Taking up pleated skirts

[Alstroe]

I have no experience in seamstressing, none at all. I don't so much as own a sewing machine - I should have thought to buy one whilst I had money! I have recently ordered two American Apparel skirts. I would like them to come above the knee. I've owned one of the skirts before, in the same size and found that it fit perfectly in the waist and hips (when I had around the same measurements that I have now). However, whereas it fell above the knee on the website model, I, at just under 5'2", find AA skirts quite long. How would one go about taking up a pleated skirt without ruining the pleats? I'll have to get that sewing machine first, of course.

 

[softgrey]

it's such a pain...
i just used to roll the waistband when i was your age...

 

[fashionista-ta]

You don't have to have a machine, any hemming can be done by hand. To me the real trick is the ironing afterward. It's really best to have it professionally done. Some cleaners charge by the pleat, I seem to recall.

 

[Alstroe]

I think I'll just roll the skirt up at the waist. Too expensive to have it professionally done, and - I've had a seamstress in this town lose a beautiful olive-green Versace blouse of mine...

 

[fashionista-ta]

I was saying you could hem it yourself, and then have it professionally ironed ... but don't let me talk you out of rolling it!

 

[Alstroe]

I was saying you could hem it yourself, and then have it professionally ironed ... but don't let me talk you out of rolling it!

I could always try to hem it myself - although I failed my mandatory first-year Home Economics class!

 

[fashionista-ta]

Oh nos ... and with your ambitions to be a housewife too! What caused the failure?


I definitely think every housewife should be able to hem.

 

[Alstroe]

Oh nos ... and with your ambitions to be a housewife too! What caused the failure?


I definitely think every housewife should be able to hem.

I was 11 and clumsy. I think I actually passed the sewing part - it was the cookery I failed! I really need to learn both. I live with a single father who can't sew and who can only cook (make, that is) lasagne and soup, so I don't have a tutor. I shall have to procure some cheap skirts from Aliexpress or some such and practise on them!

 

[fashionista-ta]

PJs would be something good to learn on ... you won't wear them out of the house ... I hope ... so they don't need to be perfect, but it's also not wasted effort.