1 Cut waistband on the lengthwise grain, placing the cutting line of one long edge on the selvage.
2 Cut length of purchased fusible waistband interfacing according to pattern, cutting off ends at stitching line so interfacing does not extend into seam allowances.
3 Fuse interfacing to waistband, with wider side of interfac-ing toward selvage edge. Interfacinterfac-ing should be placed so there is a 5/8" (1.5 cm) seam allowance on the notched edge (seam allowance on selvage edge will be narrower).
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5 Turn waistband up. Press seam allowance toward waistband.
6 Grade the seam allowances to 1/4" (6 mm) on the waist-band and 1/8" (3 mm) on the garment to eliminate bulk.
7 Fold waistband on interfacing center foldline so waistband is wrong side out. Stitch 5/8" (1.5 cm) seam on each end. Trim seam allowances to ¼"
(6 mm). Diagonally trim corners.
8 Turn waistband right side out. (1) On underlap side, diagonally clip from selvage edge to corner (arrow). (2) Tuck seam allowance, from edge of underlap to end of clip, up into waist-band. Fold clipped corner under at an angle.
9 Pin selvage edge of waistband in place. From right side of garment, stitch in the ditch of waistline seam or topstitch ¼" (6 mm) above the seam, catching selvage edge in stitching. Edgestitch lower edge of underlap (arrow) when using stitch-in-ditch method.
111 1
2
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112 T H E N E W S E W I N G E S S E N T I A L S
Unless a hem is decorative, it should be virtually invis-ible from the right side. Use thread the same shade as, or slightly darker than, your fabric.
When hemming by hand, pick up only one or two threads from the outer fabric in each stitch. Do not pull the thread too tight during stitching. This causes the hem to look puckered or lumpy. Press carefully; over-pressing creates a ridge along the edge of the hem.
The width of the hem is determined by the fabric and garment style. A hem allowance of up to 3" (7.5 cm) may be given for a straight garment; 11
⁄
2" to 2" (3.8 to 5 cm) for a fl ared one. Sheer fabrics, no matter what the style, are usually fi nished with a narrow, rolled hem. A narrow hem on soft knits helps keep them from sagging.Machine-stitched and topstitched hems are fast and permanent.
Before hemming, let the garment hang for 24 hours, especially if it has a bias or circular hem. Try the garment
on over the undergarments you will wear with it. Check to be sure it fi ts and hangs correctly. Wear shoes and a belt if the garment is to be belted.
Hemlines are usually marked with the help of a second person using a pin marker or yardstick. Mark the hemline with pins or chalk all around the garment, making sure the distance from the fl oor to the hemline remains equal. Stand in a normal position and have the helper move around the hem. Pin hem up, and try on the garment in front of a full-length mirror to double check that it is parallel to the fl oor.
Pants hems cannot be marked from the fl oor up, as are skirts and dresses. For standard-length pants, the bottom of the pants leg should rest on the shoe in front and slope down slightly toward the back. Pin up the hem on both legs, and try on in front of a mirror to check the length.
Before stitching, fi nish the raw edges of the hem to keep the fabric from raveling and to provide an anchor for the hemming stitch. Select the hem fi nish (opposite) and stitch that is appropriate to the fabric and the gar-ment. (See Hand Stitching, page 59.)
Blindstitching by machine makes a fast, sturdy hem on woven and knit fabrics. Many sewing machines have this built-in stitch. A special foot or stitching guide makes blindstitching easy.
Seam binding or lace provides a fi nish suitable for fabrics that ravel, such as wool, tweed or linen. Lap seam binding 1
⁄
4" (6 mm) over the hem edge on the right side of the fabric. Edgestitch the binding in place, overlap-ping ends at a seamline. Use woven seam binding for straight hems, stretch lace for curved hems and knits.Hem light- to medium-weight fabrics with the catch-stitch, bulky fabrics with the blindstitch.
hems
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113 Topstitched hem fi nishes the raw
edge and hems the garment all in one step. Turn up hem 1½" (3.8 cm) and pin in place. For ravelly fabrics, pink or turn under raw edge. On right side, topstitch 1" (2.5 cm) from folded edge.
Above, a second row of topstitching is applied as a design detail.
Twin-needle stitched hem is suitable for knits and casual styles. The twin needle produces two closely-spaced parallel lines of stitching on the right side and a zigzag-type stitch on the wrong side. Turn hem up desired amount and stitch through both layers from right side, using seam guide. Trim excess hem allowance after stitching.
Zigzag fi nish is appropriate for knits and fabrics that ravel, because the stitch stretches with the fabric. Stitch close to raw edge with zigzag stitch of medium width and length. Trim close to stitching. Hem with a blindstitch, blind catchstitch, or machine blindstitch.