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How do you sew
a rolled hem?
How do you sew hem edging?How
to sew narrow hem?
Raw edges of fabric are prone to fraying and they look unfinished.
The other day, we were setting up a big party for family and friends
to celebrate the soon to be birth of our seventh grandchild and our
second grand daughter. The piles of paperwork, fabric, mail, etc.
were properly stuffed away out of sight. A light dusting was
complete. We were ready to decorate. Our dining room table will
serve as the centerpiece for gifts and the “Baby Party” cake. I
found this beautiful satin jacquard fabric and thought it would be
perfect as a tablecloth, but I didn’t want to lose the opportunity
to use it for something else like a beautiful jacket. So, I decided
to use the fabric without edging it. I just left the raw edges.
Now, I must say it looked good, and no one said a thing about the
edges. Unfortunately, every time I approached the table, I noticed a
few threads fraying along the edge. I felt embarrassed and self
conscious. What I should have done was sew a neat rolled hem along
the edge. Maybe nobody else noticed, but I would have been so proud.
The rolled edge is wonderful for delicate to medium weight fabrics.
Once finished the edge is almost entirely forgotten. The edge is
just the way it should be.
By comparison, the edge could be finished with a simple fold over
and top stitching, and that may be necessary on heavier fabrics. But
the rolled hem gives a finished look free of the bulk and heaviness
common to the folded over hem.
A rolled hem is a hem created by use of a special rolled hem presser
foot on a serger or sewing machine. You feed the fabric through the
guide in the foot. The foot actually rolls the fabric over in
preparation for sewing. As the fabric is fed through the rolled hem
foot it is top stitched in place creating a very narrow hem that can
be used on dozens of different projects: table cloths, scarves,
garments, linings, ruffles, etc. The finished hem will be between
one and six millimeters wide depending on the size of the
specialized presser foot and the thickness of the fabric.
Consider these question: How
to rolled hem on serger? How to make a narrow rolled hemming
on serger and flare? How to hemming sheer curtains? How
to sew hem edging? How to sew narrow hem? How do you sew a
rolled hem?
Follow these simple guidelines to perfect rolled hems.
1. You must have a good sewing machine (or serger) and its rolled
hem foot.
2. Prepare your sewing by cleaning the work area making it free of
debris and anything that might snag the fabric while you sew. Clean
away any lint from the bobbin area, and make sure the machine is
properly threaded.
3. Install the Rolled Hem Presser Foot. Different brands and models
offer different sized rolled hem feet. You may actually have only
one or two or three different sizes that fit your machine. If you
have more than one size select the one best suited to your project.
If for any reason you do not have a rolled hem foot, you may
purchase a generic one. Take one of your regular feet with you so
your sewing specialist can match your machine appropriately. When
you examine the rolled hem foot you will notice a turned piece of
metal that looks like a scroll. This actually helps turn the fabric
in preparation for sewing. Under the presser foot, you will notice a
groove that allows the rolled hem to easily pass under the presser
foot after it is sewn.
4. Select a straight stitch appropriate for Rolled Hem Presser Foot.
Note: many machines allow you to sew a straight stitch in multiple
positions (left, center, right, in between). Make certain that your
machine stitch is lined up properly with the needle hole in the
Rolled Hem Presser Foot. A narrow zig zag setting may also be used
if desired, but make sure that it fits your presser foot.
5. Normal tension settings are recommended unless you have recently
changed the size of the thread you are using for the project. If you
are changing the size of thread, you will need to adjust
accordingly. Larger thread means decreasing tensions a little.
Smaller thread means increase tension settings a little. After your
sew your test seam, you may need to readjust your tensions for
perfect stitch balance.
6. Match Needle and Thread to the project. Since most rolled hems
are sewn on delicate to medium weight fabrics, you will likely use a
size 8 (delicate) to a size 12 (medium heavy) needle. The thread may
be a fine long fiber polyester embroidery type thread or a natural
thread matched to the fabric type. For super delicate fabrics use
size 60 threads, and for medium fabrics use size 50 threads.
