Hemming With a Blind Hem Machine
2 Materials
$00
10 Minutes
Easy
I recently acquired a blind hem machine and it is the best thing I have seen for hems. In the past I have always done hems on my regular sewing machine with the blind hem stitch. My daughter found this blind hem machine on Craigslist and convinced me to get it. Well be stuck in the mud for using my regular machine as I always have, I resisted for a while but finally caved in and we went and got it.
First I measured and marked the slacks getting them ready to serge of the extra length.
I pinned them to ready them for the serger.
I needed to remove the original hem. In case you are not aware of the way hems are done here is a tip in quickly removing the hem stitching. On the inseam, you will notice that they over lapped the stitching, so this is where I begin ripping out the stitches. But actually, there is very little "ripping". If you will look closely, the stitch used is a chain stitch. After ripping the first couple stitches, If you pull the hem away from the pants, you can get a hold of the top stitch and the entire hem will zip out. This makes very quick removal of the hem.
Next I had to thread the serger with thread that matched best to the slacks. Since I only had two spools of serger thread that matched close enough, I used the least matching for the two needle spools. These two threads will not show on the outside when finished so they do not need to match that well and it save on having to have four spools.
Next I serged off the extra cloth of the legs allowing for a 1 1/2 inch to be turned up for the hem. Anything less than this does not look very well for a good finished hem.
This a picture of a blind hem machine. I have sewn for over 65 years and was just introduced to this type of machine!
A blind hem is the only thing it does. Having an alteration shop, I do quite a bit of hems and this machine is a real jewel to say the least.
I has a special curved needle that when properly ajusted, just barely catches the top tread of the fabric and from the right side, the stitches barely show. I took me a while to learn the learning curve on this because it has a treadle and I had a while of practicing to control the speed. It goes quite fast!
You can see the chain stitch it makes. I have never been a big fan of the chain stitches but I find that if you properly secure the end, it will NOT zip out.
Pulling the thread through the loop before cutting, firmly secures the chain.
Here is the finished slacks. SO much faster than the older way and I do no have to be concerned about stitches showing on the right side. I was able to manage that on my regular machine using the blind hem stitch, but this machine does it without any adjustments. It was a GREAT addition to my shop to say the least. It is absolutly wonderfu for curtains.
Comments
Join the conversation
2 comments
-
Great fix!
-
Hi Margaret! If I may suggest, there is a thread used especially with this machine. It is very small and it is clear. You can use the same thread for all fabric colors and thickness. Your hem will be more flat and you won't see the tiny white dots at each stitch.
https://www.amazon.ca/G%C3%BCtermann-Hemshire-Blind-Stitch-Thread/dp/B00A3USV1C
Enjoy your new machine! :)
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?