Hemming a jersey dress

[OneHandFlapping]

I have a jersey dress I need to take up. It's very close fitting round the bottom, so I need to keep the stretch in the fabric when I hem it.

Is there such a thing as stretchy thread? All I can find is shirring elastic. I also need to bind it somehow to stop it laddering - with stretchy binding I suppose.

Has anyone got any recommendations? If I can buy the stuff online, even better.

here is a discussion on this....elastic thread won't work. You can either use a serger or a stitch which "gives" such as a zigzag...there are more pointers on the thread above though.

Thank you for the link. It just confirms that it's way beyond me. I don't have a serger, and my machining is not steady enough to do this.

I was going to hand sew it.

I can machine sew and hand sew well but I never touch jersey! It IS a nightmare...I would pay a seamstress to alter it for you and then you know it will work out. You don't want to ruin it.

Good advice!

I would handsew using what I think is called herringbone stitch. Polyester thread, I suppose. I am sure it can be done!

www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=herringbone+stitch&hl=en&sa=X&rlz=1T4ADFA_enGB472GB474&biw=1097&bih=512&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=X_eiB1eOJ6eM2M:&imgrefurl=www.embroiderersguild.com/stitch/stitches/herringbone.html&docid=dpt-PhDz9vLvpM&imgurl=www.embroiderersguild.com/stitch/stitches/imgs/herringbone.gif&w=247&h=183&ei=sojcT5GaN6Gm0QXJ2MXMCg&zoom=1

There you go! (should links be that long, I am wondering? Sorry! It is much easier to do than perhaps it looks!