Hem a Formal: You Can Change a Standard Hem to a Rolled Hem

This bridesmaid's gown was too long. It had a little train on it, so the designer hemmed the front section with the serged edge, blind hem method. The remainder back/train area was hemmed using a rolled hem technique. I opted to make the whole thing uniform by altering it using a rolled hem all the way around. It was much easier and looked prettier than the 1½" hem where you could see the small blind stitches on the right side.

	After pinning the hem up, I sewed a very narrow stitch along the folded edge, wrong sides together. You are looking at the dress from the inside here.
	Here is what this looks like when the first line of stitching is finished.
	Next, I cut the excess away, very close to the stitching line. Be careful here not to cut the stitches. Also be careful not to snip the front side of the fabric. I use sharp scissors and cut rather slowly, especially if the fabric is lightweight, like a chiffon.

	Next I folded the hem from the outside to the inside, essentially doubling it. Now the garment has a very skinny hem folded twice.
	Stitching again, very close to the folded edge, you will notice that you see two rows of stitching on the inside. But if you turn the garment to the right side, you will only see one. This is what you want. The full skirt hemmed with a traditional hem, will buckle when you try to fit in the hem allowance. This method allows for the underside to look as lovely as the outer side.