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Sunday, June 9, 2013

Sewing 101: Blind Hem Tutorial (Using a Zipper Foot)

For what seems like an eternity, every time I did a blind hem on the sewing machine (had hand sewed my hems for about the first year), it seemed like such a long and arduous process.  I considered purchasing a blind hem foot to help me get a better, more uniform look, but a lightbulb turned on yesterday as I was inserting a zipper.

My problem with using the All-Purpose Foot was lack of visibility.  I wasn't sure how best to align my fabric to ensure a consistent, even stitch.  The Zipper Foot's open sides addressed the visibility issue while the notched area addressed fabric alignment.


Difficulty: Easy 

Time: About ~15 minutes for a skirt hem

Materials: Zipper Foot, thread that closely matches your garment

Steps:
1.  Try on your garment and pin your desired hem length.

2.  Set your machine to the stitch in the photo below:

3.  Switch out your All Purpose Foot for the Zipper Foot and fold your fabric as directed below.





This post was inspired by Ping and our sewing conversations :)

For the traditional method using a blind hem foot, check out a great tutorial here.
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6 comments:

  1. MeJune 9, 2013 at 3:22 PM

    Thanks for the review...should come in handy soon. :) I really like the Coletterie site...just added it to my blog list.

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  2. UnknownJune 9, 2013 at 5:59 PM

    This is an awesome tutorial for someone who bought a basic machine that doesn't come with a blind hem foot. As for me, I'm pretty old school and prefer to do blind hems by hand. You can do really pretty things like adding a hem tape and whipstitching or catch stitching by hand. :)

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    Replies
    1. SewPetiteGalJune 12, 2013 at 10:23 PM

      I am SO uneducated when it comes to sewing so I'm thankful I have you :) Will have to look up those techniques!

      Delete
  3. Cat in CalicoJune 9, 2013 at 8:39 PM

    Thank you so much for this. I always knew that I have a blind hem stitch on machine for this purpose, but it says in my machine manual that it only works on stretch fabrics for some reason unknown to me. I don't know why I didn't just give it a shot; blind-hem stitching takes me forever!

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    Replies
    1. SewPetiteGalJune 12, 2013 at 10:21 PM

      Aw, you are welcome! I hope it works out well for you! To be honest, I haven't really cracked open my sewing machine manual. Now the serger manual, THAT's a different story! :)

      Delete
  4. PetitetomatoesJune 11, 2013 at 11:58 AM

    great tutorial! I am trying to sew more, but when I came across a blind stitch, I had to do it by hand. It gets a bit tedious, so this helps me a lot.

    ReplyDelete

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