I can hem!

Last time I was home, I picked my mom's brain on hemming - a simple task that has always eluded me. My usual method went as such:

1. Lay dress flat, cut a relatively even line through front and back all at once.
2. Turn under about 1/4", pin a few times, sew on machine with thread that matches as well as possible.
3. Done!

So that was obviously terrible. I have a sewing book (the sewing book?) for people who don't know how to sew but the drawings never really were clear to me. She explained step-by-step and now I know how to hem without using a machine and without the seam showing from the front! It's amazing...even though it takes me forever because I'm slow at hand sewing, it makes such a difference. Here are two that I did yesterday:


The one on the left was the first which explains the slightly poofy hem (I didn't iron it so well). They were both thrifted over a year ago and have been waiting patiently in my overstuffed "sewing projects" box for me to take them out of below-the-knee territory. I fully plan on wearing the polka dot one with black tights, even if it would look slightly like minnie mouse.


This dress is my next project. I got it at an estate sale - the fabric and the shape! And it was handmade! Amazing. Sadly, the bottom part got in an accident with something in the basement and is ruined. Not-so-sadly, it looks adorable pinned above that line (super poofy and cute). There are huge seam allowances and I'm going to try my hardest to let the waist out a half an inch because it's juuust too small for me. Otherwise, up on Etsy it will go.