I HAVE TO FINISH regardless of whether or not I'll ever wear it. I guess I'll wing it.
Related...back in the day my mother had a hem marking device. It was a ruler that stood upright on the floor with a clapper-type thingy. You sandwiched the skirt hem between the ruler and clapper and marked the hem. It was great, although with skirt lengths now, the thing would have to be about 2-1/2 feet tall. Or more. If I'm remembering correctly, my mom's was only about a foot tall.
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Related...back in the day my mother had a hem marking device. It was a ruler that stood upright on the floor with a clapper-type thingy. You sandwiched the skirt hem between the ruler and clapper and marked the hem. It was great, although with skirt lengths now, the thing would have to be about 2-1/2 feet tall. Or more. If I'm remembering correctly, my mom's was only about a foot tall.
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Paula
"In Seattle you haven't had enough coffee until you can thread a sewing machine while it's running."
- Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com founder
Visit my blog at www.sewconfused.blogspot.com
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/paulag1955/sewing-inspiration/
"In Seattle you haven't had enough coffee until you can thread a sewing machine while it's running."
- Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com founder
Visit my blog at www.sewconfused.blogspot.com
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/paulag1955/sewing-inspiration/
Posted on: 10/28/18 2:47 PM ET
In reply to kayl
It's the "turn it up evenly all the way around" part that has me stumped. Do you mean measure up from the bottom?
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Paula
"In Seattle you haven't had enough coffee until you can thread a sewing machine while it's running."
- Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com founder
Visit my blog at www.sewconfused.blogspot.com
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/paulag1955/sewing-inspiration/
"In Seattle you haven't had enough coffee until you can thread a sewing machine while it's running."
- Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com founder
Visit my blog at www.sewconfused.blogspot.com
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/paulag1955/sewing-inspiration/
Posted on: 10/28/18 2:51 PM ET
In reply to Sew Confused
Yup, those are still around. If you have a shorter skirt than what they accommodate, you can always put the gadget on a box or table of some sort.
https://www.amazon.com/Durable-skirt-marker-dsm-1-Marker/dp/B008A1884Q
https://goldstartool.com/Dritz-Pin-Type-Skirt-Marker.html
https://www.amazon.com/Durable-skirt-marker-dsm-1-Marker/dp/B008A1884Q
https://goldstartool.com/Dritz-Pin-Type-Skirt-Marker.html
Posted on: 10/28/18 2:52 PM ET
In reply to Sew Confused
Yes. Because you've adjusted at the waist so the horizontal balance lines are horizontal, the cut edge is now parallel with the floor. So if you want it 3" shorter than the cut edge is sitting now, you turn up 3", measured all the way around.
Posted on: 10/28/18 3:01 PM ET
In reply to kayl
Although the pin-type marker is marked as "vintage." Like me.
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Paula
"In Seattle you haven't had enough coffee until you can thread a sewing machine while it's running."
- Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com founder
Visit my blog at www.sewconfused.blogspot.com
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/paulag1955/sewing-inspiration/
"In Seattle you haven't had enough coffee until you can thread a sewing machine while it's running."
- Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com founder
Visit my blog at www.sewconfused.blogspot.com
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/paulag1955/sewing-inspiration/
Posted on: 10/28/18 3:02 PM ET
In reply to kayl
I'm confused. Why bother with adjusting it at the waist if I have to take it off to mark it?
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Paula
"In Seattle you haven't had enough coffee until you can thread a sewing machine while it's running."
- Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com founder
Visit my blog at www.sewconfused.blogspot.com
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/paulag1955/sewing-inspiration/
"In Seattle you haven't had enough coffee until you can thread a sewing machine while it's running."
- Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com founder
Visit my blog at www.sewconfused.blogspot.com
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/paulag1955/sewing-inspiration/
Posted on: 10/28/18 3:14 PM ET
In reply to Sew Confused
You adjust it at the waist so the hem hangs level when you try it on, and then you finish the waist, so the cut hem edge is level. You're not just pulling it up and down at the finished waist on your body.
Ever seen the little ladies at church with the skirt side seams that are swinging forward at the hem, even in a straight skirt? What's happened is that their buttocks have flattened over time, and a skirt that was designed to go over a nice round derriere now is drooping in center back. They've hemmed the skirt by cutting off more in the back than the front, and the skirt hangs funny. If, instead, they'd taken the waistband off, and brought the center back of the skirt up so the side seams were straight and the crossgrain across the butt was level, then reattached the waistband, the original hem would have been parallel to the floor, and shortening or lengthening the skirt would just be a matter of adjusting the amount of turnunder evenly all the way around the hemline.
Ever seen the little ladies at church with the skirt side seams that are swinging forward at the hem, even in a straight skirt? What's happened is that their buttocks have flattened over time, and a skirt that was designed to go over a nice round derriere now is drooping in center back. They've hemmed the skirt by cutting off more in the back than the front, and the skirt hangs funny. If, instead, they'd taken the waistband off, and brought the center back of the skirt up so the side seams were straight and the crossgrain across the butt was level, then reattached the waistband, the original hem would have been parallel to the floor, and shortening or lengthening the skirt would just be a matter of adjusting the amount of turnunder evenly all the way around the hemline.
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