HOW TO SEW
A BLIND HEM STITCH?
There are many different kinds of hems, but
among the most popular is the blind hem.
Fundamentally, the blind hem is achieved by
folding fabric and sewing the blind hem stitch.
Once it is sewn, garment has a nice folded over
edge with almost no evidence of a seam line on
the face of the fabric. (Hence, Invisible.)
Learn how to sew a blind hem
stitch and create professional hems. The
blind hem stitch demonstrates classic how to
sew techniques.
To sew the blind hem, it is
essential that you have a blind hem presser
foot and a blind hem stitch on your sewing
machine. The blind hem presser foot has a
special guide on it to help keep your hem
straight and reduce sloppy hemming. The blind
hem stitch is essentially a straight stitch
that zigs periodically to pick up the
fabric.
Notice the guide running
down the center of the presser foot. This is
essential to help you keep the blind hem stitch
under control and sewing precisely down the
edge of the hem.
You may begin by
overcastting the edge of the fabric to prevent
fray. To do this, simply zig zag along the edge
of the fabric keeping the stitch right along
the edge of the fabric. You may also leave the
edge of the garment as is if desired, or you
may fold over an additional one quarter inch
fold encasing the edge. As usual, there are
often multiple options depending on how much of
a perfectionist you are.
Fold your fabric properly.
This is simple if you have done it a hundred
times, but amazingly it is hard to remember if
you don’t do it periodically. Fold the fabric
two inches wrong sides together and press.
(TIP: Whenever you fold the fabric it is a good
idea to press the fold in place.)
With the fabric folded, sew a basting line all
the way around the fold maintaining a one
quarter inch seam allowance from the raw edge.
This will hold the hem in place while you
complete the sewing and makes a neater
hemline.
Another technique that
achieve the same result is to pin the fold in
place being sure to remove the pins as you
sew.
Fold the fabric back good
sides together along basting line (or pinned
line).
You will see a quarter inch
zig zagged edge exposed.
Using the correct presser
foot, sew along the edge of the fabric using
the blind hem stitch or blind hem stretch
stitch if sewing on stretchy material.
Note there are a couple of
different styles of blind hem feet, but the
essential feature you need is the little finger
that splits down the center of the presser foot
which serves as a guide for sewing. Place your
presser foot so that this finger or guide lines
up just outside the fold of the fabric. As you
sew the blind hem stitch will stitch on the
edge of the fabric with a straight stitch and
periodically jump across this guide to sew one
stitch on the edge of the fold.
(TIP: You want as little
bite into the fold as possible while still
stitching in the fold.)
If the bite of the jump
stitch is too deep or too far into the fold of
the fabric, it will be seen on the face of the
fabric when you are finished. If the jump
stitch does not penetrate the fold at all, it
will not be attached and will hang loose. You
can adjust the bite of the stitch by changing
the stitch width adjustment on your sewing
machine, or some blind hem feet will have a
small screw that will allow you to adjust it
with a quick turn of the knob.
Once you have finished your
seam, turn the fabric over and remove the
basting stitch. Using your fingers or a seam
ripper, it is easy to quickly remove the
basting stitch. You will notice that if
everything worked like it is suppose to, you
can barely see where the blind hem stitches are
on the face of the fabric.
The blind hem has become
such an important part of sewing that a whole
line of specialty machines have been created
for the sole purpose of sewing blind hem
stitches. These machines do a fabulous job for
professional seamstresses, custom clothiers,
and commercial applications, but you can
achieve almost the same quality using your home
sewing machine using the right presser foot and
carefully sewing with the blind hem stitch.
Learn how to sew a blind hem
stitch and create professional hems. The
blind hem stitch demonstrates classic how to
sew techniques.
AUTHOR:
Donna Trumble is a professional designer,
seamstress, author, sewing educator, and sewing
business owner. She leads several
Sewing Show And Tell groups in her stores
guiding participants to shop sewing machines
and learn about sewing and quilting.
David Trumble is a sewing
professional, author, semi-retired minister,
sewing machine technician, and CFO of Temple
Sewing And Supply, Inc
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