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How to Create a Wavy Edge on a Pageant Dress

A wavy edge or a lettuce edge is a key hem finish for knitwear, children's wear and costumes. The uneven and curly edge has a whimsical and delicate look that's perfect for shirts, skirts and dresses. Add a lettuce edge to a pageant dress for extra edge in a contrast color or a metallic thread. A lettuce edge can be created on any fabric, knit or woven. A knit fabric with lettuce edge will be much more pronounced and wavy than a woven. A purl merrow stitch is used to create this unique hem.

Things You'll Need

Pageant dress
Scissors
Seam ripper
Purl machine or serger with a purl feature
Thread

Instructions

- 1
  Lay the dress on a table or other flat surface.
- 2
  Use the seam ripper to remove all the stitches around the hem of the dress where you'd like the lettuce edge. If you don't need the length, cut the hem off.
- 3
  Place the hem under the machine, with the edge of the fabric matched up with the right edge of the machine foot.
- 4
  Push the foot petal down and sew for 1 inch.
- 5
  Pull the fabric edge taut and begin to sew again, pulling the fabric against the machine as it goes through. The tugging and stretching of the fabric as it's sewn is what makes the hem wavy.
- 6
  Continue to sew around the hem of dress, tugging as you sew until you reach your start point. Sew over your start point 1/4 inch then off the fabric.
- 7
  Clip the threads on the machine, releasing the fabric.

Sewing