How to Make a Dress Shorter: Useful Methods and Tips

Sometimes you have to buy a dress that is a little longer than it should be. At such moments, a logical question arises, how to make a dress shorter? More about this you can find in this article.

Tools for shortening a dress

Before proceeding with the study of the question of how to make a dress shorter, you should prepare the tools and materials that are required for shortening a dress.

A list of tools

• threads in spools. They should match the shade of the dress, as well as the type of material. If you plan to work with a chiffon dress, it is better to stay on satin synthetic threads;
• sewing machine and sharp scissors;
• ruler, tape measure, and square;
• chalk for working with fabrics;
• pins that have a head. They need to be fixed at the bottom;
• needles;
• hem tape with an adhesive layer. However, hem tape is not always required.

How to shorten your dress from different fabrics

After everything is selected, you can get to work. However, the principle of operation may vary, based on the fabric used.

How to make a dress shorter: length determination

You need to decide on the length. First, put on the dress, and mark the desired length. It is better to immediately pin the edge with a safety pin so that in the future it is more convenient to work.

Practical task

Remove the dress and fold over the marked area. Fasten it around the entire perimeter of the hem of the dress. Try on the dress a few more times to accurately determine the desired length. Remove and mark the line with chalk. It should go a few inches lower than the desired length of the dress. After all, you need a margin for a hem.

Such work is recommended to be carried out, regardless of the material used. It remains at the end only to cut the fabric along the line that was marked.

How to handle a slice if you want to shorten a dress

If you plan to make a dress shorter, it is quite important to pay attention to the material. More on this, you can read later.

How to make a dress shorter with light natural fabrics

There are much easier to work with light fabrics. If the dress is made of linen, cotton, or other similar materials, then it is not difficult to process the cut. After the cut, a line is made on a sewing machine, and an overlock is processed.

Shorten a dress with dense fabrics

If you plan to work with dense fabrics, then it is appropriate to make a braid along the bottom edge. All work is recommended to be carried out from the front side. Next, you need to slightly bend the hem, and walk along the surface with an iron. For the safety and preservation of the fabric, work the iron through a thin cloth or gauze.

A straight stitch is used to reinforce the bottom. If you do not want to do such work, you can skip this step.

Make a dress shorter of knitted and silk fabrics

If the work is planned with a knitted dress, its lower part must be finished with a special method. This prevents longitudinal stretching of the stitch. It is better to work with an overlock or a flat seam. Overlock processing is quite simple. However, for this, it should be prepared. First, the dress is cut 0.5 inches lower than the desired mark.

For knitwear, a medium-width joint is recommended. If the dress is made of chiffon or silk, it is better to make a narrow line. In this case, the joints should be frequent. The cover stitch should be made with an extra hem of a few inches. From below, you need to make a stitch with an overlock. After that, along the line that is marked, a hem is performed.

A second seam is also made from the inside, which moves away from the edge of the dress by 0.5 inches. After that, it is recommended to indent the width of the foot from the top edge and sew the second seam. Then it remains only to gently iron everything. You can also use a steamer.

How to make a dress shorter if there is decor below

If you plan to attach lace inserts at the bottom, it is recommended to cut off the excess fabric first. After the edges are processed, lace is attached to the front side. It must be worn over the dress.

Using hem tape

Many people ask, how can I make my dress smaller and shorter without sewing? To form a light and professional hem, it is appropriate to use hem tape. This method is one of the easiest, it can be applied even when you cannot sew.

The adhesive tape itself is available in various widths, so it can be found in the same size as you would like the width of the hem to be. Hem tape should be smaller than the hem you want to make.

How to use it?

Glue it from the wrong side, and iron it from the side of the paper tape, moving away from the edge of the fabric being tucked in about a centimeter. After that, it is necessary to remove the protective film from the paper, bend the hem to the desired length and go through the iron again.

Excess tape must then be carefully cut off. The seam is not visible. If the material of the dress is a heavy textile, you may need two inserts.

There is also another hem tape which just looks like a web, is very popular and is called: double-sided iron-on hemming tape. This tape should be put between two layers of fabric and never touch the iron. After ironing, the hem tape glues the two layers together.

