Mitered Hem - HP Cosmopolitan Dress April 30, 2008
I just adore the Hot Patterns Deco Vibe Cosmopolitan Dress and have made it several times. The scarf-style shorter sleeve is especially nice because it is covered up yet still cool enough for our steamy South Florida weather.
To achieve a really nice, neat finish on this type of sleeve it is necessary to miter the hem. This is extremely easy to do and, in my opinion, best worked out on the pattern before the garment is cut. Do this once and you’ll never have to think about it again!
The first step is to mark the hemline at the bottom of the sleeve and on the slit - in this case, 5/8″.
Next, fold up one hem allowance,
then the other. You can already see how much bulk you would need to deal with here if you were to not miter the hem.
Draw a line from the point where the hems intersect to the foldline (point). Carefully lift the top layer and mark a dot at the intersection on the underlayer.
Here I have drawn both lines from hem intersection to foldline in red. These are the seamlines.
You will need to add a seam allowance - I have added 1/4″ here.
Then trim off the excess beyond the seam allowance.
After finishing the hem edges as desired (I’ve just serged) simply line up these two edges and sew your 1/4″ seam.
Trim away the bulk at the point - this is especially important on a very peaked hem such as this.
Here is the finished miter, before pressing. Your point presser comes in really handy for pressing the seam open before turning. If you don’t have one you can use your bamboo point turner. It’s neat, bulk-free and very easy to do! I’ll post a photo of the completed dress as soon as I finish up.
What a great tutorial!
Agreed! That’s a great tutorial. Totally bookmarking…
Extremely helpful as I have mitering in my near future. And nice nails!! (Jealous.)
Great tutorial! Thank you!
I’ve always had trouble with mitered corners, you explain it so well… Thank you!
Gigi, yet another fantastic tutorial. Thank you! So, do we get to see a new dress soon??? ;o)
Sigh. What would we do without you? Just the best.
Excellent tutorial. I like the fact that all of this is dealt with *before* cutting out the fabric!
[...] http://thesewingdivas.wordpress.com/2008/04/30/mitered-hem-hp-cosmopolitan-dress/Here is the finished miter, before pressing. Your point presser comes in really handy for pressing the seam open before turning. If you don’t have one you can use your bamboo point presser. It’s neat, bulk-free and very easy to do! … [...]
Wow, a super tutorial Gigi, thank you ever so much. I have that pattern in my stash so it is bound to come up. I’d love to see the finished dress.
Thank you for a wonderful tutorial Gigi!
[...] This weekend I will be posting a quick tutorial at The Sewing Divas blog on how to finish the neckline with bands. It’s so easy and a nice way to use a contrasting fabric. You can also see how I’ve finished the scarf sleeve hems with a quick and easy mitering method! [...]
How nice to see a new Gigi tutorial! You have always been so generous with your sewing experience and expertise, that your name still comes up on PR every time someone starts a topic about individuals we miss hearing from. I’m sure I speak for a lot of people when I wish you well as you build your new wardrobe.