Update: Anxious about altering my lace dress

beachyone15

So I was reading another thread about altering lace dresses and it got me worried about my own gown. I have my first alterations appt this Sat so I'm not sure what to expect. My dress fits well but I'm worried about the hem. It's scalloped lace and there really isn't any horizontal seam on the dress. How are they going to be able to hem the dress - by creating a seam somewhere? Cutting the scalloped lace and re-attaching it? Has anyone else been through this that can ease my mind?

LDay2014

Usually they remove the lace edging at the bottom, shorten the skirt, and then reattach it. You won't even notice it was hemmed.

Maggie0829

It really depends on how your seamstress wants to go about doing it.  Sometimes they can cut the scallop portion off and move it up once the dress has been hemmed but that doesn't always work. Since your dress doesn't have a waist seam they will most likely have to take the dress apart, move the entire piece of lace up and then put the dress back together.  It will be more expensive then your average hem so just be prepared.

But since there are so many dresses out there like yours then there must be a way that it can be done.  Just make sure that you trust your tailor.

manateehugger

If there's no easy seam to take it from, there's usually a bit of scalloped lace trim at the very bottom of the dress (you'll have to look carefully for it, but usually you can spot it - I think mine was a couple inches wide). They'll remove it, hem the dress up, and sew it back on. 

Here's a guide to how they often do it: 

http://csrapdu.ning.com/forum/topics/how-to-hem-a-wedding-gown-with?commentId=2115730:Comment:9177

beachyone15

Thanks girls. Maggie is right, there HAS to be a way to do it since there are other dresses out there similar to mine. The alterations shop I am going to has great reviews and was also recommended to me from someone here on TK so hopefully it will all be ok!

southernbelle0915

LDay2014 said:

Usually they remove the lace edging at the bottom, shorten the skirt, and then reattach it. You won't even notice it was hemmed.

I had a lace dress and this is what they did with mine.

novella1186

I'm really short so every time I tried on a lace dress that I loved, I drilled the shop employees or onsite seamstress on how it could be altered. A lot of lace dresses have a bottom hem that's actually sewed on separately for the exactly purpose of taking it off to shorten the dress. If it doesn't have a separate piece already, it's not impossible to find a good spot to cut it apart and put it back together. Some of the magic the seamstresses talked about blew my mind. If they know what they're doing, they can make it work.

beachyone15

Update: So I went to my fitting and the seamstress was very knowledgeable and I feel very confident about her working on my dress. I had never noticed it before but the dress does have a scalloped part that can be removed and re-attached (she showed me where it was). Also, more good news, my dress has to be taken in!!! Woohoo!

Thanks again everyone for easing my mind a bit!