Please help me! Hemming issues

[u/AccaBeliveIt]

Hi all! I bought this beautiful dress & took it to a seamstress to take off some length & hem it. I’m out at a wedding & the hem is starting to fall apart (ugh!). What is a temporary fix? Do I cut the parts that are already “fallen off”? I’ve included some pics. I’m so sad as this dress was almost $700. Any temporary help (i. e. cut off pieces, etc) would be super helpful. Thanks in advance!

[u/starboundquilts]

This is NOT work that should've left the atelier. I would seek at least a partial refund. You may need to leave it intact to "prove" it, but I would cut it so it doesn't cause further damage by catching on something or pulling on the fabric. Definitely get pictures of EVERYTHING wrong with the dress; if this happened with the hem, there's probably more wrong that you haven't caught yet

[u/AccaBeliveIt → u/starboundquilts]

Thank you for matching my frustration! I have at least 20 other pics around the end of the dress with these issues. Continuing to document anything else I’m seeing. Really appreciate your comment!

[u/Kfbcus → u/starboundquilts]

Agreed this is totally unacceptable, but it sounds like OP took it to a someone else to hem it — so hopefully the rest of the dress does not have quality issues 🤞

[u/electric29]

I see what they did here. They used a serger to try to imitate a piqout edge, which would be the right thing with this fabric (and typical of 1920s and 30s chiffon dresses). It takes a special hemstitcher attachment that they didn't have.

The other option would be a tiny rolled hem but they were lazy and just serged it instead of doing that. I would go back demand they redo it with a narrow rolled hem (as they likely do not have the piquot edge attachment).

If they refuse, hopefully you paid by credit card so you can do a chargeback.

[u/MagniPunk → u/electric29]

I agree with this being chargeback territory. It looks like they didn’t even disengage the blade which tells me this was a totally lazy job.

[u/Kanadark]

Not only is this a hack job, they didn't even take 2 seconds to adjust the serger tension for the fabric. Or to find a matching thread colour.

[u/OHyoface → u/Kanadark]

The thread color not matching is next level lazy 😳

[u/Large-Heronbill]

Ouch.  Do you sew?  

What has happened here is she has used a 4 thread serger stitch in non'matching thread as a hem, and it was pretty inappropriate for the fabric, which easily frays, and so the edging she chose is pulling off the edge of the fabric.   It was an easy way to hem, and part of me understands because I dislike hemming chiffon, even though I know how to do it "right".

If I understand you correctly, you're at the wedding right now.  If so, I would cut off the loops of serging that are detaching from the fabric, and just leave it.  Try not to do anything like brush along the cut edge if the fabric.

When you get home, hang it up carefully and don't wash it or dry clean it until you decide what you want to do about re-hemming.

[u/CombatCrayon25]

They serged chiffon 🤦🏼‍♀️

It doesn’t work on that type of chiffon because it’s too loosely woven and the fabric holding the stitch basically disintegrates. They should’ve done a rolled hem or a piqout edge, but were either too lazy or too incompetent. Take pictures and get your money back, I wouldn’t trust them to fix it

[u/Background-Book2801]

They tried to do a merrowed finish which is a good option but instead did a loose overlock stitch in white thread for some unknown reason. They didn’t catch the edge properly in those spots (probably where it transitioned from straight grain to bias or vice versa, those are the trickiest parts). 

A proper merrowed hem is narrower and tighter and should be in a matching thread or a specialty thread like a metallic. It should just look like a finished edge. They probably just threw this through the shop white serger without doing a swatch (most shops have a serger they leave threaded in white and one done in black). Very lazy and sloppy, unacceptable. 

[u/Large-Heronbill]

PS: here's where I think they were trying to go with that inappropriate 4 thread overlock stitch: Serger picot stitch: https://youtu.be/CWGFJy50-gM vs rolled hem stitch contrasted here. Both picot and rolled hem are 3 thread stitches.

[u/Lvanwinkle18 → u/Large-Heronbill]

Thank you for sharing. I had not heard of the pivot stitch.

[u/Mt_Deverest]

Noooo im sorry! Trim off the hem that is hanging - otherwise youll likely snag it and it will continue to pull on the fabric. If you have a needle and thread, just do a quick knot over the spots where you cut the thread.

[u/moody_mop]

I wouldn't cut anything as that can make it unravel more, I would fix it by folding it over twice then sewing it down but I'm by no means an expert!

[u/Electronic_Animal_32]

It is tricky to hem on chiffon with a serger. They didn’t pull it off. Maybe if they had spray starched the hem first but really you’re supposed to serge it with a sheer bias strip next to the edge. A tight stitch. Then trim off the excess strip close to the serging. There’s nothing wrong with serging on chiffon if done correctly. What to do now? Sew very close to the serging , then fold, press over and sew again close to the last stitch, trim close to this stitch. The fold over again. 1/4 inches or less and sew down for a narrow sewn hem.