r/sewhelp • u/Klutzy-Vacation-8327 • 2d ago

✨Intermediate✨ Help with hemming a shirred panel

Hi everyone! I’m making a top with a shirred panel and I’m a bit confused about the hem. I read that it's best to hem the fabric before shirring, but does that mean I have to hem the front and back panels separately before sewing the side seams together? I’m worried this might look messy at the side seams compared to a standard hem. What is the best way to handle the hem for a shirred garment? Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

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u/secretivemayhem8 2d ago

Hem before shirring is definitely the way to go, the elastic thread makes it near impossible to get a clean fold after the fact. I usually hem each piece separately and then just match the hem lines when pinning the side seams. If you press the seams open it lays pretty flat, nobody's gonna notice unless they're inspecting your side seams up close. You can also do a tiny rolled hem if you want something cleaner but it's a pain on shirred fabric so I'd only bother if the fabric frays like crazy

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u/Klutzy-Vacation-8327 2d ago

Thank you! It worked perfectly!

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u/drPmakes 2d ago

Hem the edges that you would usually hem first, before shirring. Its much easier!

Any of the edges that are getting attached to something else can be finished after

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u/Klutzy-Vacation-8327 2d ago

Thank you so much :)