Another thing that would look cute and give a similar effect would be to cut strip wider and sew it up under the hem with red thread. Would look like slip or lining peeking out. This grandma been sewing over 50 yrs. Keep at it. You will always learn new techniques. Good luck!
this is awesome!!!! so brought this white and blue flora; dress online and when I got it and tried it on, it barley covered my butt, so when I saw this video I was like life saver :) thanks so much for this!!!!
I'm so glad you find it helpful! I feel your pain...there are many dresses that are ridiculously short on me...this way you can wear any dress you want!
Hi Rachel, thank you for your video. It is short and sweet. My dress is T-shirt material (slightly thicker than normal). Do u think I can use cotton fabric to add to the length? The waist is slightly high. Can I add a strip of 2 inches of the cotton fabric around the waist without unstitch the waist. Just sew on top of it?
Karen Thia hello, I’m not sure I’m understanding how you want to add to it. If it’s a dress and you just add on top of the original fabric in the waist you wouldn’t add length just a second layer of fabric. If you want it in the waist you’d have to remove the waist, then sew in the new panels. Or do it on the bottom. Put the new fabric right sides together to add. Try to use a similar fabric and test your stitch to make sure it doesn’t pucker. Hope this helps!
Will this same technique work on a dress that is tapered? (longer on sides and back but shortens in the front)? It also has a slip underneath, I was thinking i could just add some lace to the slip and that would probably work out well? I just ordered a dress from China and love it but it is just way too short! :)
Great tutorial, thanks! I have a beautiful chiffon dress that is white on top and the bottom (skirt) is floral. Do you have any suggestion how can I lengthen the skirt? The dress is VERY VERY short!
I would just pick a matching material (sounds like chiffon) and pick a solid color for the bottom panel. Maybe white to match the top or one of the colors in the floral. Be careful with which stitch you choose though chiffon can be finicky. Google the best stitches for your material.
Your fabric can fray when you wash it. If you do a zig zag stitch on the panel you're adding on the raw edges either before you add it on the garment or after you've sewn it on you won't have to worry about that :) basically set your machine to zig zag on its widest setting and only have the left side of the zig zag in the fabric. The right size will basically loop and seal the edge :)
Story of my life!!!!!!!! Going to a wedding g soon and have a navy lace dress that is just a bit short to be wedding appropriate. Any thoughts on adding length to lace?
Go to your local fabric store and see if you can find a matching lace that's either close enough to the original or a complimentary color and pattern. Look in both the fabric and the ribbon area sometimes there's wide lace over there and just add a little length to your slip if need be. If your lace is intricate I'd maybe hand sew them together so you don't see stitch lines by just knotting thread snipping and repeating so you don't just have a line of thread on the almost bottom of your dress.
Hey rach, i have a dress which has got lace on one side i really love it but its way too short :-( It would be odd to add an extra piece of fabric ....pls give me some tips to extend it
I think this would lay nicer if you cut your fabric on the bias to accommidate the curve of the circle skirt instead of fighting it with straight strips.
This is really helpful but i have a summer dress (The dress has 'spaghetti' straps) and adding an extra piece of fabric on the bottom looks a bit odd so do you have any tips?
If you bring your dress to your local fabric store you'll probably find a fabric that is the same material with a complimentary pattern. Unless you want to rip apart the dress and add a panel at the waist line area you might just have a dress that is too short. If it's only a few inches and the top sits high on you and the straps aren't adjustable you could remove the straps and add longer ones. Hope this helps.
