Narrow Hemmer Tutorial

http://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/3744/mastering-the-narrow-hemmer-part-one

by Carol Laflin Ahles
from Threads #98, pp. 36-40

It's hard to imagine a more basic or useful edge finish than the narrow hem. You see it everywhere: on most blouses and shirts, many linings, sheer or circular skirts, as well as on scarves, ruffles, napkins, tablecloths, and handkerchiefs. But for all its simplicity, this tiny detail can be very challenging to make well. Its very narrowness makes any inconsistency in width or inaccuracy in stitching quite obvious. Pattern instructions for these hems usually read something like: "Turn edge under 1/4 in., press, stitch near fold, trim to 1/8 in., then turn under, press, and stitch again." After many unsuccessful attempts to do this without burning my fingertips and producing uneven, amateurish results, I decided to try the professional approach: using one of the narrow-hemming presser feet available for my sewing machine.

Like many sewers, I was at first frustrated with these feet. But persistence and practice paid off, and it has become clear to me that using a foot is the only way to go. In the photos here and in the related articles, I'll show you in detail how to choose the appropriate foot, keep your fabric feeding smoothly, deal with crossing seams, corners, and other typical hemming situations, and how to achieve decorative hemming effects. But before we plunge in, let's clarify some terms, and consider a few basic points about fabric choice and handling.

Anatomy of the narrow hemmer

		Regardless of manufacturer, all narrow hemmers have the components at left.
		The width of the bottom groove determines hem width Many narrow hemmers come in three widths, 2mm, 4mm, and 6mm, which denotes the width of the groove on the bottom of the foot and the hem it produces.
		Match hem width to groove width

A hemmer by any other name...As you'll see here, there's a small but distinctive range of functions provided by the presser feet called "hemmers." But because some manufacturers offer different feet for the various functions, while others provide a multifunctional foot, many first-time users start off confused, and may actually be trying to use the wrong foot. To make things even more confusing, there's no standardized terminology for naming these feet. Some companies call their hemmers "narrow hemmers," others use the term "rolled-hem" feet, and still others refer to them as "shell hemmers." Regardless of how manufacturers use these terms, here's how I define them:

• A narrow hemmer is a foot of any width designed to fold a fabric edge over twice and stitch it down flat, with a straight stitch positioned along the inside fold.

• A rolled hemmer also folds an edge over twice, but it uses a centrally positioned zigzag stitch to pull the fold into a tight, round, rolled edge, similar to what heirloom sewers refer to as a "roll-and-whip" edge. This foot is typically 2mm wide, with a rounded groove, or channel, underneath, instead of a flat channel as on narrow hemmers, as shown in Anatomy of the Narrow Hemmer. Some rolled hemmers can also be used with a straight stitch for a tiny, flat hem.

	Shell edging, made using a blind-hem stich.

• A shell hemmer makes the same sort of fold as the others, but it uses a zigzag or blind-hem stitch to form the outer fold into tiny scallops, called shells, as shown in at right. It can also be used with decorative stitches for other decorative hem effects. This foot may be available in various widths, especially if it can also be used for narrow hemming.

As you can see, zigzag stitches are not required for a basic, flat, narrow-hem finish, so if your hemming foot has a wide needle opening to allow for zigzag stitching, it may be multifunctional, or it may be expressly designed for one of the other purposes just described. If so, the manufacturer will usually offer another foot specifically for straight-stitch narrow hemming. If your particular machine requires you to use a different foot for each type of hem, it's probably because of a limitation in its range of possible needle positions. Unfortunately, these distinctions are usually not obvious. To help sort through the confusion, I suggest you get a list of all available feet for your particular machine, with descriptions of their functions, from a dealer or the manufacturer. If you don't have such a list, experiment with various needle positions to see if you can get the effects you want, carefully lowering the needle by hand, at first, to be sure it won't hit the foot.

