Any dressmakers about? QQ

I can't see why not, but it may depend on how full the skirt is. Is it a straight skirt or does it flare out at all? If you turn it up without cutting away excess fabric then you might get a bit of bunched up fabric. around the new hem.

Are you sure you can't get away with wearing it as it with higher heels?

I dont see why not. I've done this with trousers before.

Measure it all and pin it, then I find a very cool iron will hold it all in place ready for a light stitch (instead of having the layers you have folded bulge it will keep it all nice and flat too), but if you can iron the evening gown make sure its held flat while stitching IYSWIM?

Try not to go through the dress fabric too much when you stitch it, if it's a thicker fabric then if you can try and do it so the stitches don't show on the outside.

HTH x

Thanks MrsSW. It's not a full skirt at all. Its empire line so just falls pretty straight.

I have worn it once with my highest heels and it was do-able but a right pain. That was also a formal sit down meal/ball and I spent most of the night sat down! Tomorrows is more of a party so will be on my feet.

Would there be any way of taking it up from the waist rather than taking it up at the hem? Just thinking that if it's an empire line, you might be able to pull it up an inch with some tacking from the seam under the bust and hide any evidence with a strategically placed ribbon or belt?

Thanks Hepburn - its quite thin (polyester) so the stitches would show?

No there is no line under the bust (so probably not empire line then!). Its one piece of material from the top to the hem but is fitted close and then looser and not fitted from the bust down.

Could you pin up the hem and then iron it with a cool iron, to give a 'sharp' edge at the bottom and hold up the new hem with something like Velcro hem strips (like double sided sticky tape for holding a hem up when teh stiches have come out).

Would mean you wouldn't get a bulge of fabric at the bottom and there wouldn't be any stitch marks.

Thanks guys. It's similar to this http://www.planet.co.uk/en-gb/ProductDetails/?cid=PCATEVE&pid=L3E6045&language=en-GB but without the fold down the middle. It is Planet dress but couldn't find the exact one on the website.

How about using bondweb or similar? I've never found that it lasts for months but for one night it should be ok, No stitching involved then at all.

http://www.fibrecrafts.com/ProductDetail.asp?Level1=1&Level2=77&Level3=0&PID=720&Action=

Actually, seeing the fabric of that dress you linked to, I'd suggest wundaweb/bondaweb and just turn it up once at the hem so you only have 2 layers of fabric, so don't roll it over twice. That way the wundaweb will remain on the inside of the dress, even if your dressmaker then has to open up the temporary hem to cut the fabric, here'll be no danger of the windaweb being on the visible side of the fabric.

Ooh good idea! Thank you :-)