I have never used a hemmer. I get good results folding and sewing as I go. I've done it that way for years. I've even done it on a hand crank - it is slower that way though. I think it takes practice.

The pin hemmers are the ones in the puzzle boxes? I rarely do hems anymore either. Typically my non-quilting sewing is to hem my pants, or darn DH's pants. I have both the Puzzle box and the Tin out though, and a FW is set up for use, so it would be trivial to take the photos.

Hemmers in general take some practice. Once you get it feeding "just right", they make a beautiful hem. I have a long skirt I made, and used one to roll the hem. I think it might have been the standard one in most kits. I fell off the edge a bunch of times, but as I've mentioned numerous times here, I can't sew a straight line to save my life.
The adjustable hemmer may work better, possibly better tolerance for variable thickness, but I suspect it was more a cost savings measure? I think it's Charlene Phillips (The sew box) She's got instructions on how to use it. So does Threads magazine: http://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/...emmer-part-one

I found that when the wonder clips can take the place of the pins, I don't mind that stage. The pinning, I avoid, because i stick myself almost every time.

Miriam, I'm impressed! Do you chalk the lines all the way around first? I bet you don't even do that.

Tammi,
I called them "Pin hemmers" because I don't know what they're called but that was confusing because the idea is to avoid using pins! Yes, the ones in the puzzle boxes -- they use a separate attachment foot and there's a "pin" on the hemmer that fits into the foot.

Thanks for the Threads link -- it's a good one. I found a blog post where the poster found that there is some variation in the foot hemmer (part no. 120855). I thought it was interesting.
http://runningstitches-mkb.blogspot....t-created.html

Wonder clips -- I gotta try them.

It depends on what the material is. I've made so many tents and tarps with just folding as I go. I've done with jeans a lot, too.

If the fabric has a stripe that I can follow, or if it's ripstop nylon or something similar with boxes or checks, AND the hem is to be exactly on the grain all the way around, I could do that. So I could hem a tea towel or napkin that way. Anything else would never come out straight. But chalking both lines might work for me -- I should try it.

I've gotten away with no pins and no ironing with the Wonderclips. True, I didn't care how those jeans turned out, but they turned out well. ;)

Yes, those hemmers (from the puzzle boxes) are kind of neat. They're the first ones I ever used, and they're slick!

I have noticed that some of the narrow hemmers looked longer or like the "curl" was a little different. I don't know which one I used the time I kept falling off the edge, and I doubt I'd ever figure it out again. I could try a few of them once I get our basement all straightened up. I have a ton of fabric to cut up and stitch back together, I could do a little experimenting too to make sure that my new work area is completely functional ;)

If you can manage under those circumstances, you're leagues ahead of me. All I do is accentuate how crooked it is. I was at a quilt shop this weekend, and the one guy there teaches Judy Neimeyer's quilting patterns. He said if you can sew a straight line, you can do them. I said that there was a reason that I FMQ, I can't draw a straight line with a ruler. The gal behind me nearly snorted her coffee. ;)

You crack me up!

How often do I hem stuff with straight lines or boxes or checks? Never. Lately what I've been doing is making cardboard rectangles of the depth of the hem, and then finger pressing over the cardboard or pinning right along side of it. It's labor intensive. I even tried cutting a big notch in the bottom of the cardboard so I can pin inside of it (one pin at a time, lifting the cardboard up and moving it along). You need heavy cardboard for this and it's hard to cut. Do I put the darn thing in a safe place so I can find it next time? No. One thing I can finally do by eye is the first 1/4 inch (or so) fold. I used to do the folding at the iron, but I burned my fingers a lot.
I can relate. The problem is with the ruler. It has microscopic legs and always wants to walk. Or it has a sled and wants to slide. I'd like to find a ruler with a "grippy" surface. Maybe I should invent one and call it the Klutz Rule.

Thanks! I aim to please!


I'm trying to picture this process. Is it mostly to avoid the burns? I can definitely understand that. I almost always burn myself. If the iron's on, typically I've either done it, or I'm about to do it. Tonight may have been a first. I ironed a couple hundred inches of binding and didn't burn myself. I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop though.

I started putting some of the shelf liner stuff under mine. It would appear that the legs are less functional when you bind them all up in the shelf liner. I stick it there with a little bit of basting spray. I've heard that the basting spray alone might do it, but I'm a pretty far gone case. I can mess up where it seems impossible. ;)

All you gals impress me using your machines to hem.
I always have big plans to use the machine to hem (even used the blind-stitch attachment) but it never looks as good as doing an invisible hem by hand so I don the "coke bottle" glasses on, sigh, then pull it all out and do it manually. Every time :(

I do it to avoid the burns, and also to avoid getting out the ironing board and iron. First I finger press the first fold. I can usually do this by eye if it's narrow. Then, if I want a 1 inch hem, I cut out a rectangle of cardboard 1 inch by about 3 inches or so. I turn the fabric up, insert the cardboard (in what will be the hem) and line up the top edge of the cardboard with the first fold. Then finger press the bottom edge. This is usually enough of a crease that I can pin it as I move the cardboard along. If I use the iron I still have to do the same thing with the cardboard.

That's a great idea! I don't like the fumes of basting spray but I could get try one of those shelf papers that has a light tacky back (meant to be removed), and a rough-ish surface. Or I could just use the rubbery shelf liner and regular glue.

Sometimes a machine top-stitched hem is more appropriate, like with jeans or other things that originally had a top stitched hem. Also the sleeves or hems of knit shirts. I sometimes blind stitch these by hand, but a twin needle top stitch is elastic and looks exactly like the original hem (on the top side, anyway). The blind stitch attachment is useless to me. I'll never get it to look as good as a hand stitched hem, and by the time I thread the machine and put on the attachment I can do the thing by hand.

As for your having to rip out the machine hem, I wouldn't mind that because for me the hard part is the measuring and folding. I have had stuff done at the tailor's, not liked it and ripped it out, and still felt that it was worth the $5 to get the hem measured and turned. The tailor uses a blind stitch machine and it looks like crap.

I can relate to those coke bottle glasses. I sometimes use what I call the "mad scientist magnifier". (The thing that straps around your head.) Or I use 2.75 reading glasses.