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Member since 12/23/08
Posts: 1
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Posted on: 12/27/08 9:29 PM ET
Hello,

I am working on a skirt project using some lovely silk rayon velvet. Don't ask me what possessed me, but it's an 8 gored skirt pattern. Yes, I know; way too many seams for this fabric! But, actually, it's gone pretty smoothly.. up 'til now. I am ready to hem it, and I haven't a clue how to do this well. I don't have a serger, so I elected to capture the raw edge of the skirt with a bias tape. That went more or less o.k., but when I began to hem it by hand with a catch stitch, it rippled and looked just horrid - so I stopped! I'm not sure what else to try that won't damage the velvet. I was starting to think of perhaps buying a trim of some sort that I could sew on to the bias tape; I'm desperate! Any advice?
  
Member since 6/26/08
Posts: 857
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Posted on: 12/28/08 5:45 PM ET
I hope you are not in a hurry if you decide to try this method. I know it can be disappointing to be so near finished with a garment and then not to be able to just "quickly" hem it up.

These instructions are from Roberta Carr's book Couture, the fine art of sewing, and go like this.

With silk thread, thread trace the hem line, so it is visible on RS and WS.

Cut bias strips of interfacing the width of the hem plus 1.25 inch.

place interfacing on wrong side of garment with 5/8 extending past foldline (the remaining width is above the foldline)

From Right side pin in interfacing ...but with velvet you should use silk pins or fine needles to prevent pin marks.

From the wrong side slip stitch interfacing to fold line.

Turn up hem, then again pin in place from the right side. (over your hand)

From the wrong side, turn the edge of the interfacing back over the hem edge and float stitch the interfacing to the garment about 1/2 from the interfacing edge. (So that the stitches are between the fabric and the interfacing about 1/2 away from the top edge of the interfacing) I use fine silk thread for this, picking up just one thread of the garment with each stitch to insure it is invisible from the right side. Remove pins.

Fold hem along traced hem line, Sandwich the hem between layers of a heavy press cloth, lightly press hem in place.

Steam shrink hem edge if needed (if you see ripples), or put in a couple rows of machine ease to gather in fullness.

When hem edge lies flat, Finish the hem edge (sounds like you have already done this) then,

Pin hem in place, again from the right side, (I hope you have silk pins or use fine needles)

On wrong side turn back hem edge 1/4 to 1/2 inch and float stitch hem allowance to the interfacing. Again, I use fine silk thread for this. The instructions suggest passing the needle through a loop of thread on every third stitch as if to tie it off, to prevent hem from pulling out.

My advice is do not be in a hurry, and I bet you will have a lovely hem when finished, if you decide to do it this way.

  
Member since 12/13/08
Posts: 24921
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Posted on: 12/28/08 7:21 PM ET
The Jan. 2009 issue of "Threads" has a feature on working with velvet, including hemming advice.

I will say, though, that the puckering/rippling should clear up when you steam press (as Cathy noted).
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~Elizabeth in the prairie
More Plans than Sense
PR's Most Relentless Babbler 2024
  
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