Can I remove the hem around the middle of an item?

[BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz]

Picked up a massively reduced summer day dress at the shops a year ago and on trying it on at home was so disappointed that the extra hem at hip level made the thing worse than hideous.

Theres an under the bust hem then this random hip level one. If that was removed, it would flow lovely down to mid calf.

The dress was 3quid so not even worth the petrol to return it so its languished at the back of the wardrobe.

Tried it on again today and just felt sad that if the hip hem wasnt there, it would be perfect

Its a soft stretchy viscose type material.

Any way to rid it of the hip hem? I initially thought it may have an elastic sewn in which I could cut out but it's not. It's a proper hem.

How do you mean a 'hem'? It can't be a hem if it's mid hip...do you mean it's layered? Put a pic on OP.

Hmmm I dont know what I mean I'll try and upload a pic.

Inside and outside pics

Is it a tuck at hip level?

I think because of the type of material youd end up with a noticeable line of holes. Is it even the same piece of fabric? Or is that where two pieces are joined together?

Isn't that a seam?

How can you get rid of it? The two pieces of the dress will still need to be attached again??

It looks like a separate tier of fabric that's been gathered and attached.

If you undo the seam you will probably end up with 2 pieces of fabric!

Do you still want the fabric at the bottom? I’d have said that was two bits of fabric sewn together, but I’m no expert!

Do you mean remove that whole section? Maybe a full length pic of the dress would help understanding.

That is two separate pieces of fabric sewn together. Take that stitching apart and you will be left with a short dress and a load of fabric.

I'm assuming it's a tiered dress. Like a rara skirt if yesteryear. It will be multiple pieces of fabric so if you unpick them seam you won't be left with a dress at all.

Need a full length pic but that fabric is horrible to sew even for experienced seamstress.

Is it that you want to remove the section between the bust and hip seams? I'm guessing it's a maxi length and you want to reattach the skirt of the dress from hip down back up to the bust seam? Sorry if that doesn't make sense. I'd imagine it's doable if that's the case but would need some of the fabric removing from the width of the skirt section or for it to be regathered before sewing back on. Apologies if I'm completely wrong 😂

Ah shame if it's two pieces of fabric. I'm utterly crap at this sort if thing so no idea what it's called, what the dress is made up of.

Cant just remove the whole section as that would make it a top.

It’s a seam, joining the two parts of the dress together.

You can't. You remove the middle section and have that drop from under the bust but you can't make it a streamline as separate pieces of fabric.

Those two pieces you have pictured are attached by overlocking. The machine actually trims the seam as it stitches, to make it neater.

Bless you! It's a seam not a hem. A hem is what's on the bottom of a dress or other item...or a sheet etc. It seals the ends of the garment or item. A seam holds two pieces together or makes a tuck/pleat.

If the problem is that the seam isn't lying flat, give it a good steamy press. It will have to go downwards, as that is how it has been caught in at the side seam.

I think you mean a seam. All I can suggest is either making more of a feature of it, eg with ribbon/ belt over it or wear it with something layered over the top like a jacket/ cardi to disguise it, you can't undo a seam as it looks like it's 2 separate pieces of fabric joined there.

Is the issue here that you dislike the gathers? As others have said, those are two pieces of fabric. If you took the dress to a dry cleaners that does alterations, they could no doubt unpick the seam and resize the bottom piece of fabric and join it back into the upper piece without the gathers. The seam would still be there, but the fabric would be smooth, which I guess is what you mean by flow. You’d have to judge whether the expense of that was worthwhile.