Horsehair braid is applied to a hemline of floor length skirts to add body without adding weight to the hem. It supports the shape of the hem and keeps it from collapsing.

1. Thread baste to mark your hemline.
2. Working with the right side of your fabric facing up. Starting at a seam, pin the horsehair braid to the hem allowance 1/8^th inch from the baste marking. The horsehair braid may have a thread running the length of one edge, if so place that edge furthest from the baste marks. This thread can latter be pulled to shorten the edge once the hem is turned up.

3. Baste horsehair in place and turn up hem, pin into place and check length. Remove pins and let hem down.
4. Stitch along edge closest to baste marked hem.
5. Gently pull the thread that runs along the opposite edge. This will gather up the excess length.

6. Turn up the hem and adjust the ease in the horsehair to fit, stitch to underlining of skirt or very carefully to skirt if underlining was not used.
7. The cut ends will be rough and prickly, overlap them and cover with a small piece of fabric hand stitched in place.

1. Working with right side facing up, hem allowance of ½" pin ½" wide horsehair braid into place along cut edge of hem, beginning at a seam.
2. Machine stitch ¼" from cut edge .

3. Turn up hem, finger press hem fold. Stitch hem allowance in place as usual along top edge of horsehair.