Without a free arm on the Janome, wasn't it hard to hem? I "messed" up on a pair of pants for my husband and now he takes them to an alteration shop on base. I will do his patches because I do a better job than most alteration places, but hems are a no-no.
I too have a mending pile mounting. With young kids, by the time I get around to fixing their clothes, they have outgrown them, but at least I feel good that I had the right intentions. :-)