Help Removing an Invisible Stitched Hem

**The Wizard of BC** · 19th May 20, 02:18 PM

OK. super easy. That is a machine sewn blind hem.

Basically a chain stitch.

So cut one of the threads at one end. If you got the right end all the stitching should just pull out.

If it does not un-ravel, try the other end.

Then set up a steam iron set to the Wool setting. Get a pillow case and a spray bottle full of water.

Put the cloth on the inside of the fabric and spritz liberally with water. Well damp but not wet.
When you put the iron on the pillow case the heat will heat the water to steam that softens the fibers.

Don't worry about trying to keep the pleat creases right now, just try to steam the hem flat and if you lose the bottom couple of inches of the pleat crease don't worry you will be pressing them right back in later.

The pillow case prevents the hot iron sole plate from damaging the wool. The water creates steam to soften the wool fibers. And all the iron does is create heat and allow you to put pressure on the fabric to flatten the creases.

Go slow and give the fabric time to heat up. It should be hot enough that you cannot keep your hand on the fabric for more than a few seconds. The secret is the steam which does all the work.

When the hem is totally gone, baste the pleats and the apron edges back into place and press them down - HARD -. This sets the creases back in the pleats and where the hem was creased in the opposite direction.

Please don't skip the basting. Its job is to hold everything aligned as you move the kilt around and you can press over basting without leaving the puckers that pins leave.

**WalesLax** · 19th May 20, 02:44 PM

Originally Posted by The Wizard of BC

OK. super easy. That is a machine sewn blind hem.

Basically a chain stitch.

So cut one of the threads at one end. If you got the right end all the stitching should just pull out.

If it does not un-ravel, try the other end.

Then set up a steam iron set to the Wool setting. Get a pillow case and a spray bottle full of water.

Put the cloth on the inside of the fabric and spritz liberally with water. Well damp but not wet.
When you put the iron on the pillow case the heat will heat the water to steam that softens the fibers.

Don't worry about trying to keep the pleat creases right now, just try to steam the hem flat and if you lose the bottom couple of inches of the pleat crease don't worry you will be pressing them right back in later.

The pillow case prevents the hot iron sole plate from damaging the wool. The water creates steam to soften the wool fibers. And all the iron does is create heat and allow you to put pressure on the fabric to flatten the creases.

Go slow and give the fabric time to heat up. It should be hot enough that you cannot keep your hand on the fabric for more than a few seconds. The secret is the steam which does all the work.

When the hem is totally gone, baste the pleats and the apron edges back into place and press them down - HARD -. This sets the creases back in the pleats and where the hem was creased in the opposite direction.

Please don't skip the basting. Its job is to hold everything aligned as you move the kilt around and you can press over basting without leaving the puckers that pins leave.

OK, thank you. One of my main concerns was that "reversing the creases on the pleats" was going to be more difficult than I expected, but it sounds like it may not be.

I have basted and ironed pleats before to refresh them, and it sounds like this is going to be a more arduous version of that. I have not basted before, but I know I have seen instructions on the forum before. I know that my tailor bastes before they clean my kilts, which was an important variable in selecting them..... I guess it is my turn to learn what I have been putting this poor guy through!

Thank you, Wiz.

Rob

**The Wizard of BC** · 19th May 20, 04:01 PM

The actual putting needle and thread through fabric is very easy.

The hard part is measuring to keep the Tartan pattern perfectly aligned with the pleat creased edge and the same width from the bottom of the Fell Area all the way to the selvedge edge.

Just take your time with a tape measure. Don't be afraid to correct any errors you may find.

The basting stitches are not tight enough to pucker the fabric but snug enough to keep them from shifting.

If your kilt is pleated to display the same stripe down each pleat the stripe will usually go right down the center of each pleat.

If you kilt is pleated to display the entire Sett, just follow the pattern found up at the bottom of the Fell Area which should reproduce the Sett.

This should give you a good idea of where you are trying to go.

And this is what pressing with a pressing cloth looks like.

If you want you can press over an ironing board. This really shows why basting is required. Imagine trying to press with those pleats flopping off the side of the ironing board.

When you are done pressing, take the temporary basting back out, put the kilt on and look in a mirror. All of the pleats should be hanging straight, parallel and there should be no 'stage curtain' folds or splaying.

Remember to post some "after" shots for us.

**WalesLax** · 9th June 20, 06:13 AM

Sorry about the delays, I have not forgotten about all of you. Given the current status of the world, it took quite a bit longer to get the kilt to me than anticipated. I also needed Woolite and basting thread (all I had was nylon).

I have also watched a plethora of videos and read tutorials on cleaning, basting, altering, and pressing kilts, so I am feeling more confident.

That said, the kilt is here and currently getting a wash, and I will certainly document and share what I am doing.

Bath time:

Rob

**WalesLax** · 9th June 20, 01:43 PM

First, I let my kilt dry out in the shade on clean Trex decking

I started basting the pleats above where the material was folded under...

...going from right to left, I think I got better at basting as I went along...

Whomever it was who put the invisible stitch in was fantastic, because it was a nightmare to remove. Maybe not a nightmare, but it was tedious, and I was impressed with how well it was done.

When opened, I could see that the invisible stitch was actually holding the reversed pleats in place:

Once I got the invisible stitching out, I was left with tons of little strings that I will have to go back and meticulously remove later:

The kilt at full length. You can see where I basted was just above where the original/my new bottom of the kilt was affixed via the invisible stitching. You can also see how I tried to re-line-up the pleats to get ready for pressing with my iron:

A closeup of my (poorly) aligned pleats, just in case any of you were worried about me taking your jobs in kilt making/repair/alterations, you should be able to rest easy once you see this:

Post ironing, the front looking nice and clean and pressed:

**WalesLax** · 9th June 20, 01:45 PM

Post pressing, the back looking OK as it hangs. All of my kilt hangars are spoken for AND it is windy out today, so I don't think this picture does it justice:

**WalesLax** · 9th June 20, 02:03 PM

Another view of the kilt laid out nicely so you can see my handiwork:

(after posting this picture, I went back and corrected the yellow line just to the left of center that appears to have disappeared. I think it was just because of the way I put the kilt down, but I made sure and reapplied heat to that area to "lock it in.")