Expert: Jenna McAuliffe - 10/8/2009

Question
HI JENNA
I'M HEMING A DRESS WITH A SLIT ON THE BACK HOW DO I RAISE THE HEM AND STILL PUT THE SLIT BACK OR CAN I?

Answer
Hi Joyce!

Raising the split on your skirt depends on how it is done in the first place.

If the split is a simple one where the seam allowance is folded back on both sides and stitched down, raising the height of it is as simple as splitting the seam a little and shadowing the method already used.

If the split looks kind of like a pleat, only the split is hidden inside it, then things are a bit more complicated as this kind of split has extra fabric inside the seam to allow for the pleated look.  Raising this can be tricky and is often more trouble than it is worth.  

If you decide to do this, unpick the seam the split is in and you will see the shaping you need the fabric to have - remember to pay close attention to the methods used to sew the split as you unpick it, as you will need to re-make it afterwards.  Using a piece of fabric very similar to the skirt fabric, add a piece of fabric to the top of the split extensions on each piece of skirt, trimming the shape to match the original extension shape.  Re-sew the seam and split as it was before.  

In that method, you still can't add a lot of height to the split as it will be visible when it opens with movement, but an inch or two of extra split can make a lot of difference.

As I said, it can be a lot more trouble than it is worth, but it can be done

Hope this helps and please don't hesitate to ask if I can help further! :)

Jenna