Matching foot to fabric
The folding mechanism on hemming feet is rigid, limiting the possible thickness of fabric that can be hemmed to light- to medium-weight wovens, although tricot and other lightweight knits can often be hemmed, usually with a zigzag-shell effect to allow for stretching. The given width of a foot indicates the size of the finished hem, as well as the width of the opening in front and the channel underneath. Also, narrower feet can't handle fabrics as heavy as wider feet can. Here's a listing of suitable weights for the most commonly available feet:

Rolled hemmer: For very lightweight fabrics only (handkerchief linen, batiste, voile, gauze). Makes hems approximately 1/16 in. to 1/8 in. wide.
2mm narrow hemmer: For very lightweight fabrics. Makes hems approximately 1/16 in. to 1/8 in. wide.
3mm to 4mm narrow hemmers: For light- to medium-weight fabrics (broadcloth, shirting). Makes hems approximately 1/8 in. to 3/16 in. wide.
5mm to 6mm narrow hemmers: For light- to medium-weight fabrics (poplin, flannel). Makes hems approximately 1/4 in. wide.
Shell hemmer: For lightweight fabrics, including knits. Makes hems the same widths as narrow hemmers, up to 4mm

I learned how to manage my narrow hemmer when circumstances placed a huge edge-finishing project in my lap. After 150 yd. of hemming, I had it down! But if I'd had the information I needed at the start, it wouldn't have taken even a fraction of that effort to master this essential tool. In fact, I've taught literally thousands of people to narrow-hem successfully just by sharing the same rarely provided information offered here. But there's no question that a little time spent practicing hemming before you tackle your project will pay off, so give yourself every advantage; your results will show it. Just cut a long, narrow strip of your garment fabric, start away from a corner, and stitch until it feels comfortable. You can just trim away your mistakes with a rotary cutter. To get more useful tips like this one, order a subscription ofThreads magazine which comes with FREE access to our tablet editions.

Starting a narrow hem

Begin away from a corner if possible.

1. Trim edge; a rotary cutter is ideal for this.
2. Form a hem (with the fabric wrong side up) the same width as the channel on the underside of the narrow hemmer by folding the fabric edge over twice where the narrow hem is to begin. Pin parallel to the edge.		3. Position the pinned hem under the hemmer with the outer edge against the toe and lower the presser foot.
4. Take two to three stitches, turning the flywheel toward you by hand, near the inside folded hem edge and just left of the pin. Stop with the needle down, lift the presser foot, and remove the pin.  David Page Coffin 5. Feed the fabric edge into the curl of the hemmer, pulling gently on the fabric in front of the foot. 6. Lower the presser foot and begin to stitch slowly, pulling the thread tails gently toward the back for the first few stitches. Always guide the fabric with two hands Use your left hand to control the width and position of the fabric in the foot. Use your right hand to guide the edge into the foot. Keep the fabric slightly raised against the curl. Common left-handed feeding problems If necessary, remove stitches to the last correct section and start again. Gap between the fabric and the toe: The hem won't form, or the raw edge will not be folded under.   Fabric slipping under the toe: The hem won't form, or the raw edge will not be folded under. Not enough fabric being fed for the hem:The raw edge will not be folded under.   Too much fabric being fed into the curl:The hem will be too thick, and excess fabric will protrude from the hem.

Basic hemming techniques
Hemming corners is three-step process: Trim 1/4 in. off the corner, stitch to the end, then start over in a new direction.

To start at a corner, use tear-away stabilizer or tissue paper under the hem, and stitch about 1/4 in. before feeding the fabric into the foot.		To end at a corner, press the fabric toward the foot to keep the full allowance in the curl.
To cross a seam, trim to reduce the bulk of seam allowances; use a glue stick to keep the seam allowances flat during hemming.		To blend into the starting point, stop with the needle down, raise the foot, and form the hem by hand to blend into the starting hem. Stitch with the hem under, not in, the foot.
To include a facing in the hem, trim to reduce the facing's bulk (left), and use a stabilizer at the corner (right).

Special hemming effects

If your decorative stitch aligns with the hem's edges within the hemmer foot's width, you can stitch the hem in one step.		If your decorative stitch doesn't align with the hem folds, baste the hem first using the hemmer, then stitch decoratively using the satin-stitch foot; finally, remove basting, if necessary.
Shell edging, made using a blind-hem stitch, looks more like a hand-formed shell edge than if you use a plain zigzag stitch.
Narrow hemming combined with a Parisian hemstitch produces a finished decorative edge similar to those on hand-hemstitched handkerchiefs.