A while ago, I asked in Sparkly Belly’s FB group what is the biggest challenge of making circle skirts.
Can you guess the most popular answer?
It was hemming. Making an even hem around a circle skirt can be very challenging.
Or you thought you made an even hem. Then a few days later, it’s looking wonky!
So in this tutorial, I’ll share with you do’s and don’ts of making an even hem for your circle skirts. Let’s get started!
Click here to get the 14 Even Hem Do’s & Don’ts Checklist!
Click here to check out the Advanced Circle Skirts!
How to Make an Even Hem on a Circle Skirt – 14 Do’s & Don’ts!
#1 Do understand how circle skirt panels are cut
The biggest reason why we sometimes end up with an uneven hem is the way circle skirt panels are cut.
Most circle skirt panels will be cut on the bias of the fabric or in other words, along this diagonal direction shown in the photo above. Woven fabric has a tendency to stretch in this direction, and that’s why your skirt can become uneven over time. And I’ll show you how you can combat this problem in a bit.
#2 Do cut your panels a little larger
Another problem we have with uneven circle skirt hem is some parts getting shorter than they should be. This happens because the fabric we use for these circle skirts like chiffon is really lightweight and shifts really easily. Even if you cut out a panel according to your pattern, by the time you sew it, it may shift and appear to shrink. So when you cut circle skirt panels, cut them a little larger than the pattern.
#3 Do iron the skirt panels
Before hemming the skirt, make sure to iron each panel. I know, it’s a lot of fabric to iron, but wrinkled fabric will appear shorter and won’t help you create an even hem.
Plus, your finished skirt will look much, MUCH nicer when it’s wrinkle-free!
#4 Don’t finish the skirt hem right away
You’ve sewn together all the panels, and added a waistband. Now all you have to do is hem the skirt, and it’s super exciting! But don’t go ahead and finish the hem right away. We’ve cut the panels larger according to the previous tip, and by now some parts of the panels have probably stretched out. So first, you need to cut the skirt to the right length here. But…
#5 Don’t cut your skirt hem right away
I know, it’s hard to wait to finish up this skirt, but patience is key here. The fabric can continue to stretch, so if you cut the skirt hem now, you may end up with an uneven hem again. So what should you do instead?
#6 Do hang your skirt for a week
Take a break, and hang your skirt from the waistband for about a week. If you’re working with a short circle skirt, it may only need a few days, but I recommend you hang long circle skirts for a week. You’ll be amazed by how much the fabric stretches!
#7 Don’t cut your skirt in one length
So now it’s time to cut your skirt to the right length. But don’t cut your skirt in one length!
First, where did you measure your skirt length? On the front side of your body or back? Our bodies have many curves, and the front skirt length can be quite different than the back skirt length. So measure both front and back, and consider those when you measure your skirt length.
#8 Don’t cut your skirt on the floor
It’s tempting to simply spread the skirt on the floor and measure from the waistband. I’ve done it many times, and it CAN work, but like I mentioned earlier, the fabric tends to shift a lot. So working on the floor is not the most accurate way for cutting an even hem. Instead….
#9 Do hang your skirt vertically
If you have a dress form, put your skirt on it. Or put it on yourself, and have a friend help you mark a level hem. Or even a stool can act as a dress form. When you wear the skirt, it’ll be hanging vertically anyway, so I find I can achieve an even hem more easily this way.
#10 Do measure accurately when it’s time to cut the skirt hem
So now that your skirt is on a dress form, it’s time to cut the skirt hem. Earlier, we cut the panels larger, but here, measure the length as accurately as possible.
#11 Do a test cut first
Before cutting the hem all the way, do a small test cut at a level that’s longer than your actual skirt length. And see if the skirt length changes in any way. Some fabric can spring back and gets shorter when you cut. If that happens to your skirt during this test cut, keep that into consideration when you do the actual cut.
#12 Do measure frequently
If you measure once and keep going, you can cut unevenly very easily. So measure frequently.
#13 Don’t yank the skirt towards you
When you’re measuring and cutting the skirt hem, don’t pull the skirt towards you. As you can imagine, the pulled section will be longer than it should.
#14 Do turn the dress form frequently instead
So instead of pulling the skirt towards you, turn the dress form frequently. This way you face the section you’re working on all the time, and more likely to achieve a beautifully even hem.
So what do you think? Do you have any other do’s and don’ts for creating an even hem? If so, please share them in the comment section!
Keeping these do’s and don’ts in mind, you’ll make a much nicer circle skirt! These rules can be applied to any style of circle skirts or skirts made of lightweight fabric cut on bias, so try them for your next skirt project!
And since these rules are super important, I’ve created a pretty cheatsheet for you 🙂 Download it for free below, and you can print it out and have it ready at your sewing station.
Get the Even Hem Do’s & Don’ts Checklist here!
And if you want to make the circle skirts you saw in this tutorial, I have good news.
You can make your own in my popular course on Advanced Circle Skirts!
This course shows you how to make circle skirts with professional design features, and help you figure out designer hemming techniques and the math behind perfect circle skirts.
I have the do’s and don’ts I shared with you in this video in a step-by-step method with much more detailed instructions and a bunch of additional tips in the course too, so you can achieve a beautiful, even hem every time.
This course has been very popular since the launch. If you’re ready to take your circle skirts to the next level, learn more at SparklyBelly.com/CircleSkirt.
I hope you enjoyed this circle skirt hemming tutorial, and if you did, please share this with your dancer friends and costumer friends! Everyone who makes circle skirts can use these tips!
And again, below is the even hem do’s & don’ts checklist!
Get the printable 14 Even Hem Do’s & Don’ts Checklist here!
Thanks for reading, and keep sparkling!
P.S. Pin this image here on your circle skirt board 🙂
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