Thank you. What a great video and a fabulous fix for short dresses and skirts. What is the sewing machine you use? I have had 2 in recent years that break shortly after I purchase them. They start to "chew" up the thread so it is all loopy on the reverse side of the seam and it leads to breaking the needles. I tried adjusting things, but my last machine is now in the trash. I can't stand to be without a machine. I actually cried.
hey i was wonder how to add length to my costume for a renaissance festival my dress is supposed to touch the ground but instead reaches to my calf. The dress is white with a gold panel up the middle. to you have any tips on how to make it longer also there isn't a seam on it because it was a cheap costume. also any idea on how many yards of fabric i will need
HELP! What if my dress isn't a plain color like all black or all white or something like that where I could just add the same color fabric underneath. My dress is made out of polyster and the background of the dress is a darkish blue with white, dark pink, and light pink flowers. Please help I really need to make this dress longer before Sunday! Thank youuu
Onzila Akhtar as you can see in the tutorial my dress is multi color and I picked black to add on to it. I'd pick your favorite color, bring your dress to the fabric store and match it with that color on the dress and that can be your bottom block. I'd also just sew it right sides together instead of how I did it in the tutorial. #liveandlearn
I have the opposite problem i feel like my dresses are too long and I aint got a modest bone in my body. I believe nudity is art nothing to be ashamed of.
I, too, am tall. I've found this technique works wonderful for me, and I've used it many times through the years. I HATE the thought of sitting down in a public place, and my butt touching the seat with no barrier. Ugh! Grossness. I have to admit to giggling when I see ladies doing the same, and they think they look sexy. All I can think is their butt is bare on a public chair. lol. Soooo not sexy!
Excelente tutorial👍🧵
Another thing that would look cute and give a similar effect would be to cut strip wider and sew it up under the hem with red thread. Would look like slip or lining peeking out. This grandma been sewing over 50 yrs. Keep at it. You will always learn new techniques. Good luck!
You are terrific, I'm thrilled to have found you!
Love this Rachel!! I’m 5’10” and have the same problem. I’m going to use this technique for a dress I just bought
Thank you so much! I sewed a skirt that was too short and this is perfect💖
Hey Rachel...your voice and accent are flawless...wish I could meet you once...and your ideas are amazing to work on with ..thank you 😊
Oh thank you! You're so sweet. I'm glad you're enjoying the tutorials!
this is awesome!!!! so brought this white and blue flora; dress online and when I got it and tried it on, it barley covered my butt, so when I saw this video I was like life saver :) thanks so much for this!!!!
I'm so glad I could help! That has happened to me countless times!
It looks really great!
Thank you for this tutorial. I need this for a 5'9" pre-teen who wants to wear the cute dresses for her age, but are way to short to be modest.
I'm so glad you find it helpful! I feel your pain...there are many dresses that are ridiculously short on me...this way you can wear any dress you want!
Hi Rachel, thank you for your video. It is short and sweet.
My dress is T-shirt material (slightly thicker than normal). Do u think I can use cotton fabric to add to the length?
The waist is slightly high. Can I add a strip of 2 inches of the cotton fabric around the waist without unstitch the waist. Just sew on top of it?
Karen Thia hello, I’m not sure I’m understanding how you want to add to it. If it’s a dress and you just add on top of the original fabric in the waist you wouldn’t add length just a second layer of fabric. If you want it in the waist you’d have to remove the waist, then sew in the new panels. Or do it on the bottom. Put the new fabric right sides together to add. Try to use a similar fabric and test your stitch to make sure it doesn’t pucker. Hope this helps!
Rachel, are there written directions for how to add a band to a dress/shirt? Love this idea because I am tall. Thanks!
Nancy Parker unfortunately I don't have it all written out. Just the captions on the video. Glad you like the idea! 😊
Will this same technique work on a dress that is tapered? (longer on sides and back but shortens in the front)? It also has a slip underneath, I was thinking i could just add some lace to the slip and that would probably work out well? I just ordered a dress from China and love it but it is just way too short! :)
Great tutorial, thanks! I have a beautiful chiffon dress that is white on top and the bottom (skirt) is floral. Do you have any suggestion how can I lengthen the skirt? The dress is VERY VERY short!
I would just pick a matching material (sounds like chiffon) and pick a solid color for the bottom panel. Maybe white to match the top or one of the colors in the floral. Be careful with which stitch you choose though chiffon can be finicky. Google the best stitches for your material.
Rachel Dixon Thank you!
Hi - sorry to sound dim, but what do you mean when you said about sealing your seams? does the hemline on the inside fray when its washed?
