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How about a sewing-related confession, for a change? It feels like it's been a while... ;)
Today's topic is hemming. My confession - I typically do a very plain-Jane hem. I just fold up the fabric twice and do a straight (machine) stitch around the edge.
How about you? How do you hem your garments? By hand or by machine? Do you use hem tape or some kind of lace seam binding? If by machine, do you use a special stitch?
15 comments:
I do mine just like you, unless it's a circle skirt or fancy dress.
I'm partial to the double fold up as well, but then I usually hand sew a catch stitch instead of machine sewing it- although shirts I do machine stitch down since it's usually a shallower hem than on a skirt/dress.
Otherwise, I'll use the nice seam binding you can get at Steinloff and Stoller and then catch stitch that down after it's applied.
It depends on the fabric & whether I'm making a dress, top, etc.
I've only used double folded and straight stitched a hem on my apron. I usually hand sew my hems or use my blind hem foot on my sewing machine.
I usually do a double-fold plain hem just like you. Or I just serge the edge and turn it up. I think serging it saves time and that is the only reason I like to do it.
It depends on the style and fabric. If I'm sewing an heirloom dress for one of my grands, I either hem by hand, do a medeira appliqued hem, or a growth tuck which takes in the hem. If I'm making play clothes, I turn it up and sew away on the machine. It just depens.
all depends on the hem. sometimes i turn it up twice like you stated. sometimes i serge the edge and machine stitch or hand stitch. sometimes i do a hong kong finish and then hand stitch. i'm partial to a blind hem, though i sometimes do a catch stitch.
Depends on the garment. Very casual or shirts I'll use the same method as you. Otherwise double fold hand-stitched unless it's thick fabric then I'll use some bias tape and hand catch that down.
As a child someone made me a dress that had lace used to catch the hem down, I thought that was the most special dress in the world.
I've tried blind hemming by machine but not enough to get proficient at it.
My favorite hem consists of a serged edge turned under and topstitched. That's it!
I just overlock (serge) the raw edge & then turn it up once & sew with the machine. If it's a knit, I use a twin needle. No hand sewn hems here!
What am I hemming? If it's a circle skirt or another curvy hem, I use bias tape and the machine. I will use lace to feel pretty, slacks are by hand, and knits... and this is a confession of my own... I have left un-hemmed because I can't find a way to do it that I like.
Really the project's needs and style choices determine much for me.
It totally depends on the garment and fabric. I've done all sorts of hem, and it depends on what best suits the garment and overall look.
I also vary what I do between garments, depending on what they are. For more casual woven garments, I'll usually do either a double fold-up hem (or a serged edge if I'm running short on length) with a machine straight stitch or blind hem. For more delicate fabrics, I'll hand-hem it. For knits, I tend to either machine stitch it with a walking foot and a longer stitch, to try and avoid ripples, or I'll serge it with a rolled hem.
I did recently experiment with seam binding and catch stitching on a more couture-style dress I made, and liked the result. So I'll probably use that method again if the situation calls for it.
I use the double fold and sew on 98% of my sewing. The rest of the time I hand sew.
After a quick check of the garments in my wardrobe and sewing room...On children's pants I do a double fold up, like you, because there is no overlocking to itch their ankles. My cotton blouses have a double turn-up, because it is neat and that hem might get seen. A print skirt for me might require a blind hem on a double fold, if the thread colour doesn't match the whole print. Full skirts I overlock and then turn-up, because I let the overlocker do the easing for me. Pencil skirts I overlock and then do a blind hem as this method has little bulk and pencil skirt fabrics tend to be thicker than my fuller skirts, and the blind hem is a little dressier. T-shirts I use a zig-zag stitch on a single fold, because the fabric doesn't ravel, the zig-zag allows a stretch and it is easier than messing about with twin needles. Some knits don't get hemmed at all, but if this is the case, I have to make sure I tie of the treads on the side seams so that the side seam doesn't come undone. Once on trousers I sewed grosgrain ribbon around the hem and turned up the pants so that the grosgrain ribbon was a mm below the pants, reducing wear on the pants fabric. Only evening dresses get a hand catch-stitch, because I am not very good at this stitch and I get annoyed when my toe catches in the hem as I am getting dressed and pulls the hem down. A lightweight silk or cotton may get a narrow hem. Neat, narrow hems are a sewing joy for me.
I often serge and blind stitch by machine. Camp shirts are folded and machine stitched. When making men's shirts, I ease with the serger, turn and top-stitch by machine. My pants are usually serge finished, as are skirts, then folded up and blind stitched by machine. Pajamas are all finished serged, turned up and finished with two or three "creatively arranged" rows of top stitching. The smoking jacket I recently made for my husband was hand stitched. I love the bias tape and hand stitched method, and plan to do it on a couple of jackets I have yet to make.
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