Very silly sewing question

cuca

I recently got a sewing machine for the first time, and think that I have done a fab job of things so far being a complete novice :T . I was given some school gyms for my 6 year old for school. She is quite dinky so I have managed to take the sides in and they fit her better all in all. My problem is that i also need to take up the hem, but its one of those styles like a a-line so the bottom is much wider. As the hem will need to be quite big, once I start sewing, its all gathering up as I go round due to the bottom being wider iyswim.... Is there an easy way round this that Im just not figuring out? I dont really want to cut the hem as I think that when she grows finally I will be able to let out the hem and the sides...

Not sure if I have explained this very well. :rolleyes:

Thanks for any help.

radiosupply

Have you tried adjusting the tension on your machine? If it's new, it may take some time to make friends with it and get all the kinks out.

In the meanwhile, to check the tension, take a piece of scrap fabric (an old teatowel or something, or, if you have a scrap of fabric similar to the garment, that's best), pin a "hem" on it and hand-baste it, then put it through your machine. If it's bunching and making ridges because of the basting, or worse, breaking the basting thread, check your machine manual on how to adjust tension and stitch length, and give it another shot.

Good luck!

picklepick

arrr i see what u mean! i dont think the person above understood what u meant properly. im not realy sure how u can fix that other than by cutting the fabric! or maybe u can make some sort of darts at the side so that the fabric you're taking up is folded over into sort of triangles at the sides? see what i mean? dont think i explained that very well! someone else might have a solution though.

Penelope_Penguin

cuca wrote: »

My problem is that i also need to take up the hem, but its one of those styles like a a-line so the bottom is much wider. As the hem will need to be quite big, once I start sewing, its all gathering up as I go round due to the bottom being wider iyswim.....

I don't thisnk you have much choice (if you want a neat job ) than to do it by hand. That's whjat I do, and it only takes a few minutes

Penny. x

1sttimer_2

Another way to do it is to run a tacking thread round the bottom and lightly and evenly gather the original bottom up to match the width of the trousers where you want to stitch it to. But it would be easier to take down when your dd grows a little if you hand stitch them, and like penny says it doesn't take long. I find that machine stitching is a little heavier on the material and so leaves more of a mark when taken out.

cuca

Thanks everyone. I will get the needle and thread out later. I think darts are a bit beyond me at the moment :rotfl:

ivyleaf

I'd do the same as 1sttimer has suggested - I haven't made a garment for a while, but I know that's what was suggested in sewing patterns when doing a hem. You do a long length stich all the way round,about a cm from the bottom, then gather it by hand - leave long threads at each end, and pull them gently, and you'll find the material will "gather", and you can move it so that it's nice and even. Stop pulling when the bottom of the material is the same size as the new length you want it to be, then hem it by hand. Hard to explain, but one of those things that's easy to understand when you actually do it! It's well worth having a practise on an odd scrap of material.