I can’t stand ironing. Any clothing creation that calls for ironing…..ugh. I will do anything to shorten my ironing time, and I never had any luck with those metal ironing guides, so I created these little templates. If I have an outfit that I sew over and over again I’ll make a template that gets stored with the pattern pieces so it’s handy and I don’t have to remember what the measurements for seams or hems are.
This particular dress I worked on today I usually hem by ironing a 1/2″ fold and then a 1.25″ fold. I made a template just for this dress….so the whole process is foolproof and the hem is perfectly precise. I start by cutting a piece of poster board or heavy cardstock and then cutting small slits at 1/2″ and 1.25″ using an exacto knife. The slits aren’t continuous so that the template is more durable:
The template makes marking my folds a breeze….I can create hems with my eyes closed.
First, I just line up the template with the bottom of the fabric.
Then I use a disappearing ink pen to mark the entire length of the first fold…..
….and then the entire length of the second fold. I repeat this all the way across the piece of fabric.
Then I fold my fabric on the line and iron.
A perfect hem…….
……for a cute little silk screened party dress soon to be revealed in my shop 🙂
Just a little glimpse into my sewing process!
Wow!!! That is soooo clever! Thank you soooo much for sharing that! Really! I will have to try that! 🙂
That is such a BRILLIANT idea! I appear to be physically unable to press/fold a straight line. I am going to make one of these immediately.
Thanks 🙂
Sam x
What a great idea! Thank you!
What a great idea! Thanks for sharing!
How clever! I don't mind the ironing as much as that awful little ruler. Thanks for haring.
That is SUCH a great idea and I'm going to steal it. 😉 I hate hems and they never work right for me. Yea for this.
omg, this is clever! I never thought of doing this.recently I asked my friend to help me sewing and she did the hem a bit bigger than I asked. So this is a brilliant solution. Thanks Ashley for sharing! Have a nice day 🙂
Great idea! It seems really useful! 🙂
RobyGiup
(robygiup.splinder.com)
What a great idea! So clever! and don't worry you are not the only one who hates the ironing part, I totally do too! Making hems is a nightmare for me, but I will try and make a template myself to see how it goes! Thanks for sharing =)
http://www.mrssassycrafter.com
That fabric is beautiful! And I may be borrowing this idea. 🙂
Thanks for sharing this idea!
I use to use the little metal 6" ruler (and still do on occasion) but more often, I "just eyeball it". I have a great eye for things being level/straight, and often find (with things on straight of grain) that they tend to "fold themselves".
For things with a curve, or where you want the same measurements over and over, this is a clever solution.
I didn't make a fancy template like you, but I draw lines with invisible ink and fold up to them when I iron a hem. Never thought to blog about that…
I will do anything to avoid using a hem gauge!! 😉
Super cool idea!! THANKS!!
Wow Thank you so much for sharing that. I am so going to use that with my hemming. I hate to iron as well and am not a very precise person. So this little trick will be a HUGE help in making my girls hems turn out right.
Two Words: Pure Genius! Thanks for sharing!
I hate pressing too!
I've marked a piece of paper with hem widths, and I press with the paper inside the fold, if that makes any sense. Basically same thing you do but with no marking on the fabric – just leave the paper in the middle and press!
Oh, I press all the time during my sewing. I wouldn't know what to do without my iron. But I am a weirdly fanatic pinner too. I heard a little while ago that some people hardly every pin. I pin everything! With all that sewing and pinning, no wonder I am so slow with my sewing 😀
Anyway, I only wanted to say that I love those colours together in that last shot. Can't wait to see the whole dress.
why on earth have i never heard of this before?!?! brilliant! thank you for sharing!
GENIUS!!!
no more LAME seam gauges for me!!
thanks for sharing ashley. i always love looking into other sewer's studios!!
Brilliant!!
You. Are. A. Genius. This is briliant!!! I linked to your post over at Craft Gossip Sewing:
http://sewing.craftgossip.com/tutorial-template-for-marking-perfect-hems/2010/10/15/
–Anne
This is genius!!! Thank you so much for sharing!
BRILLIANT!!!! THANKS SO MUCH you just SAVED me!
Why didn't I think of that 🙂 What a great idea. Thank you so much for sharing it with us. I came here through Craft Gossip newsletter.
Thanks again from Australia
Katherine
Brilliant…I think I will create this and cut it out of thin plastic on my Cricut!! Thanks!!
Hi,
we've put your link in our blog – printedcotton.blogspot.com …its a great tutorial to be share ;).
thanks.
brilliant!!! 🙂
I always think you're brilliant but today… HOLY COW. Thank you for this. Sometimes it's the little things, you know?
I love this tip/ tutorial! I hate hemming b/c I never think it's even. So this is perfect and right on time for me to use to hem my 2 yr olds Halloween costume.
What a fantastic tip! I will be making myself some of these!! 😀 Thanks so much!