Your fabric can fray when you wash it. If you do a zig zag stitch on the panel you're adding on the raw edges either before you add it on the garment or after you've sewn it on you won't have to worry about that :) basically set your machine to zig zag on its widest setting and only have the left side of the zig zag in the fabric. The right size will basically loop and seal the edge :)
Story of my life!!!!!!!!
Going to a wedding g soon and have a navy lace dress that is just a bit short to be wedding appropriate. Any thoughts on adding length to lace?
Go to your local fabric store and see if you can find a matching lace that's either close enough to the original or a complimentary color and pattern. Look in both the fabric and the ribbon area sometimes there's wide lace over there and just add a little length to your slip if need be. If your lace is intricate I'd maybe hand sew them together so you don't see stitch lines by just knotting thread snipping and repeating so you don't just have a line of thread on the almost bottom of your dress.
Hey rach, i have a dress which has got lace on one side i really love it but its way too short :-( It would be odd to add an extra piece of fabric ....pls give me some tips to extend it
Add a panel of lace. Just line it with something so it's not see through :)
+Rachel Dixon Thanks and keep up the good work u r amazing
I think this would lay nicer if you cut your fabric on the bias to accommidate the curve of the circle skirt instead of fighting it with straight strips.
YES
Great result, terrible music it sounds like soundtrack to Barney.
Rachel Dixon
Rachel Dixon How would one go about adding fabric to the waistline of a dress rather than the hemline?
This is really helpful but i have a summer dress (The dress has 'spaghetti' straps) and adding an extra piece of fabric on the bottom looks a bit odd so do you have any tips?
If you bring your dress to your local fabric store you'll probably find a fabric that is the same material with a complimentary pattern. Unless you want to rip apart the dress and add a panel at the waist line area you might just have a dress that is too short. If it's only a few inches and the top sits high on you and the straps aren't adjustable you could remove the straps and add longer ones. Hope this helps.
thansks
u'rock!!! you're cool, girl!...
Very helpful, thank you so much.
Of course! Let me know if there's any other projects you'd like help with! :)
Rachel Dixon
Thank you. What a great video and a fabulous fix for short dresses and skirts. What is the sewing machine you use? I have had 2 in recent years that break shortly after I purchase them. They start to "chew" up the thread so it is all loopy on the reverse side of the seam and it leads to breaking the needles. I tried adjusting things, but my last machine is now in the trash. I can't stand to be without a machine. I actually cried.
+PopSugar Sprinkles Ooops, I just saw the note under the video. :P
great job! :-)
You are amazing.
lovely awesome..
hey i was wonder how to add length to my costume for a renaissance festival my dress is supposed to touch the ground but instead reaches to my calf. The dress is white with a gold panel up the middle. to you have any tips on how to make it longer also there isn't a seam on it because it was a cheap costume. also any idea on how many yards of fabric i will need
HELP! What if my dress isn't a plain color like all black or all white or something like that where I could just add the same color fabric underneath. My dress is made out of polyster and the background of the dress is a darkish blue with white, dark pink, and light pink flowers. Please help I really need to make this dress longer before Sunday! Thank youuu
Onzila Akhtar as you can see in the tutorial my dress is multi color and I picked black to add on to it. I'd pick your favorite color, bring your dress to the fabric store and match it with that color on the dress and that can be your bottom block. I'd also just sew it right sides together instead of how I did it in the tutorial. #liveandlearn
Thank you so much! The dress looked even better now after I added the fabric! Sorry I took long to reply was busy! But thank you so much! :)
I have the opposite problem i feel like my dresses are too long and I aint got a modest bone in my body. I believe nudity is art nothing to be ashamed of.
I, too, am tall. I've found this technique works wonderful for me, and I've used it many times through the years. I HATE the thought of sitting down in a public place, and my butt touching the seat with no barrier. Ugh! Grossness. I have to admit to giggling when I see ladies doing the same, and they think they look sexy. All I can think is their butt is bare on a public chair. lol. Soooo not sexy!
Very cute dress. Why don’t women here wear dresses like that?!
Terry Colbert where is here?