How do you make hemmers work?
 

OK, this question is preceded by a request: Please don't tell me to go to a U-tube video. I'm on a slow dial up and it's useless.


Here's the question: I have oodles of Singer, Greist, Kenmore, Japanese and who knows who made 'em HEMMER FEET. Most are definitely vintage, some just more so than others.

I've read the instructions in the Singer books, the Greist books and some books others have written and just cannot get them to work. I'm obviously missing some step, probably in the fabric prep somewhere.

Can someone tell me how to make the doggone things work? Maybe post some pics of doing it?

Please, please, purty please?????? :D

As they say in my home state: Much Obliged. <<< Sigh, I wish I was there.

Joe

I've only played with one a little bit but it fit the White machine I gave away and the attachments went with it.
Start with one of the larger sized ones so it's easier to work with. Feed the fabric around the curl from left to right and from bottom to top then pull it thru until it's under the needle then start sewing while guiding the fabric into the hemmer. You'll know if it's right or not. If it's right you'll have a nice neat professional looking hem with no ragged edges. They do take some practice. If you have any old Singer manuals, some of those will have chapters explaining how to use the attachments. The manual I downloaded from Singer for my daughter's 101 explains them.
Rodney

Have you tried finger pressing the edge that goes into the hemmer just like you would if doing a hem with just the regular foot.

Joe, There's a wonderful book..."The Sewing Machine Attachment Handbook" by Charlene Phillips. It has great photos showing how to use nearly any vintage attachment you can think of. The chapter on hemmers has regular hemming feet & the adjustable Singer one. She has a website/blog....I'm thinking it's called the Sew Box. Anyway the book is available on Amazon, ebay, & most major bookstores. You really should get a copy....actually everyone who wants to use their vintage attachments should. It'll explain your questions about the tucker, too.

As far as using the hemmer feet....there's a bit of a learning curve. The trick is in holding the fabric at just the right angle & making sure that the proper amount of fabric is feeding into the scroll. It's one of those things that you think you'll never get & then Bingo....you've got it! When I was a samplemaker at a formal wear factory, almost all the dresses had an 1/8" hem. And they were satin, velvet, taffeta....every slippery fabric you can imagine. I didn't have a choice....I HAD to learn! I kinda think that how you're holding the fabric to feed it into the foot might vary from person to person. But once you master it, you won't forget it. But again, Charlene's book is a must have, in my opinion. Her pictures & instructions are much more detailed than the instructions in the manuals.

Like Mom-6 said, try finger pressing the 1st inch or so. And a lot of people stitch the 1st few stitches with the fabric UNDER the foot...then wiggle the hem into the scroll. You have to make sure that the hem is started perfectly straight....If there's a little twist to it, it just gets more pronounced the further you sew.

Joe,
There is definite learning curve to using a hemmer! Threads magazine has a picture tutorial at the addy below.
There are 3 parts to the tutorial with links to the next parts at the bottom of part one. Hope this helps! Once you get the hang of it, hemmers are great!

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

Joe, there's really no alternative to seeing it being done. If you don't have someone then youtube is your best option. I watched it then tried to do it myself, but it takes practice: Quite a bit in my case.
There are two hemmers: The narrow one (the roll hemmer) and the bigger one with the ruler. Haven't used the latter but roll hemming must be done slowly and carefully.

Yes, I've tried that a bit. No success as of yet.

Joe

Pat,
Thanks for the info on the book, I'll look for it.

Having no choice but to lean something does put a different perspective on things. My personality has always been that I need to read up on it, watch somebody do it if I can, then do it myself. Like I said in my op I've read the Singer and Greist instructions but can't ( so far at least ) get it in my pea brain and make it work.

I've had a little better results with the larger hemmers that Greist made, but as they get smaller my fingers seem to have a lack of needed dexterity.

Joe

Lovelyl,

Thanks for the link, I'm going there now.

Joe