Thursday, January 28, 2010

Hemming a Circle Skirt, Part Two



Here's the second part of this video tutorial on narrow-hemming a circle skirt! There are several ways to do this; this is the one that worked best for me. Another method is to use a narrow hemmer foot on your machine (check out this article for more info). Many people get great results from it, but I've definitely yet to master it! So this is a nice alternative that gives you greater control and is super easy.

Let me know if you have any questions!

35 comments:

  1. Hi, Gertie!
    Just a suggestion: the hemming technique you just demonstrated is called a baby hem, perhaps it would be a good idea to let the other readers know that so they can use it for further reference.

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  2. Hey coffeeaddict! In my research, I saw this hem referred to as a narrow hem, a baby hem, AND a machine-rolled hem. I think it's one of those techniques that has several different names.

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  3. Hey Gertie! My first comment after lurking for a while (and finally subscribing a couple days ago)...

    Thanks for the tutorial! The close-ups were very helpful.

    Maybe next you could do a how-to for the portrait blouse? Pretty please??? I can't find that pattern anywhere (even with the assistance of google alerts) and am so in love with it!

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  4. This was such an awesome tutorial. I learned so much. This will make my hemming so much easier. I can't thank you enough. You are wonderful!

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  5. thank you so much, gertie. this was really helpful.

    henry is adorabe.

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  6. Hee hee, you're so much fun! I just learned the technique not too long ago. It was fun to watch your tutorial!

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  7. Susan Khalje uses a similar method, only she does one more turn and one more line of stitching. She says this gives it a little more weight and thus, it swirls better. The dress on the cover of her book 'Linen and Cotton' is done that way. Love your blog.

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  8. Hi, Gertie!
    I'm becoming a true fan of your blog. I love your tutorials. Thanks for sharing.

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  9. I've always shyed away from circle skirts as I knew the hemming was tricky but this tutorial has made it all come clear! Thank you very much indded Gertie!

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  10. Thank you for the tutorial, Gertie! I'm actually in the middle of making Vogue 1102, which has a circle skirt, so I predict these vlogs will come in handy!

    Katie Roundy - Colette patterns has the Sencha Blouse pattern, which looks like it could easily be adapted to look like the portrait blouse!

    http://www.colettepatterns.com/shop/sencha

    Garnet

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  11. Thanks for this tutorial. I am currently working on the the full gathered skirt you have in your archives for my daughter and I. Any suggestions for when you do have a deep hem to ease?

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  12. Hi Lorrie! You don't need to worry about easing in fullness with the gathered skirt. Since the pattern pieces are just rectanges, they're easy-peasy to hem. They don't have the tricky curved hem of a circle skirt.

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  13. Great tutorial! The close-up slides make a huge difference in getting all the details! Thanks a lot! Can't wait to make a full circle skirt now!

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  14. thank you for making the videos.

    this technique looks much better than my circle skirt hemming has been. I look forward to trying it on some spring skirts i have cut out.

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  15. You legend, I'm making a dress that's been adapted to have a circle skirt AS WE SPEAK. You're brilliant!

    Oh and I wanted to ask about if you mind terribly if I used one of your images in a blog entry about you? I want to explain the people on my blogroll and spread the good word ;) :) obv. hosted on my webby, naturally.

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  16. Very nice...like how you incorporated the still photos this time. A little more time consuming but allows your viewers to see the close ups. I see you are squanched for space...I know what that is like living in a rather small house. It took my daughter getting her own apartment for me to finally have a spot to set my machines up. Needless to say they get put away when she comes home to visit. Great Job...love Henry <3

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  17. I wear lots of circle skirts, and so do all my daughters (or at least that is what their dresses have on them)...

    and I actually have an easier way to do circle hems...

    I use bias tape - single fold.

    Iron it out on 1 side - sew right side of iron out edge to right side of skirt.

    Trim edges. Press towards the edge. Turn, iron, and sew - either by hand or by machine.

    A perfect circle hem every time - with the perfect weight.

    It also works well with lace hem tape for light weight materials.

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  18. Thank you so much for these two videos ! It's really helpful !
    I discovered your blog about a month ago, and I've learned a lot throughout your blog. Thanks !

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  19. Gertie, you are a rock start! :)

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  20. Gertie, can you recommend a good source for that Swedish tracing paper? Great video, btw.

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  21. Hi Peter! I buy my Swedish tracing paper online at Birch Street Clothing Company.

    http://www.birchstreetclothing.com/group.php?itemID=9036&colID=28

    The shipping is pricey - I sooo wish I could find a local source. I thought we were supposed to have everything in New York!?

    Len, link away! And of course, feel free to use any images.

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  22. Just recently found your blog. Love your tutorials! Thank you!!

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  23. Great videos! For beginner sewers, just remember that if you are REALLY picky about the length, to mark it about 1/4" longer, because that will be folded up, when you make the second and final fold.

    I have one of those machine hem roller feet, and it's very difficult to start on a complete circle, so your technique (and the bias tape technique mentioned in one of the comments) are excellent solutions.

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  24. Another great tutorial, Gertie! The slides worked quite well.

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  25. Your vlogs are fabulous! Just watched all five of them for this dress and I'm much less scared of tissue fitting (and hemming full skirts) now!

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  26. Thank you soooo much for the tutorial. I've been struggling trying to figure out the best way to do this on my first circle skirt and every other tutorial I've found so far had told me I needed a special foot or a serger or this and that to do this. Thank goodness for you! Now I'm off to go and give it a go. Thanks again. :)

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  27. Great tutorial. I would leave a circle skirt to drop longer than a day - even as long as a week if you have the patience as some fabrics drop more slowly than others. :) Also for people with large bottoms or hips, they need to put a dress or skirt on and get someone else to mark it as this changes the length, but I think your mark on the wall hem marking is really clever! :)

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  28. April here: I have jusst discovered your blog- LOVE it! My mom is teaching me how to sew and I have to say that hand sewing is not my fav! I made a dress (thankyou mom) this last weekend and I have been doing a terrible job stiching it so far. After your blog today-7-5-11 I got to thinking that I don't need to hand sew. It is not a circle skirt, more like an A-line. Would this technique work for me?
    Thankyou!

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  29. Just wanted to thank you for this wonderful tutorial! It helped me transform a dowdy 2-dollar flea market find into my dream skirt. Yay! :)

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  30. Wow! That made hemming my skirt really easy. It still took a while, but that's because there's so much skirt. Butterick 4790.

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  31. Thanks for this video -- if you don't have a dress form (or one that is adjusted to your size!) could you lay the skirt out on the ironing board and mark the hem?

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  32. Thank you so much for this wonderful tutorial!

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  33. Thank you so much for this, I was so proud of myself for getting all the way through my pattern for my circle skirt without any help (sewed my first zipper and everything!) until I got to the hem. I sat there staring at the skirt ready to call my mom, and then I searched your blog! Thanks for coming through for me again. -Tara

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  34. Thank you so much! I just made it nearly the entire way through a circle skirt pattern all on my own (sewed my first zipper and everything!) until I got to the hem...it was so daunting I nearly gave it up for another month or so. I'm probably the biggest procrastinator around so thank goodness I thought to search your blog. Off to go finish a project! Wooh, it feels so nice to type that. hahaha

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Thanks for your comments; I read each and every one! xo Gertie

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