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lady in summer dress image by Laser from Fotolia.com

Circle skirt dresses are a classic fashion staple, and styles range from poodle skirts to elegant mini-skirts. The wide variety of lengths and styles often necessitates changing the length to fit each body type. Circle skirts require a bit of careful attention to the bias and shape to keep the hemline looking professional and neat. By following a few guidelines, you can quickly shorten the hemline of a dress with a circle skirt.

Put the garment on, stand straight and ensure the length you wish to remove from the dress. Subtract 1/2-inch from this length to account for the new hem.

Remove the dress, and fold the skirt section of the dress in half lengthwise so that the hem lines up with itself perfectly. Fold the skirt lengthwise again, continuing to line up the hemline, so that the skirt part of the dress is shaped like a long triangle.

Measure and mark the length that you would like to remove from the dress with pins or a fabric pencil. Keep the hemline even while marking the new length.

Cut off the bottom of the skirt, carefully following the markings you made and keeping the folds of the skirt in alignment.

Fold over the bottom of the new hemline twice, using the extra half-inch of fabric and pinning the new hem in place. Sew this new hemline using a sewing machine or by hand.

Tip

Always keep the hem even during the marking and cutting of the dress for a flawless finish.