Budget hemming help

[wildestvinyl]

I've been helping my niece get ready for her wedding next month in Dayton. She found a beautiful secondhand gown online but it's way too long. The outer layers are tulle, which are easy to hem but the lining is double-knit polyester with a fused bottom edge. I have a Brother CS6000i from 2018 and wooly nylon thread, so I thought a narrow rolled hem might work since the inside won't show. The local seamstress warned that it could pull and look stiff. Would it work to trim off the fused edge and use Heat' n Bond Lite to make a new hem or could that cause problems when she walks down the aisle?

 

[Ellie]

Heat 'n Bond Lite can work for lightweight fabrics, but on double-knit polyester it might stiffen the hem and affect how it moves when she walks. If you trim the fused edge, test a small section first to see how the fabric reacts. Are you planning to press the hem with steam or dry heat? That can make a difference with polyester.

 

[Jillian]

You may melt the polyester achieving a heat that will activate the Heat and Bond.
You can cheat and just cut it off and not hem it at all actually. It won't unravel or do anything weird. No one will see it.
Personally, I would trim it off and stitch it by hand, with a small basting running stitch or overhand stitch.
And the hem should face the inside of the dress, not the users legs. This way when they sit, the hem is not visable at all.

PS. Generally you hem wedding dresses by releasing the waist and decreasing the length there. I did professional alterations for bridal and suits for many years in the 80's.

 

[Marla Sandridge]

I agree with Jillian. If you haven't done a lot of alterations, I wouldn't mess with trying to adjust the length by releasing the bodice from the waist and decreasing the length there, as you can open up a whole can of new worms doing that. I have made several wedding gowns and refuse to do alterations on anything, too much darn work. My hat goes off to Jillian, you couldn't pay me to do alterations on wedding gowns and suits!

 

[Lena]

You may melt the polyester achieving a heat that will activate the Heat and Bond.
You can cheat and just cut it off and not hem it at all actually. It won't unravel or do anything weird. No one will see it.
Personally, I would trim it off and stitch it by hand, with a small basting running stitch or overhand stitch.
And the hem should face the inside of the dress, not the users legs. This way when they sit, the hem is not visable at all.

PS. Generally you hem wedding dresses by releasing the waist and decreasing the length there. I did professional alterations for bridal and suits for many years in the 80's.

What an excellent suggestion!

 

[lisa_n66]

You may melt the polyester achieving a heat that will activate the Heat and Bond.
You can cheat and just cut it off and not hem it at all actually. It won't unravel or do anything weird. No one will see it.
Personally, I would trim it off and stitch it by hand, with a small basting running stitch or overhand stitch.
And the hem should face the inside of the dress, not the users legs. This way when they sit, the hem is not visable at all.

PS. Generally you hem wedding dresses by releasing the waist and decreasing the length there. I did professional alterations for bridal and suits for many years in the 80's.

Oh this is super helpful! I’m still learning my way around fancy fabrics, so the “polyester can melt before the adhesive even kicks in” bit definitely caught my attention. Now I’m curious, does that happen even on the lowest heat, or only if the iron lingers too long?

And hemming from the waist is such an interesting trick. Is that something you’d only do on multi‑layer gowns, or is it just the cleanest method overall?

Love hearing these little pro tips!

 

[Lena]

You may melt the polyester achieving a heat that will activate the Heat and Bond.
You can cheat and just cut it off and not hem it at all actually. It won't unravel or do anything weird. No one will see it.
Personally, I would trim it off and stitch it by hand, with a small basting running stitch or overhand stitch.
And the hem should face the inside of the dress, not the users legs. This way when they sit, the hem is not visable at all.

PS. Generally you hem wedding dresses by releasing the waist and decreasing the length there. I did professional alterations for bridal and suits for many years in the 80's.

Perfect suggestion!

 

[Lena]

Oh this is super helpful! I’m still learning my way around fancy fabrics, so the “polyester can melt before the adhesive even kicks in” bit definitely caught my attention. Now I’m curious, does that happen even on the lowest heat, or only if the iron lingers too long?

And hemming from the waist is such an interesting trick. Is that something you’d only do on multi‑layer gowns, or is it just the cleanest method overall?

Love hearing these little pro tips!

Do not try heat n bond on polyester at any temp.