Shorten waist with shirring elastic, which also creates a great feature on a plain dress or top.

Another method to shorten a dress or top is to sew shirring elastic around the waist.  To ensure that the elastic does not pull away, unpick the side seams so the sewing begins at the edge of the fabric.

The shirring elastic is wound on to your bobbin by hand.  Make sure to wind it on firm rather than having it too loose, but not tight.

SPECIAL NOTE - The longer the stitch length, the more it will gather.

Mark or place pins where to stitch so that you sew in a straight line.  Never use ball point pens or pencils that cannot be washed out.

Sew the second row beside the first, making sure to keep the edge of the sewing machine foot against the first row of stitching.

Repeat until all the rows are completed.

I wouldn't do less than six for effect.

The shirring could be around the hip area, or if the fabric is very soft, sew the shirring around the hip area, and then push it up to the waist, allowing the fabric to flop over the shirring.  I would only suggest people who are slim use this option, because it can add bulk to your body shape.

Once all the rows are sewn, stitch across the ends on the side seam BEFORE you join the front and back together.  This will ensure the ends do not come out.  Overlock or bind the side seams once the seams are joined.

Happy altering
Judith aka genie