7. Adjust the stitch length to medium for delicate fabric and a bit
longer for medium weight fabrics. On your sewing machine, your
stitch length adjusting knob will have settings ranging from 0 Fine
to 4 or more. The larger the number the longer the stitch and fewer
stitches per inch.
STITCH LENGTH SETTINGS
SETTING MM SPI
0 0.5 60 (fine setting)
1 1 24
2 Delicate 2 13
3 3 9
4 Medium 4 6
5 5 5
6 6 4
Setting is the adjustment on your stitch selector.
MM stands for Millimeters on the Metric Scale.
SPI stands for Stitches Per Inch.
8. ALWAYS TEST FIRST. You may be an expert, and thinking to
yourself, “I already know how to do all of this.” But one mistake
can ruin a whole project, unless your are careful to double check
“all is well” first. To Test follow steps 9-20 on a piece of scrap
fabric of the same type as you are using in your project. If you
have problems, during the test, fix before proceeding. It will save
lots of heartache later. When your test is just right, proceed to
use your project fabric and complete steps 9 and following.
9. Trim the edge to be hemmed. Remove any loose and especially any
already frayed threads from the edge of the piece. Whenever possible
align the fabric to be edge along its lengthwise grain. This will
make a better hem than on cross grain or bias of the fabric.
10. Lay the fabric for hemming right side down (wrong side up).
Position the fabric so the insertion will be to the right and the
bulk of the fabric lies to your left.
11. Prepare the fabric for insertion into the presser foot. Your
goal is to produce the smallest possible hem. Tightly fold over the
edge of the fabric two times. Make the finished fold the same size
as the guide on the presser foot. You may use a pin to hold the fold
in place, or proceed without pinning.
12. Using your right hand, roll the hand wheel toward you until the
needle is at its highest position.
13. With the folded fabric held tightly, lift the presser foot and
slide the folded fabric under it. Lower the presser foot to hold the
fabric in place.
14. Roll the hand wheel forward some more until the needle
penetrates the fabric to hold it in place.
15. Lift the presser foot, and remove any pins you may have near the
presser foot. Slide the folded fabric into the shaped scroll guide
of the foot.
16. Lower the presser foot and prepare to sew.
17. Take thread trails in your left hand and hold them to the left
and behind the needle to prevent their messing up your hem.
18. Take hold the edge of the fabric rolling the fabric over your
thumb. Gently, feed and guide it through the rolled hem presser foot
scroll guide as you sew.
19. Periodically adjust your fabric using both hands and guide it
through the foot. Smooth the fabric with your left hand preventing
clumps and mounds. Guide the fabric with your right hand. This will
take some practice to keep just the right amount of fabric flowing
and at the proper turn.
a. Take care to avoid the unfolding of the fabric, because this will
expose the raw edge of the fabric.
b. Also avoid stuffing (feeding too much) fabric, because this may
cause the excess to bulge or peek through the edge.
20. It never hurts to stop and make repairs midstream.
a. If you find that for any reason, your hem is just falling apart,
looking really bad; stop. Roll the hand wheel to raise the needle to
its highest position. Lift the presser foot, and draw back about a
quarter inch to an inch of hem. Take out the bad, and reset to sew
in the good.
b. If the problem is not yet stitched in (unfolding ahead of the
needle), set your needle down to hold the hem in place. Lift the
presser foot and make appropriate adjustments. Reset and go again.
Hemming is a true art form. Beautiful perfect hems finish the
project. They give the feeling of satisfied completion. They bring
all the pieces together. The Rolled Hem is just one of several
exciting techniques for finishing the edges of your project. There
are also several enhancements and alternative ways to achieve the
Rolled Hem. Not only can you do a rolled hem on your sewing machine,
you can do one on your serger.
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.
RESOURCE:
For more information on sewing show and tell groups, check out
"Sewing, The World's Greatest Hobby"
by Donna and David Trumble. And check out the local Sew And
Quilt Stores in Killeen, Temple, and Waco, Texas or at
www.sewandquiltstore.com.
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