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From: chiachia
Date: 10-20-2005, 04:27 AM (1 of 13)
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Hello everyone! Thought I'll give a little update on how the satin skirt is going! With all the great tips from all of you experts, I finally did manage to sew the side seams without them pluckering up!  Thanks!I have also done the waist band - thanks again for all your help!  I still have problem with the hem though. Firstly, it is so difficult to cut the fabric such that it is the same length throughout. I tried hanging it on the hanger, pinning all around, but when i ask my daughter to put it on, the length is all uneven all around!  Yes, I did hang it for a few days to let it "stretch" , but ... any more tips that I could try?I also had alot of problem when sewing the hem, keeps "flowing" to one side, kwim? so when wearing, i can see the little diagonal lines along the length of the hem. Just this morning, I went to the shop with my problem, and the sales lady suggested i use a hemming foot. She explained how to use it, but when i got home, I couldnt quite get the fabric to stay in place. how can i keep the fabric inside the little tunnel? thanks a million! angeline |
User: chiachia
Member since: 10-10-2005 Total posts: 21 
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From: paroper
Date: 10-20-2005, 12:19 PM (2 of 13)
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Chiachia, the body is not straight like clothing hanging from a hanger. The only way that you can get a truly straight hem is to hang it 24 hours (which you have done) and then try it on the person who will be wearing it. The hanger doesn't take into account hips and natural human curves. To keep the hem from walking, you need to fold the hem and press it straight up...you can not walk around the hem unless it is somehow held in place...with pins or basting. If the hem is not pressed "UP" and stabilized, it will twist when it is put in. The hem in a round skirt is usually narrower than that of a straight skirt. Although the longer (inside) hem makes the skirt hang better because of weight, in a round skirt it adds bulk and the gain in weight is not worth the hassle. pam
Bernina 200e, Artista V5 Designer Plus, Explorations, Magic Box, Bernina 2000DE & 335 Bernette Serger, Bernina 1530 Sewing Machine, Bernina 1300 DC Overlock (with coverstitch) |
User: paroper
Member since: 02-03-2004 Total posts: 3775 |
From: chiachia
Date: 10-21-2005, 10:44 AM (3 of 13)
Thanks Pam. I did pin round the hem, then sew it by hand (this is basting, i believe?), but when running it through the machine, it sort of go in one direction again.  the folding at the hem is probably only 1 cm each (2 folds) or maybe less. is that still too much? Besides the looks outside the skirt, the inside of the hem also looks horrible at the folds -- with uneven folds up and down, some parts folded over ...btw can you tell me how i can use the hemming foot? thanks angeline |
User: chiachia
Member since: 10-10-2005 Total posts: 21
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From: LeapFrog Libby
Date: 10-21-2005, 11:57 AM (4 of 13)
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Angeline, you can always do what I do.. Its easier.. My friend calls it cheating.. Who cares ?? Works for me.. After the hem is marked stitch exactly on the line that is to be turned up.. take it to the ironing board and press exactly on the stitching line.. after you have it pressed very nicely and the fabric is no longer warm, insert a strip of stitch witchery in the fold (be sure none is sticking out to muck up the iron) and press using instructions for the stitch witchery..This works for me on everything except heavy fabrics.. BTW-- I hate that hemming foot where you have to do the tunnel thing.. I have had one ever since 1957 and try periodically and never can get an even hem .. 
Sew With Love
Libby |
User: LeapFrog Libby
Member since: 05-01-2002 Total posts: 2022 
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From: paroper
Date: 10-21-2005, 01:57 PM (5 of 13)
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I love the hemming foot but I don't think that it will work for this. With the fullness (which can be done but is difficult) and the narrower than usual hem (which makes it look bad, I don't think that is a good formula for this dress. It also takes a little practice and you really need to set the width of each hem according to the fabric you are doing. My hemmer has a blade looking piece going down the middle of it. I fold my hem up and baste it into place about 3/8 inch from the top of the hem. I open the hem up and put the raw edge down on the machine with the raw edge lined up with the edge of the foot. I fold back the garment and put the roll of the garment (fold) against the blade as a guide. The machine takes 3 stitches forward and then makes a zig zag where it jumps over and takes a "bite" out of the garment. The depth of the "bite" has to be adjusted according to the thickness of the fabric. You can adjust the "bite" by adjusting the zig zag width. The stitch you are using is called a blind stitch and it looks like this ---^---^---^---. The space between the --- and the ^ will be the fold of the garment. When you are finished you have to rather pull lightly on the bottom of the hem to set the hem into its correct place. Remove the temporary basting stitch.
