You need to sew a basting line about 1/4” inside the edge. A serger can’t do the real thing, just a decorative stitch that looks similar. Make sure to iron the hemline so that everything looks in place. A serger will always give you a better finish than any sewing machine.eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'sewingmachinebuffs_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_0',108,'0','0'])); A serger will help in overlocking your chiffon and give it a proper finish. You require plenty of practice in order to get the hang of hemming on the chiffon. To create this article, volunteer authors worked to edit and improve it over time. wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. Don’t stretch the chiffon as you might tear it apart. Sometimes you have to play around with the tension a little bit, but the default settings work for most fabrics. Instead, leave a long tail of thread at the start and end of the seam and knot the thread in place by hand. Sometimes, fabrics fray even though you enclose the edge with a rolled hem. You can hem chiffon by hand or by machine but, either way, you should work slowly and carefully to create as smooth a seam as possible. Consider increasing the thread tension by one place further than necessary for this basting line. You cannot just leave the edges off. You can also hem with a serger that is much easier to work with. Make sure that you do not cut beneath or into the stitches as you complete this step. It is true that chiffon is hard to work with. Use a length between 12 to 20 stitches per 1 inch (2.5 cm). If completed correctly, the raw edge should be hidden along the wrong side of the fabric and the hem stitching should be barely visible from the front. Pulling too tightly can cause the fabric to bunch up. We see gathered fabric all over the place from bed skirts and little girl’s dresses to ruffled pillows and so much more. Use the threads attached to your small set of basting stitches to help lift, guide, and maneuver the edge into the presser foot. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. While not entirely necessary, pressing the fold in place will make the hem less likely to unroll as you stitch. Now sew the third stitch on the top of the second. One of the best ways is to use a presser foot; it makes the fabric handling much easier for you. All the settings should be correctly done before beginning. While serger is the easiest way to hem your chiffon, you can also use a sewing machine. It would help if you got the right length of the tape, but it is not as easy as it may sound. Learn more... Chiffon is light, delicate, and slippery so it can be a very difficult material to hem. The line of basting stitches sewn in Step 2 is where the fabric gets folded, similar to the other methods. By using our site, you agree to our. Make sure to check all the tension settings right before serging. Leave enough thread at the beginning and end of the seam to knot it by hand. Ideally it should be set so that you do not catch the hem while walking. Put the right side of chiffon fabric up. You can then press the fold with the iron. Your email address will not be published. Since chiffon is such a lightweight material, the thread you use to hem it should also be fine and lightweight. Now start feeding the material. Hemming is the best way to handle the fabric; you can get free from snags, loose ends, fray, and so on. Lower the stitch length and width before starting. Move the iron up and down, rather than moving it side to side, to prevent the material from stretching or shifting as you press it. How far from the floor should the dress be? We had this problem with organza layers of wedding dresses. Press it over the garment along the tape, make sure to put the pressing cloth over the chiffon, so that direct heat doesn’t affect the fabric. To create this article, volunteer authors worked to edit and improve it over time. Fabric stabilizer will make the material stiffer and easier to cut and sew. You may feel like chiffon is a slick and slippery fabric that may be quite difficult to hem. The presser foot will take up the fabric; you just need to hold it in the right direction. A sewing celebrity told me this the other day, when I asked her about hemming silk chiffon… Trim the excess and get close to the second stitch without cutting. Make sure that the sewing machine needle is new, sharp, and very fine. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. This line of stitches will act as another guide, making it easier to fold in the hem once more. I can't remember the last time I put a regular hem on something!