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I have 3 bridesmaids dresses that require hemming; no other alterations needed. All are two layers with the outer being Chiffon. I know it will cost almost as much as the dress to have them hemmed. I like to think of myself as a pretty good seamstress but the chiffon is scaring me. Do any of you have experience with sewing/hemming chiffon fabric? Any tips? The fine, thin chiffon hem is daunting. I will most likely get them professionally hemmed. Maybe I will buy some chiffon and experiment. Then I can have another job if all goes well. :-;

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I would strongly suggest picking up a length of chiffon to experiment. You probably will need to get into trimming the fabric so that it is not weighted down with a hem. Check with someone at the fabric store for suggestions. And luckily in this day and age you can simply google 'How do I hem chiffon?" for YouTube videos and other information.

Already googled. Scary. The dresses are going to delivered in 2 months. They are fit and flare so the hems are very swirly and circular. Uuughhh. We will most likely go for expert tailoring. I am so afraid I will ruin the chiffon and drive myself insane with the effort. It's all good but I think I'm going to experiment anyway if I decide to make time for that.

You can do this! I had a mother-of-the-bride floor length skirt with chiffon over satin. I held my breath and machine hemmed both. At the time I was working with professional seamstresses and showed one the skirt. She let me know it was admirable, acceptable, good.
Not only buy chiffon to practice and buy proper needles and thread. Also the first time i sewed a circular skirt with a pattern I was worried it wouldn't be a perfect circle. The advice was that circles are rarely perfect.

@Rho*, thank you, lol. I was thinking 3 of them? The sweating? My niece just posted her registry, DH needs to get a second job, ha ha.

You can do it. Check out Threads magazine website. They have all sorts of tutorials on sewing. Hand hemming might be less scary. Prices for alterations and hemming are obscene!

Use tissue paper under the fabric so nothing gets caught in the machine

Ladies, you are egging me on. I would definitely do one after practicing. 3? I am crying and already sweating bullets. Wish I had a surger!

Three? Let's get this in perspective: Are they full poofy circles or fairly straight? Are they size 6 or size 18?

All size 6. Full poofy, swirly circular hems. No other alterations required other then hemming. The inner hem fabric I am certain I can do. Chiffon? Crikey! Come here @Rho*.

I have a fancy sewing machine and have noted the fine needle I would need to use and purchase for chiffon. As Reeree suggested, hand sewing would be an alternative but I would be hemming until the cows came home again and again.

I tried to put myself in your thimble, haha. I cannot imagine that task. But I love the responses from people who know about such things. I personally believe that you can do this yourself along with some support from your fancy sewing machine, practice material, and designated needle.

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. - Lao-Tzu

@Madetoshop wrote:

Ladies, you are egging me on. I would definitely do one after practicing. 3? I am crying and already sweating bullets. Wish I had a surger![/quote

If a basic swinging machine is causing you to sweat bullets, you can not handle surger, you'll probably cut a hole in your fabric. They do sell overlock/ overcast foots so you can mimic the results without the risk or a side cutter if you are o' so determined but if the stress is this bad, just take it to a dry cleaners

The first dress arrived before the other two. My Mom looked at it and said you can do this. Little did we know it has a slit. OM goodness. OK, now we have to rip out seams. She barked orders while I cut. I hemmed both layers by hand. Took me forever a little bit at a time. Sewed up the slit with the two layers and steam pressed everything. Looking fabulous on my baby girl. I am hoping to do the other 2 which do not have slits. Then I think we are justified to spend the money that i saved by doing it myself. I am eyeing a pair of HOKAs.

Now your daughter has a wonderful story to tell your grandkids about how Grandma (with Great Grandma telling her what to do) put the finishing touches by hand on her bridesmaid's dress that made the bride's wedding day so special.

You can walk tall in those HOKAs because you earned them! Good Job!

Thank you @Rho and @Susan L. You made my night and made me smile. The rolled hem process is amazing. Doing the next two dresses myself will pay for their hotel room. And then what? :-)

Hello people! I am halfway finished with the 2nd dress. I did the inner layer by machine as I now have so much more confidence and experience. The Fiskars gauge was so much help. Mom has since taught #3 who is our nemesis, the rolled hem stitch. I am going to try and get #1 and #2 to take responsibility.

All 3 dresses are finished and look beautiful. Thank you all who were interested in this silly dilemma. My SIL asked for the dress remnants early on. The florist is going to incorporate them into their bouquets. :-)

One bridesmaid shared tonight that she paid $200 for a crooked and horrible looking hem. She was required to pay cash up front. :-(

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