pam
Bernina 200e, Artista V5 Designer Plus, Explorations, Magic Box, Bernina 2000DE & 335 Bernette Serger, Bernina 1530 Sewing Machine, Bernina 1300 DC Overlock (with coverstitch) |
User: paroper
Member since: 02-03-2004 Total posts: 3775 |
From: bridesmom
Date: 10-21-2005, 03:09 PM (6 of 13)
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Do you have a serger? If so, what about a rolled hem?? I have used Libby's idea, using stitch witchery after folding up the hem. It's worked ok. I did my daughters sastin wedding dress with a very narrow hem by ironing up the hem, putting in a very narrow piece of stitch witchery, pressing it so it sticks, then pressing up the hem again and stitching very close to the edge. Of course this left a row of stitching on the outside, and on a long dress like that, you really didn't see it at all, plus it had an organza overdress which had a rolled hem on it.
Laura
Tickled pink with my Innovis 4000D |
User: bridesmom
Member since: 01-21-2004 Total posts: 2026 |
From: LeapFrog Libby
Date: 10-22-2005, 02:04 PM (7 of 13)
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Pam, I am not saying I don't like to do the blind hem.. That is a stitch on my machine, and I don't need a special foot for that.. I'm talking about that #$@%& little foot with the groove in it that you have to roll the edge into and then keep it feeding the same width of fabric to make an even hem... Every machine I've ever had comes with several different widths of them.. Most of the time I get 3 with a machine..Waste of money to me..They are not worth the gray hair I get from them.. I do the Blind Hem all the time on nice garments that call for it.. I have done so many now, that I remember how to fold the fabric without looking at the instructions..
Sew With Love
Libby |
User: LeapFrog Libby
Member since: 05-01-2002 Total posts: 2022
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From: paroper
Date: 10-22-2005, 06:40 PM (8 of 13)
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Oh, you don't like that rolled hemmer. It can be a dream....when it goes well and a nightmare when it doesn't. I always have to practice that before I do it. The blindhem is just fun.
pam
Bernina 200e, Artista V5 Designer Plus, Explorations, Magic Box, Bernina 2000DE & 335 Bernette Serger, Bernina 1530 Sewing Machine, Bernina 1300 DC Overlock (with coverstitch) |
User: paroper
Member since: 02-03-2004 Total posts: 3775 |
From: DorothyL
Date: 10-23-2005, 09:19 AM (9 of 13)
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I'm like Libby -- I can't get that rolled hem thing to work right either. Dorothy |
User: DorothyL
Member since: 12-09-2002 Total posts: 3883 |
From: toadusew
Date: 10-23-2005, 10:13 AM (10 of 13)
| I've got the rolled hem foot, and I can't get it to work correctly either! In fact, I do much better, just turning up the fabric a couple of times to make a narrow hem. Those hems turn out much better than the ones I have tried to do with that little foot. If it's a larger hem, I prefer to do sew those by hand. |
User: toadusew
Member since: 01-08-2005 Total posts: 369 |
From: fronno
Date: 10-23-2005, 09:15 PM (11 of 13)
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Here the same, after more than 30 years of trying them out. I still get them better by folding them by hand while I sew, than pulling them through that d.#$@##$ foot.
With kind regards,
François |
User: fronno
Member since: 04-26-2004 Total posts: 79 
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From: bridesmom
Date: 10-24-2005, 07:06 AM (12 of 13)
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OOOHHH THAT foot. Ditto to all the other comments on the $#@$ foot.
Laura
Tickled pink with my Innovis 4000D |
User: bridesmom
Member since: 01-21-2004 Total posts: 2026 |
From: Teri
Date: 10-30-2005, 06:06 PM (13 of 13)
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I actually like the &%$#@ rolled hem foot but found I really have to practise with it each time before using it on a garment. I find serging the edge of the hem before using the rolled hem foot really helps, leave a 3 inch serger tail on the garment and feed it thru the roller foot to start. Serging the edge also makes a hand rolled hem easier for me.
Teri
"Where are we going, and why am I in this basket?" |
User: Teri
Member since: 09-14-2005 Total posts: 66 
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