Advantages of the method that make a dress shorter

The benefits are:

1. The tape is suitable for fixing the hem of the bottom of skirts, trousers, and coats.
2. It is a convenient and fast method if you want to make a dress shorter, and you can easily fasten any hem.

Flaws

The main disadvantage is:

1. Professionals do not advise using this option for fixing the hem, believing that it increases the rigidity of the fabric, which affects the appearance of the dress. Since the adhesive has properties to harden.

I found a great video about how to use a hem tape:

Belt use

If you are limited in time, you can use a belt to shorten a dress. It’s easy enough to put on. However, you can use this method only appropriately for a loose maxi dress.

First, you need to put on the belt; however, you should not tighten it too much. Then pull up the dress so that it is slightly above the waist. Loosen the fabric around the waistband so it drapes over the belt.

Repeat around the waist. Correct areas of dress that do not look aesthetically pleasing.

Knot usage

You can tie the excess fabric of the dress into a knot. It is also quite a practical and quick solution to the maxi dress problem. You can place the knots in several places on the dress to make the image look stylish and modern.

How to fix a knot

To prevent the knot from being untied, it is recommended to fix it with safety pins. This guarantees the fact that your image is not spoiled during the day.

Hand hemming with safety pins

Many people are interested in how do you shorten a dress by hand? After all, the manual way allows you to make a stylish hem. This option is appropriate for experienced tailors, as well as well-known model houses. If you want to shorten a dress it is pretty simple:

1. First, you need to measure the desired length of the dress.
2. After, you need to mark another line, which is a few inches lower than the desired length. Cut off the unnecessary part that remained outside the second line.
3. Iron 0.5 inch towards the wrong side. If the fabric is unstable to thermal effects, it is better to fix the folds with safety pins.
4. With a sewing template, measure 1.5 inches from the formed crease.
5. Turn the fabric inside out to create a 1.5″ pleat. It should have a straight edge. For reliability, it can be ironed or secured with safety pins. For greater reliability, it is better to use sewing clips.
6. Separate 18 inches of sewing thread. It should match the shade of your dress. Pass it through the needle eye, and tie a small knot at the tip.

You can use multiple hemming stitches. A sliding seam looks simpler and more refined. To form it, you need to move from the inside of the dress, inserting a needle into the top of the edge that was bent. Here is a video with two ways of doing it:

Hemming with a sewing machine

If you have a sewing machine, you can use it to shorten a dress. This allows you to sew the hem in a variety of ways. However, the easiest way is to use a double fold, which is attached to the place. This is the best option for all types of dresses. The only exceptions are transparent ones.

First step

The process is pretty simple. First, you need to measure the length of a dress that you want to get in the end. Add 1 inch to the reading. Then you must cut off the rest of the fabric of the dress. Work according to the recommendations that apply to the needles plate on the device. This allows the stitches to be sewn quickly, maintaining a 1-inch spacing from the bottom edge.

You need to tuck inward the lower part of the dress so that it touches the stitches. This creates a pleat inside the skirt that takes up 0.5 inches.

Fold formation

The fold must be pressed and fixed with pins. Pivot the 0.5″ pleat back into the dress.

In this case, a closed edge is formed not only from above but also from below. After you need to re-pin or press the fold. Perform the sewing process along the hem from the outside of the dress. Follow the instruction manual supplied with the sewing machine.

This forms a straight stitch 0.25″ from the bottom edge of the hem. It is appropriate to use modern sewing machine methods, including a foot for forming a blind seam. You can also use the roller hemming foot.

Make a dress shorter temporary

Many are interested in the question, how do you temporarily hem a dress? The easiest way to temporarily shorten is to use safety pins. However, the result is not elegant, but your dress or skirt looks better for a while.

You can also use adhesive tapes to shorten a dress, which is recommended to be fixed from the inside of the dress. However, be prepared that sticky marks may remain on the fabric, which is problematic to remove.

Can you ask a tailor to make a dress shorter?

If you have old clothes that you don’t want to throw away, you can ask a tailor for help and make the dress shorter. The specialist quickly and efficiently fulfills your every whim. However, the cost of services that make dress shorter depends on the category of a specialist. Often the cost is so high that it is easier to buy a new dress.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are many ways to shorten a dress and it is not difficult. Especially if you have all the available materials and tools at hand.

Read also: 17 Different Types of Sewing Machines and Their Uses